Heyy wanted to get some views into the study plan for MSc CS with AI degree. There are a lott of electives, courses and its quite confusing. Can anyone advice how to move forward with the study plan. Thanks!

where do people find clubs to join? from the website it’s really confusing and i only see sports or ethnicity specific clubs which don’t really interest me.

for example, where could i find more casual hang out/social clubs, art clubs, volunteering, or any other sort?

i’m a student in the hague, but clubs in leiden would be ok too

apologies if this is a dumb question, i’m just confused. thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I just got admitted to the IRO programme in The Hague and I was wondering if there was some groupchat for IRO students (either on instagram or whatsapp).
Thank you if you can help me in any way!

Hi! I was wondering if there was a WhatsApp group chat for the upcoming Crisis and Security Management masters? I'd love to connect with people from my major :)

Hello Everyone,

My name is Wyatt Brownson and I'll be starting my Masters in Biology at Lieden this fall and while I realize I'm a little behind the curve on this I'm posting to see if anyone would want to be roommates in a house/flat with me to make rent more affordable for us, Im open to one to two roommates and mix gender is no issue for me. My budget would be around 800-900 euro with utilities so please shoot me a message if you're interested !

A bit about me -

I am an Italian American who grew up in the states but I have been lucky enough to travel to Europe a lot and just recently got my Italian citizenship. I love the outdoors and anything outside, I also love to read. I'm very respectful and clean and have no issue sharing common spaces, I'm generally pretty reserved but once in a while I do love to go out.

Hi everyone!
I have a question about the food options at Leiden University (The Hague campus).
At my previous university, eating on campus was actually worth it. The cafeteria had good meals, I didn’t have to cook every day, and the prices were reasonable enough that it didn’t hurt my budget.
Is Leiden similar, or is the campus restaurant more of an occasional option?
Roughly how much should I expect to pay for a filling lunch? Do students usually eat on campus, bring food from home, or just buy something from nearby supermarkets?
I’d love to hear what most students actually do.

hiya, i was wondering if people have thoughts about the honours college; mainly if it is worth taking + how difficult it is, but every post is appreciated. Thanks!

hey everyone. i have been admitted into the International Relations and Organisations programme at Leiden and had a few questions about the admission requirements.

I hold a European Baccalaureate and have uploaded my graduation certificate plus my final grades transcript - but i am confused on whether I have to ask my school to send a digital copy to the Bachelor admission's email. I checked the different ways you can upload your diploma and saw that via post was also included and so I am wondering if i have to do that too.

should i wait for them to review and verify my uploads before asking my school to send them a copy or should i do it now?

i've already contacted the admissions board regarding my question but wanted another another opinion.

if anyone is running into a similar or issue/or if someone has a European Baccalaureate has already admitted their requirements can maybe share what they've done, it would be very much appreciated.

Hey everyone. I'm starting my master in Molecular Genetics this September but I'm struggling to find a house for 2 (coming with my gf). Does any of you have the link to the WhatsApp group chat of people that finished with this study now? So class of 2026. So I can ask if any of them is leaving their apartment.

Any other help is appreciated, thank you very much. (We're not eligible for student housing because my girlfriend finished with her studies and she'll be working from September).

Long shot, but we're also available for apartment swapping, we currently live in the city center of Maastricht

Hi everyone!

I’m moving to Leiden this September to start my Master’s at Leiden University. I’ve been doing a bit of exploring, and I’m already excited about the city. I’ve got my eye on a few places, but I would be happy to hear your opinion!

As a vinyl collector, I’m really keen to find spots that have a bit of character. I’m looking for suggestions for:

• Bars/Pubs: Places with a good, authentic atmosphere, ideally spots that aren't just crowded tourist traps. I’m a fan of places where you can actually enjoy a drink and some good music (mostly rock/metal, but could be jazz or anything in between).
• Art/Creative Spaces: Are there any local galleries, independent cinemas, or creative hangouts where people tend to hangout (especially, when the weather is bad?
• General Favorites: If you’ve spent time in Leiden, what is the one place you always end up going back to, whether it’s for a coffee, a beer, or just to get some reading done?

I’m really looking forward to calling Leiden home for the next years. If you have a "go-to" spot that you think a new student should know about, please let me know! Thanks in advance for the warm welcome.

I am moving to Leiden this September to start my Master’s at Leiden University and I am currently looking into how to best keep up with my training routine once I arrive.

I do mostly calisthenics and I’ve already spotted a few great outdoor bars around the city that look perfect for training when the weather permits. However, given the Dutch climate, I am really curious if there are any indoor spaces that offer a good setup for this. Does the University Sports Centre (USC) have areas or equipment for calisthenics and gymnastics—like pull-up bars, rings, or a space to set up my own?

Beyond the university facilities, I would also love to hear if there are any other gyms in Leiden that are known for having a good indoor calisthenics or gymnastics setup. I am really interested in finding a place where I can keep working on my ring training and connect with other people who share that passion.

If you have any recommendations for gyms that aren't just your standard commercial weight rooms, or if you have experience with how the USC handles these kinds of training needs, I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance for the help!

"I'm looking for a Korean guy I met on the

FlixBus from Rotterdam to Amsterdam on

the morning of June 16th, who got off at

Den Haag. I offered him a sandwich because

he gave his seat to my friend.It was a brief

moment, but I want to say one more hello.

Maybe this post will reach him. If anyone

knows him, please let me know.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been admitted to the MSc Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences at Leiden, in the Research in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences specialisation, starting in September 2026.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Brazil and some research experience in screening bacteria-derived extracts for potential anticancer activity. My main interests are drug discovery, cancer biology, pharmacology and eventually working in biotech/pharma R&D.

I’ve read the official programme pages and study guide, but I would really appreciate hearing about the parts that are harder to understand without actually being in the programme.

In particular:

• RP1 placement: How much control do students have over the division, research group and specific project? How does the matching process work, and is it common to get one of your preferred groups?
• Supervision and workload: How dependent is the experience on the individual supervisor or research group? Does the 40-hour-per-week structure reflect the actual workload, or do the hours vary considerably?
• RP2 and industry: How common is it for students to do RP2 at a biotech or pharmaceutical company? Does the programme actively help students find these opportunities, or is it mainly up to the student?
• Preparation and background: For students entering from Biotechnology, Biomedical Sciences or a similar international degree, were there any important knowledge gaps at the beginning?
• Career preparation: Does the programme feel mainly designed for an academic/PhD path, or does it also prepare students well for R&D roles in biotech and pharma?
• Looking back: What do you wish you had known before starting the programme?

I’d be especially interested in hearing from current students or recent graduates, but even a partial answer about one of these points would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Ik begin in september met Rechten en ik twijfel een beetje wat ik het beste kan doen qua studeren. Van vrienden die het al doen krijg ik hele verschillende antwoorden, de één zegt dat je echt de boeken nodig hebt en de ander zegt dat ie ze eigenlijk nauwelijks open doet en puur op samenvattingen draait.

Heeft het überhaupt zin om de boeken nu al te kopen of kan je beter wachten totdat je weet welke vakken je precies krijgt? Want ik wil niet 80 euro uitgeven aan een boek dat ik dan toch nauwelijks gebruik.

En voor de mensen die met samenvattingen werken, zijn die dan echt volledig genoeg of mis je toch dingen op het tentamen? Vooral bij vakken zoals staatsrecht ofzo lijkt me dat je toch best precies moet zijn.

Gewoon benieuwd hoe anderen dit aanpakken eigenlijk, ben er misschien iets te veel over aan het nadenken lol

Is it just me, or is the USIS portal not working for all?

It says “503 Service Unavailable No server is available to handle this request.”

Hey everyone, I’ve recently graduated from a three year BA program in History and Archeology and I’ve been weighing the possibility of furthering my education in Leiden.
I’ve scoped a few interesting programs but I’d love to get some extra info by students or former students on the programs and the job prospects.
If you have studied (or are studying) History in Leiden, I really appreciate if you could leave a comment, so that I can reach out and ask a few questions :)
Thank you.

Hi, just wondering on avg how long it might take for leiden to approve the visa documents or even revert back for any changes or updates. Its been over 2 weeks since I submitted my documents and I haven't recieved any response yet. Just worried bout it.
Master program - international applicant

Thanks!

has anyone been outright rejected? cause idk if a waitlist is a polite way of rejection, or if I have an actual chance of getting in...

Hi everyone,
I’m a EU student and I’ve been searching for housing since early may and still no luck.I will start my studies at Leiden University’s Hague campus in September, so I’m looking for something I can move into as soon as possible. I’m currently checking every platform I can, but the market is very competitive, so I’m also hoping to find a lead here.

If you know of anything available, or if your house / flatshare is looking for someone, please send me a message. Even temporary housing or a sublet could help a lot

Hi, I was just hoping to hear from past or present students about this MA program (or in particular the Conflict in the Modern Era track!)- any tips about the program that are not on the website/ given to you by the study advisor. I would like to know what classes really stood out, what profs to avoid, what the thesis load feels like, and perhaps what advisors were stellar/maybe not so stellar.

Also, any regrets/recommendations on internships would be much appreciated. I have an idea of my direction, and I am curious about whether it aligns with the reality of others. I did my undergraduate in the US (at a Uni that is known for grade deflation), and I have heard Dutch Universities are not lenient either. Does this match your experience of Leiden, and in particular, this course?

Thanks in advance!

I’m currently finishing my bachelors in Rotterdam and I applied for a masters in Leiden. It is a direct admission so no problem. But I still had tl apply for a residence permit and the deadline was June 1st. I uploaded the documents before June 1st. Now I got an email saying that I forgot to pay the visa fee and I need to pay it but it’s already 2 weeks after the deadline. I paid it today. Will they help me out or reject it? I already paid the tuition fee wayyyy before the deadline it took them a month to control everything.