Why study in Amsterdam

There are many reasons why you might want to study abroad in Amsterdam. After all, it’s one of the most beautiful and cultural cities in the world. Perhaps you’re looking for an exciting change of pace, or you want to learn more about a different culture. If you’re interested, here’s why you should consider studying in Amsterdam. 

Netherland System of Education

The educational institution in the Netherlands is divided into two which are research institutions or universities and institutions of applied sciences where you get more vocational education.

Undergraduate degrees usually last for about three to four years depending on the institution or program. Post-graduate degrees such as master’s degrees last for about one to two years in the Netherlands. You can also decide to complete an internship as part of your program which can earn you credits. The Dutch educational system also allows you to gain practical knowledge by working with some of their partner institutions which are often businesses, research institutes, or studios.

Dutch educational institutions use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for easy comparison, measurement, and transfer of credits across Europe and beyond. Since you are coming from another country, you may need to calculate the equivalent of the credit you have earned in the country you studied previously. Each year of your study program is worth 60 credits in Holland and you may be required to have earned 180 to 240 credits to complete a master’s program in Holland. 

Learning in Holland institutions is often interactive and you get to share your ideas. Don’t expect to only sit in class and listen to what your instructor teaches throughout your study. You may be required to have group discussions and work on mini-projects with your coursemates. There may also be seminars and tutorials so you should prepare your mind for this.

You will most likely be assessed on some of these activities such as presentations, projects, assignments, group work, practicals, and of course your thesis. 

Many international students have studied abroad in the Netherlands and they were able to work with the educational system so you too can.

Schools you can study abroad in Amsterdam

Now that you know how the educational system in the Netherlands works, you may also want to know the specific schools you can apply to study in the Netherlands. Here are some notable schools that you want to check out and include in your plans of studying abroad in Holland.

1. University of Amsterdam: this is one of the notable schools in the Netherlands that are open to international students. More than 9,000 of the students in the school are from countries outside of Holland so you will have lots of people to relate with. Luckily, you may find someone from your home country with whom you can build meaningful relationships. 

There are over 60 bachelor’s degrees and 70 master’s degrees available at the University of Amsterdam. There are also over 60 other programs that you can check out and apply for. The university has been constantly ranked as one of the top universities in the world by global rankings. 

About 70% of the master’s programs are taught in English while about 20% of the bachelor’s degrees are taught in English. There are also executive master’s programs available for you to study at the university.

2. Erasmus University Rotterdam: this is another top university that you can enroll in as an international student looking to enroll in Dutch schools. It is a public research university located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. If you are looking for research programs through which you can further your studies, this is one of the schools you want to check out. There are more than 6,000 international students at the university so you can be sure that you will meet other people like you who are foreigners in the school.

There are over 50 international master’s programs at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. From law, communications, behavioral and social sciences, management, philosophy, and economics, you can choose to learn in English or Dutch. You will have to show proof of proficiency in either Dutch or English depending on your language of instruction. If you are taking courses in both languages or have some elective that will be in either of the languages, you will be required to show proficiency in both languages by taking a language test. 

3. University of Groningen: this is a university in Holland with notable alumni such as Aletta Jacobs who is the first woman to attend a Duch university and Frits Zernike who is a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1953 for his invention of phase-contrast microscope. The university is a public research university that is well known for being among the top 100 on the most reliable global rankings.

There are about 9,000 international students from over 120 countries of the world at the University of Groningen. You can enroll in the school and get the chance of meeting people of diverse cultures and nationalities. 

There are over 43 bachelor’s degrees and 125 master’s degrees available at the University of Amsterdam. There are also other programs that you can check out and apply for. The university has been constantly ranked as one of the top universities in the world by global rankings. 

You will have to show proof of proficiency in either Dutch or English depending on your language of instruction. If you are taking courses in both languages or have some elective in either of the languages, you will be required to show proficiency in both languages by taking a language test. 

4. Utrecht University: this is a public research university in Holland and one of the oldest universities in the country. It has had over 30,000 enrollments with over 4,000 of the number as international students from over 100 countries of the world. The notable alumni in the school are Jan Pol and Rutger Bregman who is a historian and published authors.

There are 12 English-taught bachelor’s degree programs that you can choose from if you are looking to enroll in English-taught program. Although English is usually the language of instruction at Utrecht University, you can take Dutch language courses for advanced courses or basic language skills. You will have to show proof of proficiency in English since this is the language of instruction.

There are also over 80 master’s programs and over 200 courses at the university so you have many options to choose from as a postgraduate applicant. 

5. Leiden University: this is also a public research university with over 25,000 students with 6% of the number as international students. The school has over 40 bachelor’s programs of which 10% of the programs are taught in English. Over 90% of the 78 available master’s programs at the university are taught in English. This means that you will find more master’s programs taught in English than you would find in bachelor’s programs.

You will have to show proof of proficiency in either Dutch or English depending on your language of instruction. If you are taking courses in both languages or have some elective in either of the languages, you will be required to show proficiency in both languages by taking a language test. 

There are about 3000 international students at the university so you may get to meet lots of like-minded people to relate with. Luckily, you may find people from your home country with whom you can build meaningful relationships. 

Opportunities Available for International Students in Amsterdam

While some people have been able to benefit from opportunities available for international students in the Netherlands, others are yet to find amazing opportunities for students in the Netherlands. Here are some of the opportunities;

• You can work for up to 16 hours per week as an international student in Amsterdam while you can work full-time during summer or holiday periods if you don’t have classwork scheduled. 
• You get internship opportunities that can go towards your credits accumulation and also build relevant connections that can help you in the future. You can do an internship as long as it is relevant to your program. Your school or program will have connections or partnerships with renowned institutions or organizations where you can have a credible internship.
• You can get both off-campus and on-campus jobs as an international student. Off-campus jobs that are available to you as an international student include caring, housekeeping, store attendants, substitute teaching, PR and communications, tech jobs, marketing, and many others. You can also work as a research assistant or substitute teacher on campus. 
• You can extend your stay in Amsterdam for up to 12 months after your study. You only have to update your visa to a job search visa and you can stay up to a year to find a job and stay for as long as you are employed. You can later apply for a permanent residence permit after paying tax for the next 44 months after the 1-year job search period.
• There are numerous scholarship opportunities available for non-EU students to study in Amsterdam either for masters or doctorate programs. Other scholarship opportunities have Amsterdam as one of the study destinations. You can benefit from this as an international student.