Prospectus

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Honours College FSW

The Honours College of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW Honours College) at Leiden University offers students who are looking for an extra challenge the opportunity to follow an Honours Track on top of their regular academic course and learn more about other scientific disciplines.
FSW Honours College offers three different tracks:

  • FSW HC – Science and Society Track
    30 EC interdisciplinary programme for deepening and broadening knowledge, within a community of students.

  • FSW HC – Individual Track
    30 EC tailor-made Honours College FSW programme.

  • FSW HC – Double Bachelor +
    Combination of two complete Bachelor degree programs, supplemented by an interdisciplinary Honours Class.

For more information check the FSW Honours College website.

Science & Society

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Bachelor I (5 EC)

Introduction Science & Society. Students follow an established programme of 5 EC.

Social Science Lab 5

Bachelor II (15 EC)

The relationship between science and society is explored in greater depth. Beside two joint field trips, students choose there own programme of 15 EC.

The programme consists of at least one course, chosen from the regular Honours Courses:

Crisis Leadership 5
Triple S: Sleep? Do we really need it? 3
Triple S: Moralizers Through and Through 2
Triple S: Prevention and repression of juvenile delinquency 3

Elective Honours Courses

If necessary additional courses can be chosen from the elective Honours Courses to reach 15 EC.
NB. Only one course from a regular Bachelor degree programme is allowed.

Honours Lectures 5
Honours Class (Honours College FSW) 5
LUC - Course from Leiden University College 5
Lecture series 1
Lectures & Journalism 3/5
Internship 1/2
Regular BA course 5

Bachelor III (10 EC)

The programme for year three of the Honours College FSW entails 10 EC and is the final year of the Science & Society track.

Science & Society III 2
Honours Class (Honours College FSW) 5
Extended Bachelor's Thesis 3

Individual

Students who are looking for an extra challenge, but would like to compose their own Honours programme instead of completing the regular Honours programme, can participate in the Honours College FSW Individual track. The starting point for this track is that you propose a theme based on your own vision and ambitions for your future career. What do you believe will best prepare you for your mission in your professional life? For the individual track, you may include courses that may deepen and broaden your knowledge of that particular field of study as well as a relevant extension of your BA thesis.

Admission requirements

You should have a GPA of 7.5 or higher and be on track to complete your studies within the prescribed time.

Content of the FSW Honours College Individual Track

The Honours Individual Track amounts to 30 ECs in total.

1.
At least 10 EC from the programme offered by the FSW Honours College and the Honours Academy:

  • At least one Honours Class organized by the Honours Academy (5 EC).

  • The workshops “Personal and Professional Development” (2 EC in year 2, 1 EC in year 3) from the programme offered by the FSW Honours College are also mandatory.

  • Other courses from the FSW Honours College programme that you may follow (but you don’t have to): a societal or research internship (2-5 EC), a course organized by Leiden University College (5 EC), and/or Crisis Leadership (5 EC).

2.
Courses from your own and/or other BA programs (bringing your total number of ECs up to 28 ECs).
You may take up to two courses from your own discipline, but they should always be of a higher level than your current year (300 level courses in your second year; 400 level courses in your third year). In addition, you will complete an additional Honours assignment for these courses. Keep in mind that the credits from these courses do not count towards your own BA programme.
If you take one or more courses from another BA program, they too should have a level of 300 if you are in your second year, and level 400 in your third year.

3.
You will extend your BA thesis with 2 ECs in order to broaden or deepen your research.

Procedure for admission to the FSW Honours College Individual Track

There are several steps to the admissions process.

If you meet the GPA and do not have any study delays, you can enroll as a candidate for the FSW Individual Honours Track via this website.

The coach from the Honours College FSW will invite you for an appointment. She will help you to compose a study plan for your Honours programme.

You will submit your final study plan to your coach, together with a letter in which you describe your personal learning pathway and how your study plan is ‘Honours worthy’. The letter is a structured and coherent proposal of your personal learning pathway, in which you describe:

  • what interconnected or thematic learning objective(s) you wish to achieve,

  • how your learning objective(s) relates to those of the FSW Honours College (see below) and how your proposal will enable you to achieve these learning outcomes and/or objectives.

Learning outcomes of the FSW Honours College

  • HC students are familiar with the similarities and differences between the ways knowledge is acquired in the various academic disciplines.

  • HC students are capable of asking insightful questions about the interaction between science and society.

  • HC students can adopt various perspectives to arrive at solutions to problems.

  • HC students are reflective and have a curious and critical attitude.

Double Bachelor+

The Honours College FSW offers a special programme for students with two bachelor’s courses. Beside completing their bachelor’s courses, students are expected to compelte a Honours Class (5 EC).

Applying for the Double Bachelor+ programme is possible till the end of the second year (of the first started study) en if the following requirements are met:

  • The student takes two Bachelor’s courses, one at Leiden University Social Sciences faculty;

  • The student has good grades and is looking for an extra challenge;

  • The student has a nominal study progress for both Bachelor’s courses.

Check the website.