Jaar 1
Studying International Relations and Organisations is a full-time job; it will take you 40 hours a week on average. Attending lectures, tutorials, and work group sessions will take about 16 hours; these are the contact hours. The rest of the time you will study independently or with your fellow students preparing for the lectures and work group sessions, writing assignments and essays, and reading.
During the first year of the programme, you acquaint yourself with the basics of the political science discipline and international politics. Furthermore, you will study related subjects, such as economics and history. An important part of the programme is reserved for skills courses, where you practice text analysis, debating, and academic writing.
You attend lectures with all IRO students from the same year. The work groups consist of about 24 students, and during the work group sessions you actively work with your fellow students on deepening and processing the knowledge you have gained from the lectures and your reading.
Structure
The academic year runs from early September to July and consists of two semesters, each divided into two blocks. A block covers 8 weeks, with 7 weeks of teaching and one exam week. At the university, we use the European Credits Transfer System (ECTS) to represent the workload of courses. Each year of the three-year programme consists of 60 EC. One EC stands for 28 hours of studying.
Introduction meeting 2018-2019
On Thursday 30 August 2018 there will be a general Introduction Day for all IRO-students. You will receive an invitation by mail after your application has been confirmed.
Blackboard
Blackboard is a digital learning environment with course descriptions, readings lists and announcements from your teachers. It is important to enroll yourself on Blackboard before the start of each course!
Students enroll themselves for all courses on Blackboard. Click this link for instructions.
Registration for courses, work groups and exams
Courses and Work groups
Both first year students and recidivists will be registered for all courses and work groups in semester 1 by the Student Services Centre (SSC),
As of semester 2 students can register themselves via uSis, according to this scheme:
Block 3: Monday 3 December 2018, 10.00h - Sunday 27 January 2019, 23.59h
Block 4: Monday 3 December 2018, 10.00h - Sunday 24 March 2019, 23.59h
On Friday 31 August 2018 you can see in uSis for which work group(s) you have been registered. Changing of work groups is not possible.
Exams
See here the exam regulations of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Transitory regulations Year 1
Applicable to students who started the IRO programme in 2017-2018 and did not pass some of their courses
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Introduction to International Relations must pass Introduction to International Relations in the 2018-2019 academic year for 5 EC. They will not have to participate in the work groups of the course; their final grade for the course will consist of their grade for the final exam.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Actors in World Politics must pass Actors in World Politics in the 2018-2019 academic year for 5 EC. They will not have to participate in the work groups of the course; their final grade for the course will consist of their grade for the final exam.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Introduction to Comparative Politics must pass Introduction to Comparative Politics in the 2018-2019 academic year for 5 EC. They will not have to participate in the work groups of the course; their final grade for the course will consist of their grade for the final exam.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Introduction to Political Science must pass Introduction to Political Science in the 2018-2019 academic year for 5 EC. They will not have to participate in the work groups of the course; their final grade for the course will consist of their grade for the final exam.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Academic Skills 1: Text Interpretation must follow and pass the workgroups Academic Skills: Introduction to International Relations in the 2018-2019 academic year in the 2018-2019 academic year for 3 EC.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Academic Skills 2: Argumentation must follow and pass the workgroups of Academic Skills: Actors in World Politics in the 2018-2019 academic year for 2 EC.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Academic Skills 3: Book Review must follow and pass the workgroups of Academic Skills: Introduction to Comparative Politics in the 2018-2019 academic year for 2 EC.
Students who began their studies in the 2017-2018 academic year and who have not passed Academic Skills 4: Critical Review must follow and pass the workgroups Academic Skills: Introduction to Political Science in the 2018-2019 academic year for 3 EC.
Jaar 2
Aanmelding voor hoorcolleges, werkgroepen en tentamens
Inschrijving in uSis is mogelijk volgens onderstaand schema:
Blok 1: Van maandag 9 juli 2018, 10.00 uur – tot zondag 26 augustus 2018, 23.59 uur
Blok 2: Van maandag 9 juli 2018, 10.00 uur - tot zondag 21 oktober 2018, 23.59 uur
Blok 3: Van maandag 3 december 2018, 10.00 uur - tot zondag 27 januari 2019, 23.59 uur
Blok 4: Van maandag 3 december 2018, 10.00 uur - tot zondag 24 maart 2019, 23.59 uur
Inschrijving voor werkgroepen uit jaar 1, semester 1, wordt verzorgd door het OSC. Bij de plaatsing van recidivisten in eerstejaars werkgroepen wordt rekening gehouden met het rooster van jaar 2.
Tentamens
Bekijk hier de tentamenregeling van de Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen.
Overgangsregelingen
Zie tab 'Jaar 1'.
Informatiebijeenkomsten over jaar 3
Voor alle tweedejaars studenten worden er gedurende het jaar twee voorlichtingsbijeenkomsten georganiseerd over de inrichting van je derde jaar.
Deze bijeenkomsten vinden plaats op:
donderdag 4 oktober 2018, 13.00-15.00 in zaal Wijnhaven 2.01
donderdag 7 maart 2019, 15.00-16.00 in zaal Wijnhaven 2.01
Jaar 3
Program Year 3 International Relations and Organisations
1 Bachelor Seminar (10 ECts)
1 Bachelor Project & Thesis (20 ECts)
Elective Credits (30 ECts)
Enrollment Bachelor Seminars
Enrollment in uSis is possible according the following scheme:
Block I: Monday 8 July 2019, 10.00h - Sunday 25 August 2019, 23.59h
Block II: Monday 8 July 2019, 10.00h - Sunday 20 October 2019, 23.59h
Block III: Monday 2 December 2019, 10.00h - Sunday 26 January 2020, 23.59h
Block IV: Monday 2 December 2019, 10.00h - Sunday 22 March 2020, 23.59h
Enrollment is on a first come first serve base; be sure to enroll in time!.
Bachelor Project Information Meetings The Hague
Semester I: Tuesday 14 May 2019, from 15.00-17.00 in room Wijnhaven 2.01.
Semester II: Wednesday 27 November 2019, from 13:00-15:00 in Schouwburgstraat, room tba
Enrollment Bachelor Project
Enrollment in uSis is possible according the following scheme:
Block I & II: Monday 15 July 2019, 10:00 - Sunday 21 July 2019, 23:59h
Block II & III: Monday 15 July 2019, 10:00 - Sunday 21 July 2019, 23:59h
Block III & IV: Monday 9 December 2019, 10.00h - Sunday 15 December 2019, 23.59h
Enrollment is on a first come first serve base; be sure to enroll in time!.
Elective credits
The elective credits in Year 3, worth 30 EC, can be filled with a period of study abroad, an internship or several elective courses. The elective courses can also be components of a minor, with the exception of courses from the minor ‘Politics: Conflict and Consensus’.
I. A period of study abroad
Permission for a period of study abroad will only be granted if the student has passed the first year and obtained at least 30 EC of the second year, including the course Research Methods in Political Science, and the period of study abroad fits in with the curriculum of the study programme and will not cause any delay in study progress. Another requirement for a period of study abroad is that the average grade must be higher than 7.0. More information can be obtained from the exchange coordinator, Ms Ariane Berends (studyadvisors.iro@fsw.leidenuniv.nl). For more information about studying abroad, please see the Political Science website.
II. A research internship (15 EC)
This should preferably be scheduled for the first semester of Year 3. Permission for an internship will only be granted if the internship is research based, if the student has obtained at least 40 EC of the second year, including the Research Methods in Political Science course, if the internship fits in with the curriculum of the study programme and will not cause any delay in study progress. The length of the internship must be at least ten weeks, with full-time working hours. An internship will normally be for 12 weeks or three months, including the writing of an internship process report and internship research report. The student must take the initiative to find an internship position.
Internship supervision
During the internship, students are supervised by a member of teaching staff from the Institute and a staff member of the internship-providing organisation. To ensure that the internship runs smoothly, the agreements between the parties concerned – the internship provider, the University and the intern – must be set out by the student in an internship proposal in advance of the internship. The forms for this can be obtained from the study adviser. Credits will only be awarded for internship positions that are notified and approved in advance.
Internship research and report
Every internship must be concluded with a short internship process report (consisting of 2 to 5 A4 pages) and a substantial internship research report (at least 15 A4 pages). On the basis of these reports, the internship will be assessed by the teaching staff member / supervisor of the Institute, after obtaining the advice of the staff member of the organisation providing the internship. The internship obligations will have been fulfilled when the internship process report and the internship research report have received a pass grade. For more information, please contact the study advisers:studyadvisors.iro@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Students whose last name begins with A – G should contact Ms Ariane Berends
Students whose last name begins with H - O should contact Ms Iggy Levy
Students whose last name begins with P - Z should contact Ms Ester Blom
III. Elective courses
Procedure relating to elective courses (for elective credits Year 3)
When you have chosen the courses that you want to use for your elective credits, you can submit them to the Board of Examiners using a request letter (verzoekschrift) in uSis.
The procedure for submitting request letters via uSis is as follows:
1. In uSis, in the ‘elective credits’ (keuzeruimte) part, select ‘submit request letter’ (verzoekschrift indienen). You can choose from several request letters:
‘Replacement’ (Vervanging) request letter. This is the request letter to submit for courses that you take as elective courses and are not taking or have not taken in the context of another study programme (such as a second study programme, or a previous study programme).
‘Exemption’ (Vrijstelling) request letter. This is the request letter to use if you have taken courses in the context of another study programme and you want to use those courses for your elective credits in Political Science / IRO.
- The request letters submitted are administrated by the Student Services Centre (SSC) and forwarded to the Board of Examiners.
- The Board of Examiners either approves or rejects your request letter. You will be informed about this via uSis.
You can submit a request letter before taking a course, or you can also submit one afterwards (i.e., after taking and completing that course). Please note, however: in the latter case, it is possible that your request letter may be rejected and you are not permitted to include the course in your elective credits; it is therefore more sensible to request approval before taking an elective course.
Criteria for evaluating elective courses
The elective course:
1. Is a component of a Higher Education bachelor’s programme / minor, or is included in the list of elective courses in the e-Prospectus, or is a course that you take in the context of studying at a university abroad;
2. Includes literature study;
3. Is concluded with a written assignment or examination;
4. Does not overlap too much in terms of content with courses from the compulsory Political Science curriculum (i.e., its theme may be close to the area of Political Science, but it must not cover the same material as the Political Science courses).
After receiving approval, you must personally enrol for the course via uSis or, if this is not successful, by sending an email to the Student Services Centre (SSC) ssc.pol@leiden.edu
Blackboard & Turn it in
Blackboard
Detailed course information can be found on Blackboard. Log in with the login details sent to you by post. You must then enrol for each block on the Blackboard pages of your courses. You can find a course via the second tab ‘Courses’ (here you must enter the name of the course or the number given in the e-Prospectus). To the right of the searched course is a double arrow; click on this and you have enrolled.
Students enroll themselves for all courses and work groups on Blackboard. Click this link for instructions.
Turnitin
Plagiarism is a violation of academic integrity that can have serious consequences for the perpetrator. To prevent plagiarism, all your written work is checked via Turnitin.
More Info
The bachelor’s programme in outline
The first year of the bachelor’s programme consists of compulsory main courses and ‘supporting’ courses. The main courses offer a broad foundation in Political Science and International Relations, ranging from concepts, theories and approaches to research methods and statistics. An example of the ‘supporting’ courses is Economics for Political Scientists.
In the second year there are courses that provide greater depth in subfields of international relations, such as International Security and International Political Economy.
The third year of the Political Science bachelor’s programme offers considerable scope for choice, with more in-depth follow-up courses focusing on more specific international themes. The programme then concludes with a Bachelor’s project in the field of international politics.
Participation to the Bachelor project is only allowed after successful completion of the first year of IRO (60 EC) and at least 40 EC of the second year, including 'Research Methods in Political Science' (10 EC) and a thematic seminar covering the content of the Bachelor project.
Rules and Regulations - Board of Examiners
