Whether you're a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD student, or a working professional, our courses are designed to fit your needs and provide you with valuable skills and knowledge that will benefit you for years to come. Our one and two-week summer courses are small-scale, taught in English and cover multiple themes. We have everything from Business Data Analysis to Buddhist Mindfulness, or perhaps you want to expand your coding knowledge to create art. You can even combine more than one course to cover a whole month of learning. But that's not all - at VU Amsterdam Summer School, we understand that learning goes beyond the classroom. That's why we offer exciting social activities and comfortable accommodation options to enhance your experience and allow you to make lifelong connections with like-minded individuals from all over the world.

Who can apply?

The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) Summer School is open to undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students.

Courses offered

VU Amsterdam Summer School offers teaching in a variety of unique and challenging short courses that cover a range of exciting subject areas. There are 33 courses to choose to choose from and the course catalogue can be found below. Please note, as part of the Exchange Agreement between both universities, students are only able to register for 1 course.

Programme dates

In 2025, VU Amsterdam are offering 3 sessions which are between 1 and 4 weeks in length. The dates of each course vary and the session dates are as follows: Session 1: Saturday 5th July 2025 - Saturday 19th July 2025 Session 2A: Sunday 20th July 2025 - Sunday 3rd August 2025 Session 2B: Sunday 20th July - Sunday 27th July 2025

Application deadlines

If you wish to apply for a place at VU Amsterdam Summer School, you will need to submit your Global Summer Exchange application by Sunday 19th January 2025, by 11:59pm. If your application is successful, you will be required to apply directly to VU Amsterdam Summer School by Thursday 1st May 2025.

What are the costs?

There are no fees associated with the VU Amsterdam Summer School programme, however, there may be some fees related to the additional social programme (registrations open in May) and study books (most courses use free digital articles/books available in the library). In addition to this, Housing costs are approx. 1,600-1,700 EUR per head (for 4-weeks). VU Amsterdam Summer School does offer scholarships an you can find more information below. Students who are successful in their application will receive a tuition fee waiver, but will be responsible for all other costs, including, flights, accommodation, visas, health/medical insurance (if compulsory), living expenses and those listed on this webpage.

Accommodation

VU Amsterdam offer different accommodation options for summer school students in different parts of Amsterdam and Diemen. Rooms are limited and allocation is not guaranteed, so they work on a first-pay, first-serve system. If you are allocated a place at VU Amsterdam, and have indicated you need accommodation in your Summer School application, VU Amsterdam will inform you as soon as registrations open in May. More information on the accommodation options can be found below.

Eligibility, exclusions & restrictions

The same level of English is required for all courses. Students are expected to have at least a B2 level of English, as developed within the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). This is comparable to a TOEFL test with a score of 92, or an IELTS score of 6.5.

The information on this webpage is accurate for 2025 entry.