Admission requirements
Dutch History and Language is compulsory for all first-year students.
In Block 1, all students will attend lectures focused on Dutch history and culture. This part of the course requires no specific foundation in history, though students who took Dutch history at their secondary school should note that this course will offer the subject at a more advanced, academic level and that there will be very little overlap with the VWO history curriculum.
In Block 2, students who are fluent in Dutch (near-native or native level) will continue the course with a focus on Dutch-language science communication. Students who do not have Dutch fluency will continue the course with a focus on language acquisition. Students whose Dutch language skills fall in between the requirements for the two variations will be required to take a test in Block 1 to decide which option is best for them.
Description
LUC’s academic programme focuses on global challenges, but we study these from a particular location, The Netherlands. This course provides a Dutch anchor for our international curriculum, in terms of the country’s history, culture and language.
Block 1 offers an introduction to the discipline of cultural history and the history of The Netherlands, as told through the nation’s visual arts. The lectures focus on specific themes that will recur throughout the three-year programme (in other first-year courses as well as in the majors), including national identity, democracy, education, health, legal power, landscape and technology. The course anchors these themes historically and links them to LUC’s geographical setting, with particular attention to Leiden and The Hague’s place in (global) history. In terms of skills training, Block 1 focuses on the academic skills of iconology, historical thinking and critical thinking, as well as a major study skill: how do you get the most out of lecture-based courses?
In Block 2, the focus will be on Dutch language and communication skills. Students will learn basic Dutch language skills that should enable them to start feeling connected to the Netherlands and give them enough confidence to get by and ask for help when needed. Students who already speak Dutch will take a weekly class in science communication. In these classes, they will improve their Dutch writing skills and learn how to write about the subjects that are taught and researched at LUC in a way that is attractive and accessible to a wider audience. While Dutch History and Language is designed as a foundational course for LUC’s entire three-year programme, its linguistic component is also intended to prepare the ground for Global Challenges: Engagement in Semester 2. Students who want to improve their Dutch beyond DHL, will be offered more advanced courses in Dutch later in the programme.
Course Objectives
Knowledge:
- Identify and understand key developments in the history of The Netherlands, in relation to the core themes of Block 1
Skills:
Apply the first basic principles of iconological analysis
Apply critical and historical thinking
Apply a number of best-practice methods relating to lecture-based courses
Basic proficiency in beginner’s Dutch (language acquisition variation) OR write a correct and effective Dutch text about an academic subject for a wider audience (science communication variation)
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2025-2026 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
The first part of the course (Block 1) consists of weekly two-hour lectures, which are given in English. The second (Block 2) consists of weekly two-hour seminars: the Dutch language classes are taught in a mixture of English and Dutch whereas the science communication seminars are taught fully in Dutch. In addition, students are required to take part in the weekly language café, in which student who are proficient in Dutch help fellow students to learn the language.
Assessment Method
Participation, 15%
History test 1, 15%
History test 2, 30%
Language exam OR science communication /assignment, 40%
The fine print: please note that students need to sit all exams/ submit all assignments (and do so with reasonable effort) in order to pass the course and that assignments submitted after the deadline (regular as well as extended) will not be graded. Corrupted files do not count as submissions – if the instructor cannot open a file, the assignment will be considered as still outstanding.
Reading list
In Block 1, students will be required to read one or two academic articles in advance of every lecture – a detailed list of these will be included in Part 1 of the course syllabus, which will be on Brightspace a week before the first class. Part 2 of the syllabus will be provided at least a week before the start of Block 2 – please note that each course variation in Block 2 will have its own version.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Jacqueline Hylkema, j.j.hylkema@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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