You have around 12 contact hours per week on average. This means that you have classes on campus for 12 hours a week. These can be lectures or tutorial group meetings. Please note that this is a full-time programme, and the total study load amounts to 40 hours per week. The remaining 28 hours are spent on self-study. You will spend a large part of this time reading literature, but you will also work on (group) assignments and prepare presentations.

The Bachelor's in Political Science has a numerus fixus and accepts 600 students each year.

The ratio between international and Dutch students in this programme is approximately 60-40.

You have the option of following the Bachelor's program in Political Science entirely in English, or in a combination of English and Dutch (bilingual track). In the first case, the teaching and exams will be entirely in English. If you opt for the bilingual variant, you will start with Dutch taught lectures, tutorials and exams. The literature is mainly in English. During the first year you will also have lectures in English, and during the second year some tutorials will be given in English. In the third year, courses are mainly English taught. However, you may complete your assignments and exams in Dutch throughout your entire degree programme. See more information on the Dutch website about the Dutch-English variant of the programme.

To receive a positive BSA at this programme, you must obtain at least 42 of the 60 credits in the first year of your enrolment. Each year, approximately 85% of students receive a positive BSA.

We are the largest Political Science department in the Netherlands. The advantage of this is that we can offer most specialisations, and that there are plenty of options within those specialisations as well. As a result, there are always courses that match your interests, and you often find a good connection to the Master of your choice.

The Bachelor's in Political Science is also characterised by its international character. The programme attracts students and teaching staff from all over the world. This broadens your horizon, helps you gain further insights, promotes your intercultural skills and helps you build an international network. You will therefore be well prepared for living and working in a globalising world. We recommend that you compare the study programs of the Political Science programmes at various universities to discover for yourself which programme appeals to you most.

With a completed HBO propaedeutic year, you are admissible to the Political Science programme. Generally, we assume that you can handle the level of the programme. It is good to realise that our programme is a lot more theoretical than most HBO programmes, and that you have fewer contact hours and have to schedule a lot of self-study. But do not worry, you will not be thrown in at the deep end, we support you in developing academic skills. For example, during the first year and a half of your studies, you will have your own mentor who will guide you and whom you can turn to with all kinds of questions. If you need more support, the University of Amsterdam offers various free workshops and training courses to its students to further develop study skills.