Utrecht University

Utrecht University is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands with almost 30,000 students and over 6,000 staff. The university is made up of seven different schools — the largest being the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Law. UU is considered the number one university in the Netherlands, and thirteenth amongst all European universities. 

School's Main Website | International/Exchange Student Website

Minimum GPA requirement:

Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Admission requirements vary by school.

Language of instruction:

English, Dutch

Courses:

UU offers six Bachelor degree programs in English: Pharmaceutical Science, Economics/Business Economics, Global Sustainability Science, History, University College Roosevelt (Liberal Arts program), University College Utrecht (Liberal Arts and Sciences).
Visit http://www.uu.nl/bachelors/en to learn more.

UU recommends taking language courses at Babel, a local language school. You can also find smaller language learning groups all over the city, like Linguaterra Institute in Utrecht Overvecht, or the Language Café Utrecht, a language exchange program that meets once a week at local eateries.

Course Registration Process:

Registration requirements vary by school and study program. There is an approximate three-week registration period a month prior to the start of term.  Visit http://students.uu.nl/en/practical-information/enrolment/course-registration to find your program’s requirements.

Attendance Policy:

A student who is absent for more than 25% of class sessions will not receive credit for the course and will be given an F. The Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy requires that “undergraduate and graduate students must complete at least 50% of the normal study load towards their degree in each academic year. Students who fail to complete 30 EC and have no circumstances that can be taken into account to make an exception are placed on Denied Status.” If you are placed on Denied Status, your residence permit to study in the Netherlands may be revoked. 

Utrecht University has three main buildings:

1. Utrecht Science Park/De Uithof

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      2. City Center Utrecht

      3. International Campus Utrecht

Campus map:

Utrecht University campus map can be found here!

Selected Facilities:

• Parnassos Cultural Center: Students are welcome to take performing and visual arts courses at the cultural center for an additional fee. Some course offerings include music classes, belly dancing, photography and creative writing. Visit the website for course prices and to find out whether or not a course is offered in English. You can also visit Parnassos for live performances.
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• Olympos sport center: The local gym that offers work-out facilities, group classes and team sports. A discount is offered to UU students, who make up about 85% of Olympos’ clients. It costs around 14.50 Euros per month.
   
• Library: The library is located at two locations: City Center (Drift 27, 3512 BR Utrecht) and Utrecht Science Park/De Uithof (Heidelberglaan 3, 3584 CS Utrecht), and is open on Monday to Friday from 0800-2230 hours and on weekends from 1000-2230 hours. Using your smartphone, you can also reserve books as well as find an available computer in the library.

Food on campus:

Utrecht University has one dining hall - open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Students receive 772 Euros per semester towards dining credit. Credit rolls-over from fall to spring semester when it is not used, but is not transferrable to the following school year. If you run out of dining credit, you can charge meals using a debit card.

Flying Chalks’ tip: Check the Campus Life Forum’s Facebook page for weekly meal schedule, and look out for special dining events, like Thursday Pizza Specials. 

Campus transportation:

UU does not provide on-campus transportation. As such, students use the bus system to get around. Refer to the Transportation section for more information.

Flying Chalks' recommendation: Download the “Welcome to Utrecht” application. This application will assist you in finding your way around Utrecht University and the city of Utrecht. The app also highlights general matters relating to your study at the university, as well as that regarding your day to day life in Utrecht: practical matters such as opening hours of shops, the Dutch healthcare system and entertainment in Utrecht.

Student life at Utrecht University can be as versatile and entertaining as you make it! There are many international students at UU, and most Dutch people speak English. Hence, it is easy to get to know the locals. Aside from all of the services offered at UU, Utrecht is a cultural hub filled with many activities for young people.

Orientation Program:

Utrecht University offers a general orientation program for all students, and individual schools may offer an additional, more specific program. The orientation includes an introduction to Dutch culture and an exhibition with vendors like student clubs, banks, and language schools. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) will host a social introduction and international party during the first week of the semester, and provide guided tours and a dinner. Visit ESN’s Utrecht page.

Buddy Program:

BuddyGoDutch is a buddy program that helps international students meet Dutch people so that they can learn about each other’s culture.  Every semester, BuddyGoDutch hosts a wide variety of events (dinners, beer tasting nights, ice skating - to name a few) that offer a unique chance to experience the Netherlands and Dutch culture: just like the Dutch do it. Together with your Dutch buddy you do not just learn about but actually partake in everything from typical student parties to celebrating our eccentric holidays.

Sign up here: http://buddygodutch.nl/signup/

Student Clubs:

There are over 150 student organizations at UU, and you’ll be sure to find something that piques your interest. These include and are not limited to organizations for hobbies and interests, social associations, sports clubs, orchestras, study groups, international and cultural groups, arts groups, language groups, and many more.

International Student Organizations

• Erasmus Student Network (ESN): The Erasmus Student Network is one of the most popular international student groups in Europe. The chapter at UU organizes sporting events, city trips, and themed parties. The group pairs Dutch student mentors with international students, who share information about Dutch culture.
• AEGEE (European Student Organization): The AEGEE has over 500 international members who are interested in learning more about other European cultures. The group meets once a week for a drink, and hosts dinners, parties, and cultural exchanges throughout the year.

Most organizations will have a representative at Orientation Day. Visit the overview site to get more information on UU’s student groups.

University events:

There’s always something happening at Utrecht University. This year (2016), the school celebrated its anniversary with a music festival held at TivoliVredenburg, the multi-hall music complex in central Utrecht. The school offers cultural events, trainings, academic events, workshops all year long.

Visit http://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/news-and-events/events to stay up-to-date on everything that’s happening at UU.

Utrecht University is located in Utrecht, in the heart of the Netherlands. Utrecht is the fourth-largest city in the country, but still maintains a community feel. The charming city is home to many beautiful canals, museums, markets and cultural treasures. Because it is centrally located, you can easily travel to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Den Bosch.

Flying Chalks' recommendation: Utrecht City Film This video gives an introduction to the city, its shopping, museums, dining and more.

For Food:

Utrecht is full of delicious restaurants offering many types of cuisines.

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:

• Check out the restaurants on the Oudegracht that are built in the old warehouses along the canal.
• Beers and Barrels serves gourmet burgers and craft beers.
• Los Argentinos offers endless spareribs for 17.95 Euros.

If you’re looking for some late-night treats, try a snackbar, small fast-food restaurants or counters where you can order deep-fried ‘hapjes’ (bites) of different kinds of meat or cheese, and frites (fries)! You may even notice these fried snacks in vending machines at the FEBO (chain of Dutch walk-up fast food restaurants of the automatiek type).

Flying Chalks' recommendation: Patatje oorlog is a delicious way to eat French fries—topped with peanut sauce, mayonnaise and raw onions!

For nightlife and entertainment:

If you want to go to a bar or club, there are many on the Neude and Janskerkhof. The bars typically only start getting busy around 11PM-12AM. Tivoli Vredenburg is a large, multi-hall concert venue for live performances—there’s usually at least one concert or show happening there every night of the week. Tivoli de Helling is a medium-sized concert venue that wants to “emit uniqueness” by offering lesser-known artists.

Flying Chalks' tip: Interested in watching musicals, dance recitals, films and more? Stay updated with the various events around Utrecht here.

For daytime entertainment, visit one of the many museums in Utrecht. De Speelklokmuseum has a vast collection of street organs, while the Centraal Museum always offers fun, modern exhibitions in addition to their collection of pre-1850 local art.

Cultural Sundays is one of the most popular events in Utrecht. On each Cultural Sunday, a number of art disciplines, including theatre, opera, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, street culture and storytelling come together to present different sides of a central theme. The events are located throughout the city at different times, and are mostly free of charge.

Find out more here.

For daily necessities and groceries:

Albert Heijn, Lidl, Aldi, and Jumbo are all well-known grocery chains in the Netherlands. The Lidl and Aldi are typically less expensive, but offer fewer variety. 

Albert Heijn on the Voorstraat or Oudegracht is the closest to the campus. Aldi on Amsterdamsestraatwegis is the closest discount grocer. You can also find a couple of international grocery stores on the Amsterdamsestraatweg.

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: Check out the Vredenburg market for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and special Dutch treats like warm stroopwafels or raw herring!

Health and cosmetic items are available at Kruidvat, DA, and Etos.

For shopping:

Utrecht city center is full of shops, ranging from clothing retailers to specialty boutiques, large international chains to department stores. De Bijenkorf is a popular department store with higher-end products, while HEMA provides everyday items at lower prices.

Shopping hours in Utrecht are typically 1200 hours to 1800 hours on Mondays, 0900 hours to 1800 hours on Tuesdays-Fridays (with late shopping hours until 2100 hours on Thursdays), 0900 hours to 1700 hours on Saturdays and 1200 hours to 1700 hours on Sundays.

You can find the various shopping outlets in Utrecht here.

You can get to Utrecht University by train or taxi. It is recommended to take the train from the airport to Utrecht Centraal Station, as it is quicker and more convenient. From there, you can walk to the University.

By train: It takes about 35 minutes to travel to Utrecht, and costs 8.70 Euros. Take a train to Utrecht Central Station after arriving at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. The train station is part of Schiphol Plaza. Follow the directions for “Trains” to find your way around.

You will need an OV-chipcard for your journey. You can buy an anonymous OV - chipcard for 7.50 Euro. They will be available from the yellow machines near the platforms at Schiphol Plaza or from the ticket offices. The train departs every 30 minutes.

Flying Chalks' tip: The airport and train stations are often very busy, so beware of pickpockets!

By taxi: The standard price to Utrecht from Schiphol airport is 55 Euros, and takes about 45 minutes. It is not recommended to travel by taxi unless necessary, as the train is much cheaper and just as convenient. Visit: https://www.taxi2airport.com/en or http://www.utc.nl/english/airport.html for more information, or to reserve a taxi in advance.