Amsterdam - Study Amsterdam

Students pose in front of a classic windmill in Amsterdam

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Overview

Quick Facts

City:

Amsterdam [1]

Country:

The Netherlands [2]

Program credits:

15-19 per semester (3-4 courses)

Language(s) of Instruction:

English

Language prerequisites:

None

If you are eager to take an independent, fresh look at the world and at yourself, let Amsterdam redefine your perspective. This progressive city is defined by its cutting-edge contributions to the arts, business, politics, and social policy, and its importance in the history of Europe and the world.

Our Study Amsterdam Program takes advantage of the city’s unique balance of history and contemporary culture, and lets you structure your studies at the prestigious Universiteit van Amsterdam and at the IES Abroad Center. Several courses include hands-on components to help you explore the city of Amsterdam and its surroundings while learning about the city’s past and present.

Amsterdam will also be your classroom. With an important place in European history, the city is far from frozen in time—many forward-looking public policies originated here. Study Amsterdam’s history by visiting some of the city’s historical spots, including Anne Frank’s home and the Rembrandt House. Explore the city’s well-known museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum, to find out more about this diverse culture. Welcome to study abroad!

We want you to feel at home in Amsterdam, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life here. Our goal is to give you every resource you need to make the most of living and learning in Amsterdam.

Program Dates

These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.

Academics

Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences.

We offer unique courses that explore Dutch Language, Culture, and the Arts. The world-class professors and course options at the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.

While in Amsterdam, you take 15–19 credit hours per semester. Most UvA courses and the IES Abroad courses are worth up to 6 U.S. credits each.

You create your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional components:

Enroll in one or more IES Abroad course(s) - Enrollment in IES Abroad courses is optional
Enroll in Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) courses - Enrollment in at least one UvA course is required

Research Experience
The IES Abroad course RE395 Exploring Dutch Society and Culture allows you to choose, design, and execute a research project on a topic related to Dutch society. To complete your research experience, you study primary and secondary research sources and conduct at least 60 hours of research, which may include volunteering, interviewing, shadowing, observing, visiting organizations, attending lectures, or engaging in other activities that support your individual area of research.

During this course you will:

Attend lectures and complete readings on Dutch society and culture
Learn research methodology
Participate in class field excursions
Keep a field research journal
Conduct research and write periodic analyses based on research and readings
Write a paper on your findings
Present your project to the class

By the end of this course you will have:

Gained a general knowledge of contemporary Dutch society and culture and the historical and physical forces that shaped it
Obtained specific insights into one or more aspects of Dutch culture
Developed the ability to reflect on your own culture as well as observe the host culture in which you are living, thereby increasing your cultural sensitivity
Developed skills that will support you in your independent field research: skilful observation, accurate reporting, cross-cultural analysis, interview techniques, and project management skills
Discovered personal authenticity as a source of intrinsic motivation, meaning, personal power, effectiveness and confidence

Once admitted to the IES Abroad program, you can access the Research Experience application online.

Courses

This is a list of planned course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.

Partner Institution(s)

About the Universiteit van Amsterdam
www.uva.nl/en [3]
The Universiteit van Amsterdam prides itself on its wide range of multidisciplinary offerings and its strong focus on internationalization. These qualities are reflected in the large number of international and study abroad students at the Universiteit. Rooted in 17th century Amsterdam, the university is known for its rich intellectual, artistic, and commercial history, and for its contributions to contemporary scholarship, business, and politics.

The Study Amsterdam Program is part of the Undergraduate Certificate Program (UCP) in the College of Social Sciences (CSS) at the UvA.

Courses
As an IES Abroad student, your course of study will fall largely under the Undergraduate Certificate Programme (UCP) within the College of Social Sciences (CSS). Requests to take a course outside of the UCP are handled on a case-by-case basis, as the individual departments at the UvA have the final admission decision to each specific course.

Visit the UCP's course catalog [4] to see which courses may be offered during your term abroad. (Note: Be sure to click on the different "clusters" to see a full range of what may be available.)

You can select from courses in:

Anthropology
Art
Business and Economics (Up to two courses with the approval from the UvA)
Conflict and Cultural Diversity
Dutch Language (through the Instituut voor Nederlands als Tweede Taal, or INTT)
Dutch Society
Ethnicity, Migration, and Nationalism
Gender and Sexuality
Globalization and International Relations
Media and Communication
Planning and Development
Politics, Governance, and Democracy
Sociology

Depending upon availability, you may also have the opportunity to take classes in the Faculty of Humanities in the following areas:

European and American Studies
Philosophy and Discourse
Arts and Media Studies
History

Courses at the UvA are listed in ECTS credits. 2 ECTS credits equal 1 U.S./IES Abroad credit. For example, a course worth 12 ECTS is worth 6 IES Abroad credits.

Housing

Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Amsterdam, it will feel like home.

Apartment
Live in a spacious studio apartment that has its own kitchenette and bathroom. Most rooms are shared, but there are some single rooms available for an additional fee. Local Resident Assistants live in the apartments to provide assistance with our housing. Meals are not included. Most students cook meals in their apartments or eat in student canteens and restaurants.

Student Life

Part of making you feel at home in Amsterdam is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is the orientation program that makes you feel prepared, your housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.

Orientation

The program begins with an orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad Amsterdam staff, your fellow students, and the city of Amsterdam. Topics such as academics, housing, transportation, and health and safety are covered during this time.

Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home.

A field trip is also organized to introduce you to other parts of the Netherlands and to Dutch pastimes. Past trips have included an excursion to the Zaanse Schans and Utrecht.

In the first few weeks of the program, you participate in a volunteer activity that creates a sense of community with your fellow students, offers you deeper insight into life in Amsterdam, and gives you a point of contact if you’d like to continue participating in volunteer projects throughout the semester.

Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events

Redefine the way you live and learn in Amsterdam through cultural events, such as:

Seeing the windmills in the Zaanse Schans
Going to a cheese market
Touring Keukenhof: Tulip Garden
Visiting the National Park’t Hoge Veluwe
Bicycling to Volendam and Marken
Exploring the Medieval Castle Muiderslot and the Isle of Pampus

Field Trips

Although your adventure begins in Amsterdam, our field trips take you to other great cities in the Netherlands to provide contrast and content for what you are learning in Amsterdam. You share a portion of the cost with IES Abroad. Past destinations are listed below.

Island of Texel
2 Days | Fall
Tour the island by bike, visit a seal rescue center, and take a trip on a shrimp boat.

Maastricht
2 Days | Spring
Tour the city, explore the famous caves of Limburg, and take a country walk in the beautiful hilly countryside.

Rotterdam
1 Day | Fall & Spring
Take a guided walking tour and visit the famous cubic houses.

Center

IES Abroad Amsterdam [5]

The IES Abroad Amsterdam Center is housed in a university building within a short walking distance from Dam Square.

Near the Center, you have access to:

Libraries and computer rooms
Student lounges
Restaurants and canteens
Student clubs and sports teams

Center staff:

Chantal Omloo
IES Abroad Director
Chantal Omloo earned an M.A. in History of International Relations at the University of Utrecht and an MSc in Development Studies at the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Her academic focus was centred on economic development in Sub Saharan Africa and she has published a number of articles in this field. Prior to joining IES Abroad in 2001, Chantal worked for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), a NGO based in the United Kingdom. Chantal managed customized programs out of the IES Abroad London Center before moving back to her native Netherlands to take up the IES Abroad Amsterdam Center Director’s position.

IES Abroad Staff
Anabelle Goulette
Student Affairs and Office Coordinator

Diana Kaekebeke
Academic and Student Affairs Coordinator

Faculty
Depending on your program, you will be taught by faculty from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, IES Abroad, or the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Cost