Honours education mainly takes place in the evening. In total, honours students earn 30 extra study credits on top of the 180 credits of their regular bachelor programme. You divide these credits over two components:
- The interfaculty component (12 or 18 EC) is offered by different departments at VU and UvA. You cross the boundaries of your own study field by choosing from over 40 interdisciplinary honours courses at VU, UvA or AUC. These courses allow you to explore topics from various angles with students and lecturers from other disciplines. Curious? Discover the courses on offer here!
- The faculty component (12 or 18 EC) is offered by your own faculty at VU. With this part of the programme, you gain a more in-depth perspective on your own studies by taking extra courses at your faculty, extending your bachelor thesis or doing research. For more information, go to the honours page of your faculty.
Studyload
You earn 6 EC for each honours course, which equals a studyload of 168 study hours, just like for your regular Bachelor courses. There are some 12 EC courses that require double the time investment. This time includes contact hours with teaching staff and peers in- and outside of class meetings, literature study, assignments and preparation for assessments.
Entry requirements
You are an eligible candidate for the Honours Programme if you passed all your first-year bachelor courses with an average of 7.5, by the end of your first year. More information about entry requirements can be read on the application page.
Passing Requirements
If you successfully complete the Honours Programme, you receive an honours mentioning on your diploma. The passing requirements for this mentioning are:
- Complete your bachelor within 3 years with a grade average of at least 7.5 for your regular bachelor courses (the grades for honours courses are not taken into account in this calculation), and;
- Obtain the 30 EC of the Honours Programme within that same period of time.
Information sessions for 1st year bachelor students
In November and March you can join an Honours Programme information session for 1st year students. During this session we give students an in-depth explanation regarding the set-up of the programme, the honours courses and have an Q&A with VU honours students. All events are announced on our homepage.
Provisional entry
If you want to try out an honours course during the 2nd semester of your first bachelor year, you need to apply for a provisional entry in November. We highly recommend this option!
Ready to apply?
The programme application deadline is 1 May of each year.
More programme details:
Studying with a disability?
Want to know how you can make use of support while taking VU honours courses? See the Q&A regarding this topic.
Honours Programme Code of Conduct
This document provides the framework for what is expected of students and teaching staff within the VU Honours Programme.
Regulations VU UvA Honours Programme
Read here all about the Honours Programme regulations regarding several topics: descriptions, characteristics, admission, pass requirements, etcetera.
