The program at Universiteit van Amsterdam is designed to provide
students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds with the
opportunity to explore the linguistic and languages of historical Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is a modern
university with a rich
history. We are proud that 2012 marks the 380th anniversary of the UvA. We will be celebrating our 76th ‘lustrum’ (anniversary occurring every five years) with a wide range of activities for staff, students and citizens of Amsterdam (Amsterdammers) that will take place throughout the lustrum year. These activities aim to show the past,
present and future significance of the UvA to
the city and embody the theme of this special lustrum year: curiosity. We cordially invite you to attend these activities. Curiosity is the source of all knowledge. Without curiosity, there is no will to know. Curiosity is also a powerful and infectious motivating force in the world of academia.
A modern university with a rich history, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) traces its roots back to 1632, when the Golden Age school Athenaeum Illustre was established to train students in trade and philosophy. Today, with more than 30,000 students, 5,000 staff and 250 study programmes (Bachelor's and Master's), many of which are taught in English, and a budget of around 500 million euros, it is one of the large comprehensive universities in Europe. It is a member of the League of European Research Universities and also maintains intensive contact with leading research universities around the world.
Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted in seven faculties: the Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry, with programmes offered in almost every field. Over time, the UvA has risen to international prominence as a research university, gaining an excellent reputation in both fundamental and socially relevant research. The UvA's thriving doctoral programmes provide an excellent foundation for engaging in high-quality teaching and research.
The UvA seeks to offer an inspiring international academic environment in which both staff and students can develop their talents optimally. Characterised by a critical, creative and international atmosphere, the UvA has a long tradition of open-mindedness and engagement with social issues, in keeping with the spirit of the city with which it is inextricably linked.
The predecessor of the University of Amsterdam, the Athenaeum Illustre,
was founded in Amsterdam in 1632 to educate students in Trade and
Philosophy. Lessons were generally given at the professors' homes, as
the establishment was not yet a proper university.
The Athenaeum
remained a small institution until the nineteenth century, with no more
than 250 students and eight teachers. The situation changed in 1877
when the Athenaeum Illustre became the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and
was permitted to confer the highest educational degrees.
Years
of rapid growth lay ahead. There were 900 students at the University of
Amsterdam by 1900. This figure had risen to 2,500 by 1935, and to 7,500
by 1960. More fields of study and research were introduced and new
university departments established.
Currently, there are more than 30,000 students at the University of
Amsterdam and 5,000 staff. The University has seven faculties spanning
the humanities, the social and behavioural sciences, economics and
business, law, the natural sciences, medicine and dentistry.
The Modern EC Languages program aims to develop a critical, reflective and scholarly attitude towards
the disciplines of Dutch Language and Literature. In recent years,
modules offered have included Lexicography, Dynamic Systems Theory and
Second Language Acquisition, Recent Developments in First Language
Acquisition, Poetry, Medieval Drama, Middle Poetry, Renaissance Drama, Jane Austen and her Afterlives, The
Victorian Novel, Orality and Postcolonial Literature, and Word and Image studies. Many of these modules or themes recur regularly. The programme
concludes with the writing of a thesis. Students also have the
opportunity to attend one of the modules outside the department, or do
an internship. Graduates of the programme will be able to participate in
the important debates concerning theory, methodology and interpretation
in their chosen subjects. They will have developed the skills needed to
conduct research, and gained practical experience in completing a major
research project..
The courses that are mentioned here are only a snapshot of what is available, please contact the Department of History to obtain a full listing of courses available. Total recommended credit for each session is 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours. Each course has 45 contact hours. Course credit hours for classes taken may not be considered full-time student status at your home institution. Please review this matter carefully and make sure you are in compliance with the regulations of your home institution.
In addition to numerous day trips and activities associated with each course, one (1) overnight excursion is offered during each session or two (2) for the full year session. During Semester 1, students venture to the Bergh Castle in Gelderland which served as a major stop during the time of the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League was an alliance of trading guilds that established and maintained a trade monopoly over the Baltic Sea, to a certain extent the North Sea, and most of Northern Europe for a time in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, between the 13th and 17th centuries.
During Semester 2, students will travel to Zeeland in the South of the Netherlands. Zeeland is known for its oyster and mussel farms as well as for its beautiful beaches. Students are exposed to traditional coastal Dutch fishing villages and explore the Delta Works, an engineering wonder that protects the Netherlands from the traitorous North Sea.
Students should inquire with the program advisors for more details. At the beginning of the program, a mandatory orientation organized by the host institution will be held to introduce students to Dutch culture and the academic program. It also provides students with practical information about living in the Netherlands. Orientation is maintained on a group and individual basis throughout the program.
Housing is provided and will need to be completed prior to arrival. Students that are placed in dormitories will stay in single rooms with shared shower and kitchen facilities. These dormitories are within a short walk or bike ride to class. Students staying in the other housing options will need to contact the program advisors for more information.
Internet is accessible through cafes that are available throughout the Netherlands. Students who will be staying at dormitories will have access to wireless internet, and the entire campus is configured for wireless internet. For those who will be staying at other housing options, internet access cannot be guaranteed to be available at the housing choice. Students are highly encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops.
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