Spend a Summer Studying in Leiden
Webster University is offering new thematic Study Abroad sessions at three international campuses: Geneva, Leiden and Vienna.
Take an In-Depth Dive Into Specialized Study with Hands-On Experiences
Two back-to-back sessions — Summer 1 (June 2-27) and Summer 2 (June 30-July 25) — will be offered at each of these vibrant locations. Each four-week session will host thematic programs comprised of a three-credit core course and a one-credit experiential learning course.
A Student-Centered and Intellectually Vibrant Community
Located only 30 minutes from Amsterdam, Leiden is a city with a rich past and a bright future, filled with students, bicycles, canals and charming buildings. As the oldest and largest university town in the Netherlands, Leiden has earned the right to be called the “Key to Discovery.”
Webster Leiden sits on a picturesque canal in the historic city center, where a multitude of shops, bakeries, historic sites and museums can be found. Leiden’s numerous cozy cafes are great places to catch up on some assigned reading or simply enjoy a leisurely lunch. After dark, Leiden’s taverns, theaters and music venues spring to life.
Study Art History, Biology, Business or Psychology in Summer 2025 at Webster
Delve into the Dutch economy through studying some of its most important export products, learn about issues surrounding substance abuse and addiction from a psychological perspective, experience Dutch art through a historical lens or research innovations in gene therapies in the Netherlands. Each session will focus on a specific theme and offer a one-credit experiential learning-focused course to enhance the theme.
- Summer Session 1 offers course themes in Beer, Bulbs and Cheese and Biotechnology in Leiden.
- Summer Session 2 offers course themes in Drugs and Chemical Dependency, as well as Art, Design and Society in the Netherlands.
Study for four or eight weeks in Leiden or pair four weeks in Leiden with four weeks in Vienna or Geneva.
Beer, Bulbs and Cheese
When you think of the Netherlands, you think of the country of beer, bulbs and cheese. You picture fields of vibrant tulips and windmills spinning in the wind, cozy bars and lively terraces where you can enjoy a Dutch-brewed beer. Admiring the view over the picturesque canals while savoring the delicious Edammer or Gouda cheese, you see people on boats passing by. Although the scenery is beautiful, there is more history than meets the eye.
In this program, we will examine the challenges and successes of these industries and their impact on the Dutch economy. This course includes several experiential components, such as visiting a brewery, brewing your own beer, visiting a cheese farm and visiting the oldest botanical garden of the Netherlands, the Hortus Botanica in Leiden.
Course Fee: $110
Co-curricular activities includes a visit to a local brewery, where students will learn how to brew their own beer. Students will also visit the oldest Hortus Botanica in Leiden, or a bulb auction and a cheese farm.
Biotechnology in Leiden
This program introduces the topic of biotechnology with a specific emphasis on work being done in the Netherlands, which is a top location for biotech innovation. Led by Webster Biology Professor Dr. Mary Preuss, the Leiden Bio Science Park is a vibrant hub for biotechnology and life sciences, offering a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research in advanced gene therapies. By analyzing primary research articles, you will gain valuable insights into the methodologies and innovations driving this field. It is also a great chance to develop your skills in communicating complex scientific concepts, which is crucial for collaboration and public understanding. Meeting scientists and exploring the research environment at locations such as Janssen Pharmaceuticals will enhance your learning experience, providing a firsthand look at how research translates into real-world applications.
Course Fee: $325
In addition, training will be provided for earning Webster micro credentials that can prepare students for entry-level positions in the biotechnology industry. These microcredentials are based on the skills recommended by the Bioscience Core Skills Institute (BCSI) and include (1) Numeracy, (2) Safety: Hazard Assessment and (3) Small Volume Metrology.
Drugs and Chemical Dependency
Through a multicultural lens, with the Netherlands serving as an example of the European Union’s (EU’s) approach to substance use, abuse and addiction, this session introduces the history, pharmacology and physiological effects of a variety of commonly abused substances in the Netherlands and other EU countries. Emphasis will be placed on how the Dutch government and social work and health care systems view the behavioral and social implications of drug use and abuse, treatment and treatment methods for drug abuse.
Course Fee: $55
Art, Design and Society in the Netherlands
Leiden’s Art, Design and Society program turns The Netherlands and Belgium into your classroom as you explore regional connections between art, trade, exploration, science and the ecosystem for art history credit. During site visits around Leiden and on trips to neighboring cities such as Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, as well as Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium, you will experience the relationship between the region’s culture and its art. Smell flowers from around the world in its gardens, taste its cuisine while sitting in its plazas, and feel the wind atop its belltowers as you envision how art reflects Netherlandish culture’s engagement with the natural and the global world.
Course Fee: $1,195
Includes a three-night trip to Antwerp with day trips to Bruges and Ghent, four to five other day trips to Dutch cities, all entrance fees and group activities, and two group dinners.
This art history course expands the educational reach of Art, Design and Society in the Netherlands through high-impact experiences of travel, engagement with other cultures and onsite learning via in-situ engagement with art. Students will travel from Leiden to Haarlem, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, as well as Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium, visiting significant sites and museums in each city, experiencing firsthand the connections between art, place and culture.
Students will visit sites around Leiden including its science museum, windmill and fortifications, Rembrandt sites, its market, and the Hortus Botanicus. Further abroad, visits will include many art museums, such as Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, The Hague’s Mauritshuis, Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts; medieval castles, Renaissance churches and modern cubic homes; and the houses of Rembrandt and Rubens. They will sample Netherlandish and Belgian cuisine to experience contemporary culture, visit windmills to study traditional water management, ride bicycles through a national park to consider effects on the natural environment and artistic responses to it, and paint Delftware tiles to recreate Baroque artistic practices. Belgian travel will include three nights in Antwerp at a hotel.
Webster WINS Partner Schools
Is your school a Webster WINS partner? If so, you may be eligible for a scholarship up to $500 toward your airfare. Check to see if your school is already a partner!
Other Questions?
Email worldview@webster.edu or call 314-968-6988.
“Studying abroad was worth it for the memories alone, but I also made new friends, learned a lot about people and cultures, and was able to experience life on a whole new level. My favorite part about Leiden was how nice and helpful all the Dutch people were.”
BS in Business Administration and Management, '20