Liberal Arts and Sciences

Description

University College Utrecht (UCU) is an international Liberal Arts and Sciences Honors College of Utrecht University. UCU´s mission is to offer ambitious students an academic environment aimed at transforming their broad academic and social interests and their international orientation into academic excellence, intellectual independence and world-citizenship.

UCU specializes in undergraduate education. Students choose from over 200 different courses in Humanities, Science and Social Science, and are educated in the spirit of liberal arts. The admissions process is selective. Students are admitted on the basis of academic excellence, but an international focus, social engagement and extracurricular pursuits are of equal importance.

Among the special characteristics of the college are the international composition of its student body, the freedom for students to compose their own curriculum, its small classes and individual attention. The college faculty strives to connect the fields of study, thereby challenging students to integrate different aspects of their curriculum. Students take advantage of the opportunity to study a semester abroad and UCU receives exchange students from partner institutions in return. A research project in the final year is required. After six semesters of intensive course work (at least 180 ECTS credits), students are awarded a BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) degree. With their tailor-made curriculum and highly developed academic skills in an honors context, about 90 percent of UCU alumni apply to graduate programs in virtually all fields of specialization. They are admitted to excellent universities worldwide.

UCU has its own residential campus in the city of Utrecht. The college community offers a broad range of support, from teaching and career services to recreational facilities and accommodation: a bed/sitting room, meals and ample study and computer facilities. Students also have access to all academic, social and recreational facilities that Utrecht University has to offer.

Career Opportunities

After completing the program you have an internationally recognized Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. But the question that troubles many parents and prospective students is: what can you do next?

During your time at UCU you will have thought about this question. Together with your tutor you will have selected courses within your areas of interest, making sure that you have built a coherent curriculum. After that options are virtually limitless. Enroll in a Master's program abroad? Take up an internship in Brussels? Or earn a Master's degree at Utrecht University?

The vast majority of UCU graduates (87%) apply to Master's programs. Of that group about 40% does so abroad (mainly UK and US), and of those who stay in the Netherlands a large proportion (about half) goes to Utrecht University. Other students enroll in Bachelor's programs, a small minority applies for a PhD position, and the remainder takes a year off, takes up an internship or goes to work right away.

Detailed Course Facts

• EUR 1713 Year (EEA)
• EUR 8620 Year (Non-EEA)

There is an additional fee, the international profile fee, of 1100, to be paid by all students. The IPF is mainly used for scholarships.

• English

Course Content

A UCU education is characterized by its broad and interdisciplinary nature. As a student, therefore, you design your own curriculum. This means that the curriculum does not have a fixed structure; instead you combine different courses to assemble a personal study program. The full three year program has six semesters of four courses each, so by the end your curriculum consists of at least 24 courses.

During the first year you explore the academic world and the various academic disciplines. You take general academic skills courses that help develop writing, presentation and methodological skills, and you start learning a foreign language. You take courses at the introductory 100-level in at least two of the three departments - Science, Social Science and Humanities. By the end of your UCU program you must have taken at least one course in all departments.

The second - or junior - year is aimed at expanding knowledge and skills. Before the start of this year you declare a major in one of the three departments, or possibly an interdepartmental major. You take courses at the intermediate 200- and advanced 300-level.

During the third - or senior - year efforts are focused on finalizing the program by gaining sufficient disciplinary knowledge to apply for a Master´s program or a job. This culminates in the research thesis, a sizeable academic paper on a topic of your own choice.

Support

To guide you in your decisions and to safeguard a certain level of coherence in your curriculum, every UCU student has a personal tutor. Your tutor monitors progress and signals possible obstacles.

Options

You can enrich your program with the following options:

• study abroad for a semester or a year
• do an (international) internship
• take off-campus courses
• take a minor, four related courses in a department other than your major
• write an honors thesis

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 7 CAE score : 75(Grade B) TOEFL paper-based test score : 580 TOEFL iBT® test : 92

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

Selection of students

To be accepted at UCU applicants must undergo a selection procedure. Each year UCU selects about 225 students from a considerably larger pool of applicants. Candidates must meet a set of minimum requirements and fit a general profile to be accepted. The same assessment criteria hold for all students and are applied fairly and impartially.

Minimum requirements

Applicants must have a Dutch high school diploma at VWO level (any profile) or a foreign equivalent, such as the International Baccalaureate diploma or the British A-levels. Since English is the official language at UCU, non-native speakers are required to demonstrate proof of proficiency.

Selection criteria

In addition to meeting the minimum requirements applicants must demonstrate that they fit a general profile:

• academic excellence and curiosity
• ambition and motivation, academically as well as professionally
• broad intellectual orientation
• interest in contributing to campus life
• social engagement
• affinity with living and studying in an international environment

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Alumni Study Travel Fund

  Scholarships for students who are already attending the University of Reading.

• Amsterdam Merit Scholarships

  The University of Amsterdam aims to attract the world’s brightest students to its international classrooms. Outstanding students from outside the European Economic Area can apply for an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Utrecht University.

Funding

Scholarships / Grants:

Utrecht University:
In addition to the scholarships which UCU issues, Utrecht University also has six scholarships available for UCU students. These 'excellence' scholarships are merit-based and between € 1.500,- and € 16.400,- a year.
For additional information: Website

Utrecht University:
For additional information: Website

Accreditation

This Bachelors program has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).