What you gain on your program will likely go beyond friendships, travel savvy, and academic achievement. Study abroad also provides you the unique opportunity to develop intercultural competence, the set of skills required to work and communicate successfully and appropriately with people from other cultures. Here are a few ways you can develop intercultural competence abroad: Be aware of your own cultural orientation and how it impacts your experience of and behavior in your new surroundings. Pay attention to the people in your host city, and try to recognize how their cultures impact their...

Early Arrival You may not move into Queen Mary housing early, unless you have specifically arranged this with Queen Mary directly. If you do arrange an early move in, you will be responsible for the cost of any nights you spend in accommodation prior to the official arrival date. If you arrive before the official arrival date without arranging an early move in, you are responsible for your accommodation until you move into Queen Mary housing on the first day of the program. For hostel recommendations, we encourage you visit one of the many search engines online such as Hostelworld or...

Sports & Fitness As a CvA student, you are able to join a gym memberships through the VU and the UvA for a nominal fee. The main VU Sports Center is located at the Science Park Campus, in the east of Amsterdam. There are also about 30 student sports clubs that you can join alongside other Dutch and international students. For more information on membership fees, please check the Sports Centers websites.

We strongly encourage you to become an active participant of the Amsterdam community. While you can do this by joining a local arts class, or a sports group, volunteering is a great way to give back to your host community. We will typically share volunteering opportunities twice during the semester (at the beginning and mid-way) and advertise additional openings in our newsletter. You are welcome to contact our staff who can help you find a volunteering opportunity based on your skills & interests. Working in the Netherlands We do not recommend that students seek work while abroad due to...

Course Preregistration You will select IES Abroad courses on the Course Preregistration Form, which will be available at your MyIESabroad account before the program begins. We will notify you when this form becomes available. You must submit this form by the given deadline. Final registration occurs on-site after your arrival in Berlin. Please obtain course approval from your home institution for all courses you intend to take before your departure, especially if you intend to fulfill specific degree requirements with these courses. Please also note that course enrollment in IES Abroad courses...

Sports & Fitness Gym memberships are available through the VU and the UvA for a nominal fee. Students attending either university can sign up for either a VU or UvA membership. The main UvA Sports Center is located at the Science Park Campus, in the east of Amsterdam. There are also about 30 student sports clubs that you can join alongside other Dutch and international students. For more information on membership fees, please check the Sports Centers websites.

As soon as a preliminary program calendar is available, it will appear below. However, this calendar is subject to change. Please do not make independent travel arrangements (including visits from family or friends) before you arrive on-site, receive any calendar updates from the IES Abroad Center staff during orientation, and finalize your course registration. Remember that you will not be excused from academic obligations, including final exams or required IES Abroad events, in order to travel independently. You can easily make personal travel plans once on-site! View the Fall Program...

Your specific housing assignment will be sent to you via email from admissions@IESabroad.org approximately three weeks before the program start date, provided you have submitted all forms listed below. Make sure that emails from this address will not end up in your spam filter by adding it to your trusted sender list. NOTE: We must receive all forms listed below before we can finalize housing arrangements on your behalf and release your housing assignment to you. Review the housing option and contact your IES Abroad Program Advisor with any questions. Housing options and details may not be...