Universiteit Leiden (LEI)

Leiden University was founded by Prince William of Orange in 1575. Universiteit Leiden (Abbreviation of a higher education institution - LEI) is considered one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. It is located not far from Amsterdam, in such cities as The Hague and Leiden. The status of this university is a general educational research institution. The institution is also a member of many influential organizations and associations, including LERU and Europaeum. LEI is part of the Coimbra Group, which unites the 39 oldest prestigious universities in Europe.

At the University of Leiden there are several strong areas that offer students promising programs with excellent teaching quality. Particular attention is paid to the following programs:

• Osteology;
• Paleontology;
• Archeology.

One of the most famous faculties of the university is considered archaeological. No less popular are: the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, anthropology, history and political science. Strong programs in general medicine and pharmacology offer students a medical faculty, which is famous for its excellent reputation in the scientific world.

LEI is known for its advanced development in various fields. Applied and fundamental research is conducted in such areas as medicine, cultural studies, political science and linguistics. In the scientific world, the works of the scientists of this institution, devoted to the development of political systems of the world, globalization and transformation of society, are regularly quoted. In the scientific community also pay attention to research in the field of medicine and biotechnology.

The central building of LEI is in Leiden and accommodates only the administration. There are no lecture halls. The building itself is very beautiful: a magnificent medieval building with brickwork and pointed windows. This university does not have a single campus, its buildings are scattered across two cities - Leiden and The Hague, which is absolutely normal for the Netherlands.

Famous graduates

• Rene Descartes is the greatest rational philosopher, mathematician and physicist. He developed the fundamentals of analytical geometry and algebraic symbols.
• Albert Einstein is a Nobel laureate in physics, the founder of a number of quantum theories.
• Benedikt Spinoza is a philosophical rationalist and is considered one of the most outstanding philosophers of modern times.
• Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn is a famous artist, a representative of the golden age of Dutch painting.
• Enrico Fermi is a Nobel laureate in physics, a scientist in the field of neutron physics, the creator of a nuclear reactor.

Interesting Facts

The connection between the university and the royal family did not stop after William of Orange had a hand in creating this educational institution. In LEI studied King William-Alexander and two queens: Beatrice and Juliana. Now the royal family also does not change traditions and sends successors to this educational center.

First of all, a foreign entrant must provide an official translation of the certificate (diploma) into English. In doing so, it must comply with the Dutch VWO. This is a document confirming that the applicant received a pre-university secondary education. To graduate from the CIS received this equivalent of VWO, he must pass the USE on core subjects. And not just pass, but get pretty good results. Applicants entering the master's program, it is enough to provide a diploma in a certain specialty.

The entrant can choose in which language it is easier for him to study. If it is Dutch, then it is required to pass the NT2 Upper-Intermediate exam at the university. For those who want to study in English programs, it is enough to provide an international certificate confirming the knowledge of English. Most applicants are accepted for bachelor's degree with IELTS-6.0 or TOEFL-80 results. For all master's programs and some bachelor's related to art, the requirements for language knowledge are slightly higher: IELTS -7.0 or TOEFL -100.

For those who begin education in September, the deadline for applications is June 15. The last day of receiving documents for programs starting in January-February is December 1.

Cost of education

The price of study at Universiteit Leiden can not be called low:

• The standard cost of the academic year for bachelors is € 10,500;
• Master programs have different costs depending on the year. The price of the first year of study varies from € 15,000 to € 19,000, and the cost of the second varies between € 16-20,000;
• Education at the medical faculty will cost from € 23,000.
• As for the residence of the student, in a year it will be necessary to spend about € 8,500 for housing. The costs for textbooks and other materials for education are approximately € 600.

The university provides financial assistance to students. For example, foreign students who have not come from an EU country can count on several payments at once. Leiden University is on the list of educational institutions that can offer scholarships to their students on the Russian program "Global Education". This is an excellent chance for masters from Russia to cover the tuition fee in this university.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision