About
PROGRAMME @ LUC
Note:
180EC is required to be able to graduate. One of the three elective classes the student takes during the first-year should count towards the eventual Major, Minor/Electives component, or Global Citizenship.
the standard course load is 15 EC per block.
students have the option to go abroad for a semester, provided they are in good academic standing; this semester abroad should ideally take place in the first semester of the third year and its courses typically count towards the 30EC elective component.
Important Acronyms
EES: Earth, Energy, and Sustainability
CHS: Culture, History & Society
GED: Governance, Economics, and Development
GHIS: Global Health, Innovation, and Society (formerly GPH: Global Public Health)
IJ: International Justice
WP: World Politics
GC: Global Citizenship
Year 1
YEAR 1 PROGRAMME
Block 1
Block 2
Global Challenges: Understanding (continued)
Dutch History & Language (continued)
Academic Writing (continued)
Elective course 1
Block 3
Block 4
General Information Year 1 Programme
The first-year programme also allows students to enroll in three 5EC elective courses, one in Block 2 and two in Block 3. These courses represent an ideal opportunity for students to explore other facets of the academic programme not represented in the compulsory part the first-year programme. As their first-year elective courses, students may select any of the (Block 2 and Block 3) 100-level courses below. One of the three elective courses a student takes during Year 1 should ideally be part of the student's eventual Major.
Majors
MAJORS @ LUC
The following Majors are offered at LUC:
Minors/Electives
MINORS, ELECTIVES & SEMESTER ABROAD @ LUC
Apart from the Year 1 elective courses, there is an additional electives component amounting to 30EC worth of courses. Students can use this elective space to either take a Minor, take a set of elective courses, or take a Semester Abroad.
Minors
Students may complete a Minor in one of the following ways:
Minor in a Major; a student selects 30EC worth of courses (at least two at 300-level) within one of LUC’s six Majors.
A Minor included in the official list of Leiden University Minors. Please contact the Board of Examiners prior to starting the Minor for approval to include its courses into your LUC programme.
A student who wants to include a Minor from another university needs to ask permission from the Board of Examiners.
Please note that per 2023-2024, LUC no longer offers it five in-house Minors. The courses of these Minors can still be taken as elective courses and can be found below.
Electives
Instead of doing a Minor, it is also possible to take 30EC of electives. This option requires a set of elective courses (30EC) within the context of the individual study plan. Do note that a maximum of 15 EC of post-first-year 100-level courses may be used towards the 30EC elective space. The selection of courses should be in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and/or study advisor. Any course of a Major or Minor can be taken as an elective. It's also possible to take an external (i.e. non-LUC) class, but in that case you will need permission from the Board of Examiners to include the course in your programme.
Semester Abroad
Student can use the 30 EC elective space to go on a Semester Abroad. For more information, please visit our website.
GC
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
The Global Citizenship component offers students various options to develop their cross-cultural communication and reflection skills, and increase their appreciation of cultural and social diversity. This can be done by learning another language, participating in a community project, or by taking classes on citizenship. Each path aims to increase the understanding of and communication with people from other cultures.
Note: most of these are semester-long courses and therefore run for the duration of the semester, i.e. Blocks 1+2 or Blocks 3+4.
Some of these courses may involve additional costs for students, such as an additional tuition fee or travel costs to another city in the Netherlands for an excursion. LUC has a limited fund available to help students who are unable to pay for these costs. Please contact financial.support@luc.leidenuniv.nl, including the course title, a description of the costs, and a very brief explanation why you are unable to cover these costs.
Capstone
Description
The 400 level of studies at LUC consists of a Capstone Thesis course, the successful completion of which is worth 10 EC. Students’ main activity in this course is to undertake an independent research project within their major under the guidance of a supervisor. During a period of approximately one semester, students first develop and complete a research proposal, and next write a thesis based on research they are doing. The Capstone differs from other LUC courses in that there are no regular class meetings. The Brightspace site of the course serves as a platform for the key resources and guidelines.
Learning Outcomes
Firstly, the Capstone Thesis course allows students to gain knowledge about the topic they choose to do research on. Upon successful completion of the thesis, the student is likely to have gained fairly specialised and in-depth knowledge about that theme.
Secondly, by doing the Capstone students are expected to acquire certain skills. First among them are the cognitive skills of researching and analysing a particular subject. The Capstone is further intended to help students improve their skills in oral and written communication. By designing their project, doing the research and writing their thesis, students are also expected to improve their skills in reflecting and independent learning.
Further details about what those skills imply are given at the Leiden University student website and in the Capstone Handbook, which is available to enrolled students.
Admission Requirements
To be enrolled in the Capstone Thesis course, students must have completed at least 120 ECs. Students are also strongly encouraged to have successfully completed a Research Design course at LUC prior to their Capstone semester.
Timetable
Each Capstone Thesis Course spans one semester; hence, one such course is offered in the autumn semester (Semester 1) and another in the spring semester (Semester 2). Once enrolled in the course, students are expected to submit a supervisor form as soon as they have found a supervisor. Later the proposal is due, and finally the thesis. The timeline will be given on the Brightspace site of the course; visible to students and staff once they are enrolled. This Brightspace site provides further information about the Capstone process.
Assessment
Contact
The Capstone Administration, email: capstone@luc.leidenuniv.nl
RC
RESEARCH CLINICS
Research Clinics (5 ECTS) introduce students to academic research by engaging them in ongoing research projects of LUC staff members. Students are invited to participate within various stages of a project, ranging from the set-up or the application for research grants, over the gathering of data and the drafting of findings, to the final polishing of a text and preparing it for publication.
Tags
Depends on clinic, see links below. While any clinic can be used as an elective class within a student's elective space, some clinics can also be used towards (a) particular Major(s).” Please note students can use only one research clinic towards the 180 ECTS necessary to graduate. Any additional clinics will count as extracurricular activities.
Level and ECTS
All clinics are offered at the 200-level and generate 5 ECTS.
Admissions requirements
Academic writing (or equivalent)
Other requirements may be in place for specific research projects.
Second or third year students only
Registration
Registration for Semester 2 Research Clinics
Please submit a short motivation on why you want to participate in the clinic of your choice to course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl. The deadline to do so is WEDNESDAY 1 JANUARY 2025. On the day after the deadline, applications/motivations will be forwarded to the Clinic instructors, who will select the participants for their own clinics.
Clinics, Semester 1, 2025-2026
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Course objectives
After having successfully completed this course, students will have be proficient in one or more of the following course objectives to be able to :
formulate research questions and structure a collective project;
draft and revise an academic text of high quality;
utilize specific research skills and methodologies in the context of a larger research question,
cooperate in a research team.
As such, this course provides excellent preparation for students’ Capstone projects as well as later academic research at graduate or post-graduate level.
Timetable
Once accepted for a clinic, students should check with the clinic coordinator about meeting times.
Mode of instruction
Each student is expected to meet with her/his project leader regularly to discuss her/his progress, receive feedback on earlier work, ask questions and outline further assignments.
Individual project leaders may require additional meetings during which students can be asked to give presentations to all project participants. Project leaders may also ask students to attend specialist lectures, seminars or conferences – insofar as relevant for the project.
Important: students are expected to keep a log of their activities, detailing per hour spent on the project what they have accomplished.
Assessment
Participation during research clinic meetings
Weekly assignments
Keeping a research log
Note that all assignments as well as the final grade for the clinic will be stated as Pass/Fail.
Registration
This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Info
INFORMATION
Timetables, courses:
Block 1: Monday 25 August - Friday 17 October
Block 2: Monday 27 October - Friday 19 December
Block 3: Monday 2 February - Friday 27 March
Block 4: Monday 6 April - Friday 5 June
Timetables, exams:
Block 1: Monday 13 October - Friday 17 October
Block 2: Monday 15 December - Friday 19 December
Block 3: Monday 24 March - Friday 27 March
Block 4: Monday 1 June - Friday 5 June
Please note: exam timetables will be published during Week 2 or Week 3 of the relevant block.
Student Handbook
The Student Handbook contains information on practical matters, but also the Course & Examination Regulations, which includes the Grading Policy, Exam protocol, etc. The Student Handbook will be published at the start of the academic year.
Student Handbook, 2025-2026:
Coming soon.
