Please do not contact this university directly.
For all enquiries please contact the Exchange Office at exchange@otago.ac.nz.
Academic Information
Course Information
Students are required to have a GPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 (~7.0 GPA on Otago's 9.0 scale) and at least two years of prior academic study. Language courses are not available as regular exchange programme courses.
Semester Dates
- Academic year: September - June
- Winter semester: September - January
- Spring semester: February - June
Course Load and Minimum Unit Requirements
- Minimum Course Load: 30 ECTS per semester
- Maximum Course Load: 30 ECTS per semester
Accommodation and the Cost of Living
Accommodation
Student housing is limited, especially in the first semester. Students may therefore also be offered housing in The Hague.
Leiden University accommodation
Estimated Cost of Living
Student Visa and Insurance
Information on Student Visas and Insurance for students going on exchange can be found elsewhere on this website.
Exchange Experiences
2023 S2 BA PSYCH SH (PDF)
The University, City and Region
The University
Leiden University is located in the city of Leiden and is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years War. The Dutch Royal Family and Leiden University still have a close relationship; Queens Juliana and Beatrix and King are all former students.
Leiden University has seven faculties, over 50 departments and enjoys an outstanding international reputation. In 2013 Leiden was the highest ranked university in the Netherlands in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, where it was rated as the 64th best university worldwide and 61st for international reputation.
The City of Leiden and Region
Leiden is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 122,000, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration with its 4 suburbs with around 190,000 inhabitants. Leiden is located on the Old Rhine at a distance of some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from The Hague to its south and some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Amsterdam to its north. The recreational area of the Kaag Lakes lies just to the northeast of Leiden. Leiden is a real student city and has everything you'll need to turn your time as a student into the time of your life.
Further Information
For further information about Otago Global Student Exchange please email exchange@otago.ac.nz