Other possibilities to study abroad

Other possibilities to study abroad

• Internship abroad

  During your studies you have the possibility to do an internship abroad. You are responsible for arranging an internship yourself. Unfortunately, VU International Office does not facilitate any internships, but you can enquire at your programme or faculty about the possibilities. Some faculties have an internship coordinator. For more information, please check your study guide.

  Please pay attention to the following:

  • Once you have arranged your internship, you will need to register this in My Dashboard. 
  • Please carefully go over our International Travel Policy.
  • VU has scholarships available for internships abroad. Within the EU, you can receive an Erasmus+ scholarship for internships. Outside of the EU, you can request a scholarship via the Fondsendesk. You can request  a scholarship via My Dashboard, after you have registered the internship in our system. 

• Vulcanus in Japan

  Vulcanus in Japan is a training programme that offers industrial placements for Master’s students in engineering and other scientific fields. It is open to EU nationals and citizens of SMP-associated countries and lasts 8 months. In 2024 the programme runs from from August 2024 to March 2025 (applications closed in December 2023).

  Through this programme, the students will get acquainted with the range of advanced technologies employed by a leading Japanese host company, immerse themselves in Japanese culture and boost their future career by connecting with Japanese businesses and people.

  The EU-Japan Center will cover costs for providing lectures about Japan and the Japanese language course. The host company will provide accommodation throughout the entire stay in Japan. Students will receive a pro-rata grant of around € 8200 (paid in JPY) to partially support return tickets to Japan, personal insurance, and day-to-day living expenses. 

  Please find more information about the training programme and how to apply on this page. Curious about a VU student's experience in Japan? Read about it here.

• International experience at home - Buddy programme at VU Amsterdam

  VU International Office organises a buddy programme, in cooperation with the Erasmus Student Network VU Amsterdam (ESN VU Amsterdam). As a buddy, you will be matched to 3-5 international students. You will be expected to answer the student’s questions about what it’s like to study at VU Amsterdam and you can partake in social activities with your international students. It will improve your language skills, you will learn to communicate with students from different countries and you will make friends from all over the world! Would you like to know more about the buddy programme? 

• International experience at home - VU Amsterdam Summer School

  Are you looking for an opportunity to build an international network in the field of your study, do you miss, or do you want extra ECTS, do you want to expand your CV or deepen your knowledge about a certain topic?  Join VU Amsterdam Summer School!
  
  VU Amsterdam has had its own summer school. During the months of July and August you can follow 2-week multidisciplinary courses that cover a wide range subjects. Along with the international students, VU Amsterdam students are also very welcome. As VU Amsterdam-student you even get a discount on all courses!
  
  All courses are small in size (max. 25 students), and very intensive. Check the VU Amsterdam Summer School website for the full programme and other details.

• Summer or winter school abroad - Study abroad for a shorter time

  Instead of a whole semester, you can take one course or a short program abroad during the summer vacation (a so-called 'summerschool') or winter break (a so-called 'winterschool'). Most universities offer summer schools that last from 2 to 6 weeks, covering various fields and at very different prices. Sometimes you can receive discounts for programs offered by our partner universities. For more information, please contact the International Office.

  During a Summer School program, you enhance your academic knowledge on a specific subject, create an international network, and combine culture with study in an attractive environment. In many cases, you may even earn credits for the courses taken during the Summer School if you receive approval from your Examination Committee.

  You can also look at Summer Schools at other universities, for example on this website for other Summer Schools in Europe.

• Study trips

  Some faculties and/or student associations organise study trips or fieldwork excursions. During these study trips, you will broaden your knowledge abroad, together with your fellow students. For more information, please contact your faculty or a student association.

• Going abroad as a free mover

  Did you not get selected by the VU International Office to spend a semester abroad? Or would you like to study at a university that isn't a partner university of VU Amsterdam? Then you can also choose to go abroad as a free mover. As a free mover, you will arrange and manage the study abroad yourself. You have to contact the university yourself. Please pay attention to the quality of education and the level of the courses. If you want your courses to count towards your degree, you have to get approval for these courses from the Examination Board of your faculty/programme. As a free mover you still need to be enrolled and pay tuition fees at VU Amsterdam. Apart from that, you probably also have to pay tuition fees at your host university.

  Please pay attention to the following:

  • After being accepted at your host university, you have to select the courses you would like to follow. Send an approval request to the Examination Board as soon as possible. It can take up to 6 weeks before you will receive an answer. More information about the Examination Board can be found on this page.
  • Please carefully go over our International Travel Policy.
  • Always register your study abroad in My Dashboard.

• Internship after graduation

  After your Bachelor's or Master's degree, you can get an Erasmus+ scholarship for an internship abroad as an orientation on the labour market. The internship must last at least 2 months.

  You are responsible for finding an internship yourself. Unfortunately, VU International Office does not facilitate internships abroad.

• Master's programme abroad

  It is also possible to do a Master's programme abroad. You will need to arrange everything yourself: you will need to find a university yourself, and arrange your application and admission. You will also need to pay tuition fees at this university. 

  Please pay attention to the following:

  • Start to look for a study programme early. Start your search at least a year in advance. A good starting point is mastersportal.com, where you can compare different programmes.
  • You can often ask a professor from your degree programme which universities he or she would recommend. 
  • The foreign university will be able to help you with questions about study programmes, the application procedure, finances, etc.
  • You can find more information on scholarship possibilities here. 

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