Elective space
The elective space in the IRO Programme, planned in Year 3 (30 EC in total), can be covered with any of the following elements:
a. Study Abroad
b. Minor
c. Electives
d. Research Internship
a. Study Abroad (30 EC)
Leiden University has exchange agreements with many partner universities abroad. The period of study abroad fits in with the curriculum of the study programme and should not cause any delay in study progress. If you go abroad via an exchange agreement of Leiden University, you must have passed all IRO courses of the 1st year and have a grade average of at least a 7,0 at the time of application. If the partner teaches in a language other than English, there is usually an additional language requirement.
It is also possible to go abroad as a “Freemover” or visiting student if Leiden University does not have an exchange agreement with the university you would like to attend. In that case, there are different requirements and arrangements.
Please note: all courses taken abroad must be approved in advance by the Board of Examiners.
Check the website for more information about possible destinations. You can contact the IRO Exchange Coordinator for questions about options for study abroad via an exchange agreement or alternative options.
See for more information about Studying abroad the website or Brightspace page Academic Career Support IRO
Contact for information the IRO Exchange Coordinator via exchangeps@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
b. Minor (30 or 15 EC)
Leiden university offers a wide range of deepening and broadening minors. Minors can be found in the Prospectus. Students can also pursue a minor at another Dutch research university. Minors from other Dutch universities (except TU Delft or Erasmus University Rotterdam) need to be pre-approved by the Board of Examiners.
Leiden University also offers Minors at some of its institutes abroad, including in Morocco, Egypt, and Indonesia.
The minor ‘Politics: Conflict and Consensus’, offered by the Institute of Political Science, cannot be taken by Political Science students.
In general, minors comprise 30 EC. Minors at Erasmus University consist of 15 EC. In that case, the remaining 15 EC of the elective space must be completed with elective courses or a research internship.
See for more information about Minors the website or Brightspace page Academic Career Support IRO.
c. Elective courses (30 EC)
You can select 30 EC of elective courses of your choice from Leiden University or another Dutch research university. The Board of Examiners has to pre-approve your selection of electives in the IRO Elective space.
If you are pursuing a second Bachelor degree or if you have completed university courses before, you can request the Board of Examiners to transfer the credits obtained and thus receive an exemption for the elective space. Contact your study adviser for this option.
Petitions to the Board of Examiners can be submitted via uSis. For more information, please see: Exemptions and Petitions.
Criteria for the Assessment of Electives
Elective courses are assessed by the Board of Examiners on the basis of the following criteria:
The elective course:
Is part of a WO bachelor’s programme/minor, is listed as an elective in the Prospectus, is taken at another Dutch research university, or is taken as part of studying at a foreign research university;
Includes a literature study component;
Is completed with a written paper or examination;
Does not overlap excessively in content with courses from the compulsory Political Science curriculum (i.e. it may be thematically related to Political Science, but must not cover the same material as Political Science courses).
See for more information about Electives the Brightspace page Academic Career Support IRO.
d. Research Internship (15 EC):
A research internship is a minimal 420-hour long internship which is concluded with an academic research paper. In theory, any internship can be a research internship. However, the work during the internship should always relate to the field of Political Science and be of sufficient academic level. While other activities may be performed during the internship, conducting data collection to write a research paper is a necessity, for your grade (and the awarding of ECTS) will be based on the evaluation of your academic research paper by your academic supervisor.
You are expected to arrange the internship placement yourself. For all the information about the requirements, procedures, forms and deadlines of the research internship, please visit the Brightspace page Career Preparation Political Science.
A research internship comprises 15 EC. The remaining 15 EC of the elective space must be completed with elective courses or a mini-minor from Erasmus University Rotterdam.