Why a liberal arts and sciences education?

Today's society is in a constant state of flux, and future leaders need to be flexible, creative thinkers, able to cope with the complexity of the issues facing the world. That's why Amsterdam University College (AUC) offers a broad Bachelor's programme in the liberal arts and sciences to prepare you for this.  

In addition to factual knowledge, this English-taught liberal arts and sciences education prepares you to become a multilingual, informed and engaged global citizen with well-developed intercultural competencies that enable you to read intelligently, think critically and write effectively on the processes shaping our world.

Why study this programme at AUC in Amsterdam?

The multicultural character of Amsterdam and the presence of many international companies and institutions, offering the perfect environment for connecting excellence and diversity in an academic context.

AUC offers: 

• small-scale education with a maximum of 300 students per year 
• a challenging honours programme, personalised to your interests and academic goals 
• a broad Bachelor's programme with choice of three majors across six themes 
• guaranteed on-campus housing in Amsterdam 
• a supportive atmosphere created by the tutoring team and well-being team

Create your personal study programme

Apart from the disciplinary courses in sciences, social sciences and humanities, the Academic Core courses provide foundational academic skills, while the ability to choose electives allows you to be exposed to fields outside of traditional majors.

You will learn to make complex connections across disciplines, cultures and institutions, become more creative in your problem-solving approaches and abilities, and be more perceptive of the world around you. You will learn how to inform yourself about the issues that arise in your life, personally, professionally and socially, and to transform such knowledge into practical and ethical action.

The student body at AUC is international, as is the faculty and the English-taught study programme. Students are encouraged to study abroad for a semester in their second or third year.

Be ready for the big, contemporary questions

The frontiers of knowledge, both in academia and the professional world, now call for cross-disciplinary enquiry, analysis and application. New pathways across the traditional dividing lines between liberal arts, sciences and the professional fields are needed. Students need to integrate and apply their learning by addressing the 'big questions' in science and society, like globalisation and climate change. 

AUC provides a framework through which you will learn to connect analytical skills with applied experience by putting knowledge to use. The AUC programme reflects this, aiming to create an academic community that is rooted in the best traditions of the liberal arts and sciences, but actively oriented to the demands and challenges of the 21^st century.

Below you can read more about liberal arts and sciences education, and about the role, characteristics and cooperation of Liberal Arts and Sciences Colleges in the Netherlands. 

Summary of the study programme

Do you want to study Liberal Arts and Sciences?

Are you: 

• ambitious and ready for a challenge? 
• interested in broad topics crossing disciplines, cultures and institutions?  
• motivated to actively address today's challenges in society?
• internationally oriented and open to study in English?

Then studying Liberal Arts and Sciences at AUC may be a match for you!