Go beyond the beaten track with the Honours College, the honours programme for bachelor's students.

Honours education provides extra challenge alongside your regular study programme.

Find out how honours students at Leiden University get support, join a community or offer suggestions for improvements.

Do you have broad interests or a passion for a specific subject? Enrich your study period and delve into another field with a Bachelor Honours Class!

Gain the knowledge and skills you need to make an impact on sustainability issues.

Do you want to gain problem-solving experience? Shape your future with a Master Honours Challenge at Leiden University!

Do you want to gain problem-solving experience? Shape your future with a Master Honours Challenge at Leiden University!

Everything students should know about honours education at Leiden University.

Do you want to contribute to society and do you have affinity with space? In the LDE Space & Society Honours Programme, you will learn how the two are connected and tackle a challenge in the space sector.

He could also have written a paper for his honours assignment, "but I thought it would be fun to do something creative," says history student Eden Dijkstra. With the documentary 'Caligula in Katwijk', he breathes new life into the centuries-old legend of a wayward emperor.

Students from the ‘Public confidence in the criminal justice system’ Bachelor’s Honours Class completed this course with their presentations at the final session on Tuesday 25 May. What is unique about this honours class is the collaboration with The Hague University of Applied Sciences and the Court…

How to innovate education? In this series, the Honours Academy highlights examples from their educational testing ground that aim to inspire. Today: the liberating effect of pass/fail and ‘unessays’ at Honours College Law.

Theoretical research does not always give us the right solution to a problem in society. This message, loud and clear, is delivered during the final presentations of the Master Honours Class 'Social Innovation in Action'.

Master’s students in the Honours Class ‘Leiden, City of Refugees?’ were asked to contemplate the concept of ‘the other’ from both an academic and an artistic perspective. The result was the exhibition ‘The Invitation’ which was presented at Stadsbauhaus on 4 June.

Leiden University has awarded its prestigious University Medal to Emeritus Professor Lex van der Eb. As a pioneer in genetics and molecular biology, he received this honour for his services to science and his key role in the development of the Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP).

Since 1 November 2025, Prof. Dr. Luc Sels has been the new president of Leiden University's Executive Board. In a message to our university he introduces himself and shares his first impressions.

The course Designing Your Life helps students navigate their career pathways. As it turns out, these pathways are full of twists and turns and - as with many journeys - you only make progress once you gather the courage to take the first step.

Almost 81 years after his famous protest speech against the German occupation, Leiden professor Rudolph Pabus Cleveringa will be remembered in his Groningen birthplace of Appingedam. A statue of him will be unveiled there on 12 November amid various other activities.

The Honours Academy celebrates its tenth anniversary. How did the institute develop over time, and what are aspirations for the future? We speak with the current Dean and a predecessor who was there at the Academy's founding. A conversation about identity, inspiration, and impact ensues. ‘It is about…

As of 1 September 2024, the cum laude honour will no longer be awarded for the Master’s in Medicine. The Executive Board recently decided to grant an exemption to the Leiden University/LUMC Faculty of Medicine. This decision is in line with other medicine programmes in the Netherlands.

An Honours Class about the ostensibly unrecognisable worlds of insular Southeast Asia teaches students a fundamental piece of wisdom: "We do not differ much from the people at the other end of the world."

At the conference of the Honours College Science & Society, students present TED Talks on a social issue of their interest. ‘It brings together everything they have learned in the past two and a half years.’

The Leiden Leadership Programme is going to innovate. After 12 years, the honours track for master’s students will get a new set-up. We asked two of those involved about the ins and outs of the new LLP. ‘You learn what leadership style suits you and how to make an impact.’

Upon successful completion of the Honours College programme, you will be awarded a certificate. The conditions that apply depend on when you started your bachelor’s degree.

Do you have a question concerning the Bachelor Honours Classes (BHC’s)? You can find the answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions below.

Discover when and how to apply for courses of the Honours College.

On this page, you can find out how the Honours College is structured and how you can combine the programme with other activities.

Why join the Honours College? Three honours students share why they chose to do something extra alongside their bachelor's degree.

Find out how you can apply for the Honours College and what the admission requirements are.

Do you have a question concerning the Master Honours Challenges (MHC)? You can find the answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions below.

Do Master Honours Challenges appeal to you? If so, take a look at the admission requirements and application procedures below.

Meet students who experienced an Honours Challenge first-hand! What did participation bring them?

The course selection varies each year. On this page, you will find courses offered in 2026–2027.

Cooperation is the solution to international problems, demonstrated the final seminar of the Master Honours Class ‘Smart Regional Integration’ – even when it is sometimes easier said than done. “You can see the students struggle with that.”

Curious about the different Master Honours Challenges and how students experience these programmes? Read the news items below to discover what the challenges have to offer!

How to take ownership of your career? To find out, students from ‘Design Your Career as a Climate Change Maker’ visited a farmer who has done just that. They learned from him that it’s never too late to start working on something you believe in.

Discover what a Bachelor Honours Class looks like behind the scenes!

One day you feel inspired by a field trip, the next you are a speaker at TEDxLeidenUniversity. It happened to International Relations student Alexia. How did she end up on stage – and why did she want to? Alexia shares her story with us. ‘I was given hope, and I wanted to share it with others.’