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Courses for Semester in Amsterdam students

Choosing courses is a big decision! You can find all of the course options available to you below. Please see the Individual Course Selection Process for information about how to choose.

Semester in Amsterdam students can choose to follow a minor programme or create their own schedule of individual courses from the lists in the Exchange Study Guide. You are also invited to take an elective Dutch language or history course. Academically motivated students are encouraged to apply to honours courses as well. 

Course options for Semester in Amsterdam students

Course pre-approval and registration process

  • Course pre-approval and registration timeline

    Please note that the course registration process consists of two parts: course pre-approval and course registration. If you do not complete the pre-approval process on time, you will not be able to register for courses.

    Course pre-approval period
    • Fall 2026: Monday, 15 June - Sunday, 12 July
    • Spring 2027: November - December 2026
    Course registration period
    • Fall 2026: Monday, 20 July - December 2026
    • Spring 2027: December 2026 - May 2027

    *The Fall 2026 academic timetable will be published on Friday, 17 July. We strongly recommend that all students check for overlaps from 17 - 19 July so that you can register as soon as course registration opens on Monday, 20 July. Set a reminder and mark this date in your agenda.

    Please note the following information:

    • During pre-approval, we check whether you meet the requirements for your chosen courses. If not, we’ll help you select alternatives. Approved courses remain provisional until the academic timetable is released and you can officially enroll. This typically happens in July (Fall semester) or December (Spring semester).
    • Once the timetable is published, you must check for overlaps and register for 18 - 30 ECTS of your approved courses. If any classes overlap, you’ll need to replace one with an alternative. For this reason, you must submit more courses for pre-approval than you actually plan to take. If you do not submit backup course selections and two of your course times overlap, you will have to wait for a new course to be approved before you can register.
    • Once you have registered for courses, you will be able to view these courses in your personal timetable at rooster.vu.nl. Note that the timetable is also a public timetable, meaning you can view course, exam, and re-sit schedules for any course at VU Amsterdam. It is not necessary to log in or be affiliated with VU to view the public timetable.

  • Individual course selection process

    If you decide to create your own schedule of courses, you should follow these steps before submitting new courses for pre-approval:

    1. Only choose courses from the Exchange Study Guide. Courses that cannot be found in the Exchange study guide are not available to Semester in Amsterdam or Exchange students.
    2. Choose courses from the right period and semester. Please see the drop-down menu called "Semester structure and European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)" for more information.
    3. Review the drop-down menu "Entry requirements" before choosing courses. You should also carefully check the entry requirements, recommended background, and target audience listed in each course description. Certain faculties (like the faculty of psychology) are restricted to full-time students in that field.
    4. Check for overlaps in the timetable (after 17 July). Once the academic timetable is online, you are required to check for overlaps with your current courses before submitting new courses for pre-approval. If your new course has a main lecture or exam time that overlaps with your current courses, you will not be able to take it. You should always carefully check for overlaps before making course changes.
    5. Register for the correct number of courses. You can find the amount of ECTS each course is worth in the course descriptions. Semester in Amsterdam students are required to take 18 - 30 ECTS. A full course load is 24 - 30 ECTS. Please contact your study abroad provider or home university if you are not sure how many courses you should take.

  • Entry requirements

    Bachelor's (undergraduate) courses

    • You are allowed to take courses across faculties as long as you meet the entry requirements for each course. There are a few exceptions to this:
        1. Faculty of Behaviour and Movement Science 
          Psychology courses available to Semester in Amsterdam students are offered by the Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam and the focus is on Biological Psychology; Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology; Experimental and Applied Psychology. Students must have completed the equivalent of at least 30 ECTS of psychology courses to be eligible to participate in courses offered by the faculty of Behavior and Movement Sciences. If you do not have a background in psychology, you are not eligible to take these courses.
        2. Faculty of Business and Economics 
          Students who wish to take Business and Economics courses should pay special attention to the listed background requirements. For these courses, the recommended background knowledge is usually required. 
    • Levels 100, 200 and 300 usually (but not always) mean these are first-year, second-year and third-year bachelor's courses, respectively. You can find the level of each course in the course descriptions in the exchange study guide.
    • Level 300 normally means that you need to be a full-time student in this field of study. Exceptions are the level 300 courses that are part of minor programmes that are available to all students, regardless of your academic background.
    • You are only allowed to take courses that are listed in the exchange study guide. Courses found via the regular degree programmes are not open to Semester in Amsterdam students.

    Master's (graduate) courses

    • To be able to take master's courses, you have to submit your bachelor’s diploma. You can find more information on our How to Apply page.
    • You can only choose master's courses that are related to your own field of study.
    • Please carefully check the entry requirements and recommended background knowledge on each course page. 
    • Levels 400, 500 and 600 are master's courses. You can find the level of each course in the course descriptions in the Exchange Study Guide. 
    • You are only allowed to take courses that are listed in the exchange study guide. Courses found via the regular degree programmes are not open to Semester in Amsterdam students.

  • Semester structure and European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

    The period structure

    The academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is then divided into three periods. 

    Periods 1, 2, and 3 take place during the fall semester (semester 1) and periods 4, 5, and 6 take place during the spring semester (semester 2). The first two periods of each semester are 8 weeks long (periods 1, 2, 4, and 5) and the last period is 4 weeks long (periods 3 and 6). Students generally take at least two courses in each of the first two periods of each semester. Courses that take place in more than one period (1+2, 4+5, etc.) are continuous courses that take place throughout the duration of both periods. If you want to enroll in the course, you must enroll in both periods; it's not possible to choose just one period or the other.

    You are free to skip the last period and return home in December (Fall) or the end of May (Spring) if you prefer (this also applies to minor programmes). As an alternative to taking a course in periods 3 or 6, you can also choose to take an extra course in another period. Students can take a maximum of 30 ECTS (usually 5 courses worth 6 ECTS each) per semester. It is up to you to decide how many courses to take in each period. We advise students not to take more than 3 courses in any one period.

    ECTS credit system and study hours

    A full-time semester workload consists of 24 - 30 ECTS. Each ECTS credit is equivalent to 28 study hours. Unlike many other academic systems, ECTS credits include hours spent in class as well as self-study hours spent independently working by yourself outside of the classroom. A course that is worth 6 ECTS credits would be equal to 168 study hours (including time spent both in and outside of class). 

    You can also find more information in the ECTS user’s guide (though this is quite a lengthy document).

  • Course registration (add/drop) deadlines

    Below you can find the deadlines to add and drop courses for the 2026-2027 academic year. Note that most of the registration deadlines occur before the start of the course, so you will not have a chance to "try out" courses before finalizing your schedule. 

    For courses that take place during two periods (courses in period 1+2 or 4+5), the registration deadline of the period in which the course starts always applies (period 1 for period 1+2 courses). If a course lists more than one period, this course is continuous; you must participate in both periods.

    Fall 2026 (Semester one)Deadline to Add New CoursesDeadline to Drop/Remove CoursesInstruction Period (including exams)
    Period 17 September7 September30 August - 23 October 2026
    Period 2 28 September2 November26 October - 18 December 2026
    Period 37 December11 January4 January - 29 January 2027
    Spring 2027 (Semester two)Deadline to Add CoursesDeadline to Drop/DeregisterInstruction Period (including exams)
    Period 411 January8 February1 February - 26 March 2027
    Period 51 March5 April29 March - 28 May 2027
    Period 63 May7 June30 May - 25 June 2027

Practical Information

  • Academic Calendar

    Academic year 2026-2027 

    Fall 2026 (Semester 1)Instruction Period (including exams)
    Period 131 August - 23 October 2026
    Period 226 October - 18 December 2026
    Period 3 (Optional)4 January - 29 January 2027
    Spring 2027 (Semester 2)Instruction Period (including exams)
    Period 41 February - 25 March 2027
    Period 530 March - 28 May 2027
    Period 6 (optional)31 May - 25 June 2027
    Spring Break (no class)3 - 7 May 2027


    For more information, please consult the academic calendar.

  • Your Timetable, Canvas, and Your VU Dashboard

    The Academic Timetable: Rooster.vu.nl

    Fall SemesterPublished in July
    Spring SemesterPublished in December

    Course Registration will take place after the academic timetable has been published. Once you have been registered for courses, you can view these courses in your personal academic timetable by logging in with your VU ID and password at rooster.vu.nl. Please note that the timetable is public and can be viewed by anyone, but you can also view your personal course registrations by logging in using the link in the upper righthand corner. 

    Please note that in order to view your courses and exams, you must always first select the "List" tab and then the correct academic year and semester. Otherwise, some of your courses and exams will not appear. It is also possible to manually select and deselect groups or exams in your personal timetable. If you have de-selected the exam or a specific group, this will no longer appear in your timetable. 

    A few helpful notes about "groups":

    • HC and LE stand for the main lecture – you are always required to take this group.
    • TE/01 is the first exam – you must always take this group.
    • TE/02 is the re-take exam - you cannot sign up for re-takes until after your final grades are published, but it's a good idea to keep this date in mind so that you know whether or not you will be present in Amsterdam and thus able to take the exam if needed.
    • TE/02_Extra Time and TE/01_Extra Time refer to extra time for exams. Unless you have requested academic accommodations, you should ignore this. If you requested accommodations, this is when your extra time is scheduled.
    • WG and SG stand for workgroup or seminar group. Not all courses will have one of these groups, but if it’s listed, you must enroll in only one group (for example, WG08).
    • Sometimes there are other sections listed such as DX (Digital Exam).  You must always register for one of each section listed, except for the re-sit exam (TE/02) – see notes about re-sits above. 
    • It is possible that a course only has one study group and no main lecture. In this case, you must register for the study group.
    • If there is a main lecture listed in the timetable (HC), you must enroll in this group. If there is a study group with multiple sections (SG/04, SG/05 or WG/01, WG/02 etc.), you should only enroll in one of these groups.
    • You should always plan to take the first final exam (TE/01). If there is a digital exam (DX), you must also enroll in this group unless the professor later states otherwise. 

    Some helpful tips about using the timetable:

    • Note whether or not you need to be in a specific workgroup to avoid an overlap with another course. 
    • You can easily edit the timetables you have added via the list on the right side of the screen.  You can simply deselect a timetable so that it no longer appears, or you can delete it from your list entirely.
    • You can edit the groups you have selected by clicking the 3 dots that appear when you move your cursor over a course title in the panel on the right side of your screen.
    • If two of your chosen courses have exam times that overlap, this is an overlap. You will need to choose a backup course selection instead. Don’t forget to check your exam times in the timetable.
    • Once you have actually been registered for courses, you can remove all courses and groups you are not registered for from your timetable by clicking the 3 little dots that appear when you hover your cursor over “2025/26” in the panel on the right side of the screen and then clicking “Remove all and restore default timetables.” Then click “Remove All.” 

    Canvas

    Once your professors have added you to each of your registered courses, you can view your course materials using the VU online learning platform, Canvas. Keep in mind that Canvas is managed by your professors and is not a list of course registrations. Your professors must first add you to the course before you will see it in Canvas. 

    Questions about Canvas? You can find a full list of instruction videos and resources for students here.

    VU Dashboard

    Once your final grades have been published, you can find them in your VU Dashboard. Please note that only grades published in your VU Dashboard are final grades (grades published in Canvas are not final grades). All grades at VU Amsterdam are rounded up or down to the nearest decimal. Please see the information provided under Dutch Grading System below.

  • Re-sit Exams

    Re-Sit Exams

    You must be present in Amsterdam if you want to take the re-sit exam. Most courses offer the chance to take a re-sit exam if you fail the first exam, but if you only stay until period 2 in the Fall semester or period 5 in the Spring semester, then the date of the re-sit exam often occurs after you have already returned home. The Semester in Amsterdam staff does not have the power to arrange proctored re-sit exams.

    1. If you received a No Show (NS) for your exam, you have to manually register for the resit via the registration module at least 1 week before the resit takes place. For instance: you can register until Friday 15 December 23:59h for an exam held on Friday 23 December.
    2. If you did not pass the exam or received an NVD (requirements not met), you will be automatically registered for the resit. 
    3. If you did pass the exam but still wish to retake it, you must manually register for the re-sit

    If you decide to take the re-sit exam, the re-sit grade is the grade that counts, even if it is lower than the grade you received for your first final exam. If you register for a re-sit but do not participate, a No Show will be registered but the grade you received on the original exam will still remain valid.

  • Dutch Grading System

    Dutch grades range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). The highest grades of 9 and 10 are only rarely awarded. An 8 is considered a high mark while 7's and 6's are more common. Grades from 1 (very poor) to 3 are rare. Grades of 5.5 and higher are passing grades in the Netherlands, but we advise you to confirm what constitutes a passing grade with your home university. 

    It is up to your home university to determine a conversion scale. Grades at VU Amsterdam are always rounded up or down. For example, an 8.3 will be rounded up to an 8.5 and an 8.2 will be rounded down to an 8.0. The exception to this rule is a 5.5, which is always rounded up to a 6.0.

    Please be prepared for the fact that your final grade may be made up of only one final exam. Most courses offer the chance to take a re-sit exam if you fail the first exam, but if you only stay until period 2 in the Fall semester or period 5 in the Spring semester, then the resit exam will likely occur after you have returned home. You must be present in Amsterdam to take the re-sit exam.

    ECTS %Quality AssessmentDutch grade
    10%Excellent/Very good8.0 - 10.0
    25%Good7.5 - 7.9
    30%More than satisfactory7.0 - 7.4
    25%Satisfactory6.5 - 6.9
    10%Sufficient5.5 - 6.4
     Fail0.0 - 5.4

  • Instruction style

    Study hours at VU Amsterdam are a combination of hours spent in class with the instructor and hours spent out of class working independently. In general, a VU student has about 10 hours per week of strictly student/professor contact hours. The remaining hours are spent outside of the classroom and can include time spent working on assignments with other students from your course, known as “work groups,” or time spent working individually on assignments, known as “self-study.” 

    The Dutch understanding of “self-study” is a fixed number of hours spent working on specific assignments. Although the number of hours spent by each student may vary, all students are expected to complete a minimum number of hours of self-study for each course. This varies per course, but you should be prepared to spend more time studying independently than you may be used to. Self-study hours are weighted the same as in-class hours and are thus included in the 1 ECTS = 28 contact hours calculation.

    Studying at VU Amsterdam: What is expected of you?

    • Be an active learner and critical thinker: ask questions, participate, and share your opinion
    • Be present and on time: many teachers have a 100% attendance policy; it's wise to check this with your professor beforehand
    • Be prepared: fewer lectures, more self-study
    • Be accountable: you are responsible for knowing when your assignments are due and when the exams take place
    • Be transparent: always mention your source of information; plagiarism may result in automatic failure of the course

    Studying at VU Amsterdam: What can you expect?

    • High level of classroom interaction
    • Independence and active learning
    • Relative lack of competition
    • Direct feedback
    • Social equality
    • No grade inflation or scaling

  • Transcript of records

    Once all of your final grades have been published, you can request your transcript of records. If you are studying abroad through a partner university or study abroad provider, your transcripts may be sent directly to your university or study abroad provider. 

    If you are participating through direct enrollment (no provider or partner university) or you wish to receive a transcript directly, you can request an official transcript with a VU stamp and signature using this form: Official certified grade transcript. Make sure to complete the form in full and state the reason for your request. The transcript will then be sent to you by email. 

    Please check that your grades are correct before requesting an overview. If you are not able to access the form, you can request a transcript directly from the Student Desk.

Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us!

Please note that Semester in Amsterdam is a separate programme from the Exchange programme at VU Amsterdam.

The fastest and easiest way to reach us is via our contact form. Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions.

Are you a student with a question? Schedule a 15-minute appointment on Wednesdays between 13:00 and 14:00 (CEST) via our online booking tool.

If you have been nominated by your home university for (Erasmus) Exchange, please contact the incoming Exchange team.

Are you currently a student of another Dutch university wishing to register for a minor? Please contact the Student Desk.

Contact

  • Rachel Bornstein
  • International Officer
  • Eva Luberti
  • International Officer

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