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Honors Program
Spring 2025 Semester - Extended Amsterdam

Honors Program Available Sessions

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Overview Structure Courses Excursions Budget Calendar

About the Program

Take excellence to the next level by digging into the advanced academics that VU Amsterdam has to offer. This highly competitive program, available only in the Spring semester, allows you to complement your coursework with honors courses from a variety of themes. Honors courses are interdisciplinary, small seminar-style courses which emphasize student discussion. You'll study alongside degree-seeking international and Dutch students for an integrated experience. A Spring-Extended option is available for students who want to earn additional credits.

Requirements

  • Overview
  • Location:
  • Amsterdam
  • Dates:
  • early Feb 2025 - late Jun 2025
  • Price:
  • $23,195
  • Credits:
  • 15 - 18
  • Deadlines
  • Apply by:
  • 9/14/24
  • Withdraw by:
  • 10/12/24
  • Application Requirements
  • Program Participation Agreement
  • Complete Application
  • $95 Online Application Fee
  • Transcript - Unofficial
  • Motivation Letter
  • Eligibility
  • Education Completed:
  • 1 Year of College completed prior to program start
  • Course Prerequisites:
  • Some courses may have prerequisites.
  • Minimum GPA:
  • 3.5

Take courses with other international and Dutch students at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), ranked one of the top 100 universities in the world. With over 350 courses regularly taught in English and a focus on research and academic excellence, VU Amsterdam provides an ideal setting for study abroad.

When in Amsterdam, you can choose standard CEA CAPA housing. CEA CAPA housing assignments are based on availability and confirmation date; we make every effort to match your housing requests, but we can’t guarantee housing preferences.

Program Structure

By choosing the Honors Program, you will apply for specific honors courses and electives during the Spring semester. The semester is divided into block periods. You will choose one VU Core Honors course and one VU elective course for Period 4 and one VU Core Honors course and one VU elective course for Period 5. You may also choose to add on a Dutch Culture course, for 3 US credits, that spans over Periods 4 and 5. If you enroll in the Honors Spring-Extended program, you will add another elective course in Period 6. Enrolling in the extended option allows you to stay an extra month in Amsterdam.

Elective courses are taught during the day and Honors Core courses are taught in the evenings. Classes generally meet Monday – Friday. Active learning components required by courses may be scheduled any day of the week. Classes are not necessarily offered on the same day each week.

If you enroll in the Spring program, you will enroll in 12-15 credits. If you choose the Extended semester option, you will enroll in 15-18 credits. Courses are generally awarded 6 ECTS credits, which transfer to 3 US Credits per course.

Prior to departure, you will select your preferred Honors courses. Acceptance into each Honors course is determined by a committee at VU Amsterdam. You are required to submit a Motivation Letter for each Honors course you wish to enroll in. There is no guaranteed placement in the Honors courses.

Students will need to select two alternative elective courses for each Period. It is in your best interest to have multiple alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure due to course availabilities. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines. Registration for all classes will take place before you arrive on campus, so you will have your finalized schedule in place early.

Academic accommodations are available at VU Amsterdam for students who provide documentation from a psychologist or health care provider. Policies at VU may differ from those available at your home university. Please contact CEA directly if you will be applying for academic accommodation so that we can connect you with the correct application procedures.

15-18

Credits

All Levels Course Structure

Courses

The host institution has offered the following courses in the past. Please note that course listings may not be finalized until the start of the term; we’ll post an updated list when the host institution finalizes its offerings.

*Courses with an asterisk indicate that the course has been associated with multiple subject areas.
Please click on the course title to view additional subject areas and detailed course information.

Excursions

Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs*. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.

Utrecht

Utrecht

Located in the center of the Netherlands, Utrecht is the capital city of the country’s second smallest province. As a long-time religious center, this is the perfect place to explore a medieval town, canals, cathedrals, museums of religious art, and a monastery. Waiting outside the city center is a fantastical castle with an actual moat and extensive landscaped grounds just waiting to be explored.

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Haarlem

Haarlem

You can’t visit the Netherlands without taking a trip just outside Amsterdam to the city of Haarlem. While it used to be a major trading port, this city remains famous as the center of the flower-growing district. Feast your eyes on the fields upon fields of tulips, the incredible art museums, and the old defensive city wall. Music lovers can’t miss visiting an organ played by Handel and Mozart, and history buffs will need to check out a museum which preserves a hiding place for Jews in World War II.

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Leiden

Leiden

This city situated in the Dutch province of South Holland is known for the oldest university in the country. Leiden University was founded in 1575, and is home to the famous Leiden Botanical Garden, where the tulip was first introduced to Western Europe. This city has a wealth of museums, classic windmills, gothic Churches, and an old fort from the 11th century to experience.

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Maastricht

Maastricht

Travel down to the southernmost tip of the Netherlands to explore the city of Maastricht. Walk down the cobblestone streets of this medieval town and take in the vibrant, student-centric cultural scene. From boutique shops to incredible restaurants, from imposing gothic architecture to an 18th century military fort and World War II era network of caves, this city has a lot to offer. With fascinating influences from neighboring Germany and Belgium, this city will give you a broader European experience.

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Sample Budget

The sample budget is unavailable at this time. Please check back later or ask your CEA CAPA Admissions Counselor/Site Specialist for a comparable program’s sample budget.

Sample Calendar

The calendar for this program is coming soon; please check back later.

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