HLS Leiden Exchange

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to participate in this exchange, students must:

  • Be an undergraduate student with a major or minor in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
  • Have completed a minimum of one year of full-time study at IU prior to enrolling at Leiden.
  • Be in good academic standing.
  • Submit a personal statement.
  • Arrange for an HLS faculty member to nominate you for the exchange program using the linked form below.
  • Have a valid passport by the time applications are due to Leiden.

Deadline

The deadline for 2024 applications has passed. Please check back regularly for 2025 deadlines.

Procedures

Students interested in the Leiden Exchange Program should do the following:

  1. Carefully read the information here and on the referenced websites before submitting an application. Students should NOT contact Leiden directly until after they are nominated by HLS.
  2. Please ask an HLS professor or someone who can speak to your academic qualifications, maturity, and preparedness for an international exchange, as well as any other qualities regarding your suitability and interest in the Leiden program, to fill out this nomination form.
  3. Write a personal statement that is no longer than two pages explaining why you would like to take part in the exchange at Leiden. Be persuasive. The statement should include information about your academic studies thus far at IU and what you plan to study at Leiden. The statement should also address why you would like to study in the Netherlands, such as any interest in the language, culture, or other opportunities there. Be sure your name is at the top of the personal statement.
  4. Complete the online application for the Leiden exchange, attaching your personal statement to the application.
  5. Finalists will then be contacted to schedule an in-person interview. The Hamilton Lugar School will be in touch after the interview process to notify students whether they have been selected, so please check your IU email regularly.

Additional Information

  • Students are encouraged to submit application materials before the deadline. The deadline is firm.
  • HLS will review applications, assessing each one on the academic suitability for the program as well as an indicated ability to adapt to living and studying abroad.
  • After the review process, HLS will nominate students for Leiden to consider for acceptance into the exchange program.
  • Students who are nominated will be instructed to consult with their HLS Academic Advisor(s) to make further program arrangements.
  • For all HLS semester exchanges, students will pay tuition to Indiana University through the normal registration process (i.e., no tuition will be paid to the exchange university). Because HLS students will be enrolled in IU credit hours during the academic year, many find they can apply several of their typical funding sources (scholarships, fellowships, loans) to the credits they earn overseas.
  • Students selected for the exchange will be given information about estimated costs for housing, meals, and other expenses in the Netherlands.
  • Leiden University will select one to two nominated HLS students for this exchange each academic year. Students should be prepared to travel by themselves.
  • Students should review the Prospectus under "Exchange" for information on course content, language of instruction, pre-requisites, semester dates, and assessment.
  • Students will be expected to arrive in the Netherlands by late August to attend orientation and be ready to begin classes in September. Classes for the Fall semester will conclude in December/January.
  • Students accepted to participate in this exchange program will be eligible to apply for an HLS Study Abroad Scholarship. Please visit the scholarships webpage on the HLS website for additional details on how to apply.

For more information about the exchange, you may visit Leiden's Exchange website.