Amsterdam Law School

Fact Sheet 2014 – 2015

General Information
Name of institution / University of Amsterdam
Exchange coordinator / Johanna Vogel; email:
Faculty / Amsterdam Law School
Website /
Why study at the Amsterdam Law School?
Top 5 reasons to study at the Amsterdam Law School /
1. Top staff:Classes are taught by top researchers and practitioners who have worked at EU institutions, international tribunals, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and other public institutions or top law firms.
2. International student body:The ALS has an international and diverse student body.
3. Affordable quality:High-quality English-language programmes at affordable tuition rates.
4. Amsterdam:Attractive central location in a cosmopolitan city with a high standard of living and widespread use of English.
5. Job opportunities:Graduates find jobs with globally competitive law firms and major international institutions in the immediate surroundings.
International Orientation /
The Amsterdam Law School of the University of Amsterdam offers students a wide variety of specialised courses and has a strong international orientation, carrying both a global and a European focus. A long-standing tradition of offering LLM programmes taught in English has drawn students from around the world, bringing a truly international atmosphere to our 400-year-old home, the ‘Oudemanhuispoort’ in the centre of Amsterdam.
Interdisciplinary approach and social engagement /
The Amsterdam Law School favours an interdisciplinary approach, collaborating with other law schools in the Netherlands and incorporating such fields as economics, psychology and sociology with the study of law. The faculty members are active in various research institutes, while maintaining strong ties with the corporate world. Many staff members are also legal practitioners, thus bringing current and practical insights and developments into their teaching. Social engagement is another characteristic of both staff and students, who frequently offer their services to various law clinics.

Amsterdam EXchange Programme
Programme / International students who are interested in going on exchange for 1 semester to the Amsterdam Law School of the UvA can either come through an official exchange programme, or as an independent fee-paying student. The Amsterdam Exchange programme (AEXp) of the Amsterdam Law School offers a selection of ABA approved advanced European Union Law and Public International Law courses at Master’s Level (LLM). These courses are taught in English by the Law faculty’s most distinguished lecturers. Classes consist of both international and Dutch students.
Courses /
The Amsterdam Law School offers courses in the following fields:
  • European Private Law
  • International Criminal Law
  • International and European Labour Law
  • International and European Law:
    • Public International Law
    • International Trade& Investment Law
    • European Union Law
    • European Union Business Law
As an exchange student you can choose from all courses in law offered by the Amsterdam Law School. For an overview of these courses, follow the link below to the UvA Course catalogue and use ‘Advanced Search’ under the ‘Search Course’ option. Under ‘Department’, select ‘Amsterdam Graduate Law School’ from the pull-down menu and click ‘search’ for the full list of English-taught courses.

To avoid scheduling conflicts please consult the course and exam schedule.

Students without a background in European Union Law need to take the introductory course in European Union Law. This course is offered twice a year (September and February). Students without a background in International Law need to take the introductory course in International Law, offered in September only.
The workload for one semester is 30 ects.
Academic Calendar /
The academic year consists of two, 20-week semester. The first semester begins the first week of September and the second begins the first week of February. At the Faculty of Law, each semester consists of two teaching periods, beginning in the first and ninth week of each semester.
The UvA academic year may conflict with the academic year at the home institutions of some American and Canadian exchange students. Students affected by such a conflict may need to take UvA exams at an earlier date than those listed in the normal academic schedule.
Faculty requirements
Application and admission /
The following students may enrol as exchange students:
  • Erasmus/U21 students enrolled at a university with which the ALS has concluded a formal (bilateral) exchange agreement;
  • Students from other partner universities with which the ALS or the University of Amsterdam have concluded a bilateral agreement;
  • Other third and fourth year (academic) law students, provided they meet all requirements and pay the tuition fee.
Applicants should have completed at least two years of law school. This means that for students who study a double degree, only their years of legal studies will be taken into consideration.
English language requirements /
All classes in the Amsterdam Exchange Programme of the Amsterdam Law School are conducted in English and proficiency in the English language is, therefore, required. Applicants, from non-English speaking countries must present proof of proficiency by providing a copy of their:
1. TOEFL score (minimum score of 600-603, paperbased, 250, computer based; 100 internetbased);
2. IELTS score minimum score of 6,5 (with a minimum score of 6.0 for writing, speaking, reading and listening) or
3. Cambridge Examination of Proficiency in English (CPE) (at the minimum level C).
This requirement does not apply to applicants who pursue their legal studies at universities participating in the ERASMUS/U21 network.
Application deadline and procedure /
Exchange students are required to submit their application form before either 1 November 2013 or 1 May 2014, depending on the semester chosen. Applicants need to enclose a university transcript (list of completed courses and grades) with the application as well as proof of their English proficiency.
It is preferable to have the home university send the transcripts. When the applicant is not an student from one of our partner universities, he or she must enclose one letter of reference by a qualified person, preferably academic staff.
Practical matters
Moving to a new city and beginning a new study should be a happy and exciting experience. The UvA has a number of services and support facilities to ensure this is the case. Among the first things the UvA can help you with, is finding somewhere to live and finding out what papers you will need to live there legally.
Housing /
Finding a student room in Amsterdam is extremely difficult and often very expensive. Therefore the UvA provides student rooms forinternational students.The accommodation islocated throughout the city and its suburbs.Some rooms are right in the city center, others are at some distance from the center (with a maximum of 45 minutes by public transport). All student rooms can easily be reached by bike and public transport.We offer shared rooms, private rooms with shared facilities and private rooms with private facilities. The room prices vary from€ 380 to € 600 per month. All rooms are furnished and the rent includes all utilities like electricity, water, heating, caretaker costs. The rent does not include local taxes and students will be charged a fee.

General Administrative matters /
The UvA will assist students with services such as housing, banking, health insurance, and residence permit/visa application. Students who are approved to study abroad at the Amsterdam Law School will also receive an information package with important information prior to their arrival in Amsterdam.

ISN /
In addition, the International Student Network (ISN) Amsterdam, a student run organisation, is dedicated to helping international students studying at the University of Amsterdam make the most of their stay in the Netherlands. Each semester there is an introduction organised by the ISN for international students arriving at the UvA.