Leiden University Speciality : Psychology
programme: Psychology

I study the International Bachelor in Psychology at Leiden University and am also part of the Honours College. Overall, my experience has been very positive.

One of the standout aspects is the university’s strong emphasis on career services. There are countless workshops and events designed to help with CVs, cover letters, motivation letters, and even writing assignments for courses. It’s clear that Leiden prioritizes preparing students for life beyond university.

The online learning system is also well-organized—Brightspace brings everything together. Lecture recordings, assignment details, readings, and announcements are all kept in one place, making it easy to stay on track. Professors and staff are approachable, and interaction is encouraged, which creates a comfortable and supportive academic environment.

The student body is naturally diverse, and this creates an inclusive international community within the department. Outside of classes, Leiden itself is a cozy student city—you often run into people you know at cafés or walking through town, which adds a sense of belonging.

However, there are a few drawbacks. The different faculties are scattered across the city, so it can be hard to meet students from outside your program. Some administrative processes, like course enrollment, are unnecessarily stressful—everyone has to register at the same time, which often overwhelms the system.

Additionally, the housing crisis in the Netherlands has also hit Leiden. Most international students including myself struggle to find affordable accommodation since the university isn’t able to guarantee accommodation, even in the first year.

Also, there are relatively few contact hours. Whether that’s a pro or a con depends on the person. Most of the learning is self-study, and lectures or workgroups only cover a portion of the material. For me, this helped build a lot of self-discipline, but for students looking for more structured, in-person teaching, this might feel limiting.

All in all, I’d recommend Leiden University to students who are self-motivated and want both academic and career development opportunities in an international environment.

I think the Psychology Bachelor gives you a broad inside into all the fields within psychology. But I think the main focus is a bit too much on research and too little on experience. I thought this might come during the specialization courses, but for example clinical psychology did not at all dive into how the field currently works in real life, but again very research-focused. This was the same for other courses, except for one (IBP). You really get taught the foundations of psychology, but not at all the skills to become a good practitioner in any field. I owe my own insights to the work experience I got from my side job. This bachelor lacks experimental learning. Although most courses are taught by experts in the specific field, the workgroups are often given by new employees. They don’t always know all the information about the course or material.
But my experience besides these things is positive. In general, things are well coordinated and a lot of teachers are enthusiastic about their course. There is lots of social activities to take part in and places to study.

Leiden University stands out for its impressive academic reputation and vibrant student life. As one of the oldest universities in Europe, it offers a perfect mix of tradition and modern innovation. The lecturers are experts in their field, always approachable and encourage critical thinking. I appreciate the diversity of the student body – it is a truly international experience that broadens your horizons. The facilities are excellent, especially the libraries, which offer a wealth of research resources.

However, the courses can be intensive at times, requiring strong time management skills. The support services, such as academic advisors, are indispensable in overcoming challenges. The city of Leiden itself is picturesque, with its atmospheric canals and cozy cafes, creating a relaxed study environment. I would definitely recommend Leiden University to students looking for quality education in a dynamic and multicultural environment.

Leiden university stands out with its comprehensive student support, delivering exceptional services in academics, accommodations, and consultations. With a dedicated team of academic and non-academic staff, students receive prompt and effective help whenever they need it, ensuring their success and wellbeing.

Recognized for its organized instructional approach and peaceful study ambience, Leiden University excels. With a diverse range of outstanding courses and well-equipped campus facilities, this institution caters to the needs of every student. In conclusion, I enthusiastically advocate for this university to prospective degree seekers.

Leiden University boasts faculty members who are highly proficient in their respective fields and provide attentive mentoring to students. The university offers a diverse selection of academic programs that are both extensive and intellectually rewarding. The program’s professionalism and the vibrant campus ambiance were highlights for me. The majority of instructors exhibit remarkable competence and enthusiasm for their subjects, which greatly inspired my career interests.

My experiences were during the COVID peak times of 2020-2021, and as such everything was done online. Also, LU is the only University I ever attended, so I have no measuring stick to measure LU against, keep that in mind and adjust your judgments while reading.

I followed the master’s track of Applied Cognitive Psychology at LU. I was positively surprised by the contents of the courses: It takes the “Applied”
seriously, as there are a lot of mock experiments, designs and interventions you create in mock teams comprised of students. You are not only required to use your knowledge of Psychology but also consider the whole “product” you will want to deliver (Proposals, funding requests, presentation to stakeholders).

Something I especially appreciated was that they even invited real CEOs to listen to a short pitch on the ideas we developed over 8 weeks, and then give us feedback and their opinion on the feasibility.

Professor’s in this master’s track that I met all seemed very personable and enthusiastic about their respective fields of Psychology.

It is a one-year course, with a required internship and master’s thesis on top of mandatory courses is quite time-intensive. Most students, like me, take one and a half or two years to graduate.

If you are interested in the field of Cognitive Psychology I recommend this master’s track.

I have chosen this university based on its ranking, however, the whole experience was a disappointment from start to finish. Having studied in the UK for my Bachelor’s degree my standards were reasonably high and having selected a top-ranked university I expected to have at least a similar experience, if not better. The administration is horrible at the university, you rarely get a reply to your emails, and if you do, the response is usually rude. The program was very disorganized, it felt that no one knew what was happening and when all the information came very last minute. The professors were untrained, some of them have not seen the prospectus or the agenda for the day until in the class/seminar which seem very unprofessional. At times you would receive your feedback after already submitting the next assignment which goes against the point of receiving feedback. At times the feedback would be so late the professors would decide to not even provide it as there was no point. The most disappointing part was not being able to choose your own thesis project or at least the area of interest. We were randomly assigned to thesis projects which makes it very difficult if you want to specialize in a particular area for your future career/phd. Overall, I would not recommend this University if you do not want to feel disrespected by the admin staff and professors and have high expectations for your education.

Competitive university with great facilities and variety of programs.
Very responsive in their contact with students and student-friendly in their administrative parts.

-No opportunities for internationals in terms of internships and thesis projects. Very little educational and psychometric material in English. No intergration of internationals with Dutch students (seperate classes workgroups). Dutch students have the option to give certain exams in Dutch although the whole program is in English (unfair proviledge).

I live in Amsterdam and travel quite a bit to go to Leiden University, which is mainly because the first time I was at the university before enrolling, I felt like this is where I belong. The international environment, but also the overall vibe is really refreshing and peaceful. It is organized administratively and there are too many good things about the university that make you overlook the pitfalls. It is very diverse and like I said the international environment that I am in makes me feel at home.