Psychology (BSc)

Transferring

Students with a Propaedeutic Diploma in Psychology from another Dutch university and wish to start at Leiden University can submit a transfer request. Please take into account a possible delay of six months to a full year.

To transfer, follow the steps:

1. Register in Studielink as a higher-year student;
2. Submit certified copies of your propaedeutic certificate so that your registration can be completed;
3. Start the programme;
4. Submit your exemption request;
5. Make an appointment with the study adviser.

1. Application

You do this by applying as a higher-year student in Studielink. The application deadline is 15 May.

In Studielink, select Bachelor Psychology Leiden University and choose: “Enrolment in a higher year of the bachelor's programme”. You will then receive more detailed information about the process by e-mail.

Should you not pass your propaedeutic year before 31 August, or should you later choose not to proceed with the transfer, withdraw your application via Studielink.

Please note: Students who completed university level Psychology courses outside of the Netherlands cannot apply for transferring and will need to apply to the first year of the programme. They can request exemption of previous academic work on a course-by-course basis. Go to the exemptions and petitions process.

2. Submitting certified copies

As soon as you have passed your propaedeutic year, submit a certified copy of your propaedeutic certificate or transcript of grades. Only after receipt of your propaedeutic certificate or transcript of grades the transfer can be completed and you can be definitively enrolled for the courses you need to take. The deadline for this is 31 August.

3. Starting the programme

You will start the programme from 1 September. You will be registered for all first-year courses of the 1st semester, even if you think you might be able to get an exemption for these. So you just start the Psychology programme again. Only after you have started in September, you can submit your exemption request and make a suitable study plan together with the study adviser. It might be the case that you can quit the first-year courses and perhaps start another course.

4. Exemptions

Once your registration is complete, you can apply for exemptions. Do this as soon as possible! More information on how to apply for exemptions will be sent to you by e-mail.

We advise you to make sure that you already have the documents below available so that you can start working on your exemption request at the end of August or the beginning of September:

• An upload of your transcript of grades for the propaedeutic year and if applicable second/third-year courses;
• Course descriptions of all courses (e.g. course descriptions from the study guide/prospectus).

The educational programme of Leiden University and that of the university you come from will be compared side by side and course by course. You will hear as soon as possible in September for which courses you will receive an exemption.

5. Appointment study adviser

As soon as you know which courses you will be exempted from, and therefore which courses you still need to take, you make an appointment with the study adviser. Together with the student adviser, you will make a study planning.

Possible delay

As curricula always differ slightly from each other, it may well be that you will not be granted exemption for certain courses and that first-year courses still have to be taken at Leiden University. Since at Leiden University you cannot start many second-year courses if the first year has not been completed, transferring may lead to delays. Please keep in mind that transferring will lead to at least a 6 month to 1 year delay in the completion of your studies.

Binding Study Advice

Transfer students need to meet the criteria for a positive Binding study advice at the end of the academic year in which they start at Leiden University.

If students do not meet the criteria, they cannot continue to study Psychology at Leiden University, nor enroll for the programme in four following academic years. For more information please see Regulations on binding study advice.