Orientation 2023
You will meet your fellow students and your tutor during the orientation. You will also receive information about all sorts of practical matters, such as ICT, academic supervision and the binding recommendation regarding the continuation of studies.
Utrecht, 2023
Dear student,
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been (un)conditionally admitted to our Bachelor’s programme in Literary Studies. Congratulations!
Although it may still seem far away, we are looking forward to meeting you at the programme’s orientation days in the first week of September 2023. Teaching will begin later in the same week.
During orientation you will get to know our teachers, your fellow students and our study association Euphorion and its activities. You can already explore Euphorion’s website and follow them on social media. Euphorion have also opened a Whatsapp group chat through which you can get in touch with board members and other new students.
By mid-July you will receive more detailed information. International students will also receive an invitation for the UU Warm Welcome. For now, you can take a look at our page for new students.
Keep an eye on your UU-email address as well: every month we will send you our newsletter hUUmannews full of practical info and fun events. Do you already want to take a quick look behind the scenes to see what is happening at our faculty? Follow us on Instagram @HumanitiesUU.
Getting up to speed
You will be informed about the required readings for your classes in block 1 in due course, but if you would like to do some reading during the summer months, we recommend the following books:
- The Life of Texts. Brillenburg Wurth, Kiene and Rigney, Ann. Amsterdam University Press, 2019. [NB: available as an ebook through the Utrecht University Library.]
- Homer, The Odyssey, tr. E.V. Rieu. Penguin Classics.
- Virgil, The Aeneid, tr. D. West. Penguin Classics.
- Beowulf, tr. J.J.R. Tolkien. Harper Collins, 2015.
- Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain or the Knight with the lion, tr. W.W. Kibler, in Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian romances. Penguin Classics.
Members of study association Euphorion can purchase books at a discount from Boekhandel Bijleveld in Utrecht.
Welcome to Utrecht
Visit Utrecht University’s Welcome to Utrecht website for practical information on your arrival, such as housing, paying your tuition fees, and learning Dutch. It also helps you to get ready for your studies.
The availability of student housing in Utrecht is limited and in high demand. As a student, you must arrange housing yourself. We advise you to start as early as possible.
Pre-departure weeks
In spring and summer, Utrecht University will be hosting several online meetings to prepare you for your stay. These meetings are for all our future students and will help you prepare for your stay abroad, providing you with practical information about life in Utrecht and The Netherlands. You will receive an invitation.
Explore UU student life and the city of Utrecht
Check Student Life to see what our students think are the city’s hotspots, or what their favourite places on campus are.
Chat with future classmates
Want to connect with your future classmates? Check out the Goin’ App to get to know peers and experience the UU community before your arrival.
Are you not joining us?
Have you decided not to join our programme in September? That’s a shame! Please help us and yourself by cancelling your application in Studielink.
Students with special needs
If you have a disability, such as dyslexia, that may affect your study progress or your access to our education, you can apply for special facilities and support.
You can apply for practical provisions via Osiris Student from July 1. Please also make an appointment with your study advisor. If you cannot log in to Osiris Student yet, make an appointment with your study advisor anyway. Any information you provide will remain confidential.
- Welcome Week international students: Last week of August (you will receive more information by mid-July)
- Orientation days: First week of September (you will receive more information by mid-July)
Semester I
- Start 1st period: Monday 4 September 2023 (week 36)
- Start 2nd period: Monday 13 November 2023 (week 46)
- Winter break: 25 December 2023 - 12 January 2024 (week 52 and 53 and week 1 and 2)
Semester II
- Start 3rd period: Monday 5 February 2024 (week 6)
- Start 4th period: Monday 22 April 2024 (week 17)
You can find additional information on the Academic Calendar.
Questions?
Should you have any questions concerning the application procedure please contact the Student Desk (if you have a Dutch educational background) or our Admissions Office (if you have a non-Dutch educational background). If you have any questions concerning the programme please contact the BA coordinators, Dr. Flore Janssen ( f.w.janssen@uu.nl ) and Dr. Müge Özoğlu ( m.ozoglu@uu.nl ).
We wish you a good summer and we look forward to meeting you in September!
Best wishes,
Dr. Flore Janssen and Dr. Müge Özoğlu
Programme coordinators BA Literary Studies
Utrecht University
These are the books you need for the courses in block 1 and 2:
o M. de Pourcq & S. Levie, European Literary History: an Introduction. Routledge, 2018
o W. Ong, Orality and Literacy. The technologizing of the Word. Routledge, 2012
o Homer, The Odyssey (tr. E.V. Rieu), Penguin Classic
o Virgil, The Aeneid (tr. D. West), Penguin Classic
o Beowulf, tr. J.J.R. Tolkien. Harpercollins, 2015
o Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain or the Knight with the lion, tr. W.W. Kibler, in Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian romances. Penguin Classic.
The BSA at the end of the first year determines whether you may continue with your studies. The BSA is a decision by the Board of Examiners about the continuation of your studies, based on your study progress.
For the academic year 2023-2024 the BSA norm is 45 EC.
The BSA is determined as follows:
- positive BSA
- if you have obtained at least 45 EC at the end of the academic year 2023-2024. Credits associated with exemptions or courses from previous years do not count.
or - if you have completed the first-year program of your study at the end of 2023-2024. Both previously obtained results and exemptions are taken into account. For more information about this option please contact your study advisor.
- if you have obtained at least 45 EC at the end of the academic year 2023-2024. Credits associated with exemptions or courses from previous years do not count.
- negative BSA: if you fail to meet at least one of the conditions mentioned above.
You will receive your BSA at the end of July at your students.uu.nl email address.
Negative BSA
If your binding study recommendation comes back negative, you may not enrol in the degree programme again for another four years for the same programme at Utrecht University.
Interim study recommendation
At an earlier point during the academic year, you will receive what is called the 'interim study recommendation'. This recommendation is not binding. It is issued in December or January of the first year of study, and is based on the results of the first study period. You will receive:
- a positive interim recommendation for 15 EC or more;
- a progress warning for 7.5 EC;
- a negative interim recommendation for 0 EC.
Terminating your enrolment before February 1st
If you want to drop out of your current degree programme and you terminate your enrolment before February 1st (through Studielink), you will not receive a binding study advice and will be able to make a fresh start with the degree programme next year. Please note that this only applies in the first year that you are registered for your current degree programme.
Students who receive a warning or a negative recommendation are advised to contact their tutor and/or Study Advisor. The tutor can provide additional information on study progress. The Study Advisor can help with a wide range of questions on faculty regulations and the more organisational aspects of the programme, such as drawing up a realistic study plan, or discussing support with academic skills. Students can also make an appointment to see the Study Advisor to discuss any personal or social circumstances that affect their studies. To qualify for an exception to the BSA rules, contact with your Study Advisor is a prerequisite (see further information under the heading Special Personal Circumstances).
Stopping your degree programme
Students who wish to cease their studies (or who must do so following a negative BSA) are advised to discuss the matter with the Study Advisor. There may be regulations in place for you from which you can benefit. The Study Advisor can also provide information on options for studying something else at Utrecht University, or transferring to a degree programme at a different institution.
If you know (or suspect) that you will not be able to meet the BSA criteria due to personal circumstances, you may ask the Board of Examiners to take this into consideration when making their decision. However, it is important that you report and present evidence of these circumstances to the Study Advisor as soon as possible after they appear. The study advisor offers relevant guidance to prevent study delay where possible and informs you about relevant regulations and procedures.
Special circumstances include:
- illness
- pregnancy
- functional disorder
- serious mental problems
- serious family circumstances
- top-level sport
- management activities (for student organisations with full legal capacity, or as part of the organisation or management of Utrecht University, the faculty or the study programme)
Notifying the Board of Examiners
Further information on how to notify the Board of Examiners will follow in May 2024. Interviews with the Board of Examiners will take place in late June or early July 2024.
More information
Read more about the binding study advice (BSA) and special circumstances in Article 7.4 of the General Education and Examination Regulations for Bachelor's degree programmes.