DDLL Testimonial: Diederick Smit (Class of 2018)
Double Degree in Law and Liberal Arts & Sciences (Major: Law & Economics, minor: statistics)
Further education: LL.M. Onderneming en Recht (Corporate law) at Utrecht University
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Current occupation: Advocaat (Lawyer) | Associate at Houthoff
I wanted a challenge
When I applied for UCU, I did not want to limit myself to one discipline and I wanted to be challenged academically. UCU satisfies both. The ambitious vibe on campus at UCU stimulated me to have a steep learning curve. I challenged myself academically by taking demanding courses, and socially by being part of a dynamic, diverse and most importantly fun community. Living on campus also motivates you to engage in extracurricular activities. I have for example been involved in (amongst others) the UCSA Acquisition Committee, which establishes partnerships between the student association and a wide variety of firms. All of this can be combined with activities outside the campus gates, being part of the wider Utrecht student community, as I happily did.
Combining UCU with Dutch law
UCU’s unique curriculum enables you to choose from a diverse set of academic subjects. One option is to do a double degree, which every year a select group of students decides to pursue. I decided to do the Double Degree in Law and Liberal Arts & Sciences. This challenging four-year program consists of 240 ECTS, of which at least 140 ECTS are in law, and allows students to combine the best of both worlds. After completing the program, I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Dutch Law (LL.B.) as well as in Liberal Arts & Sciences (BA). That way, one can complete a specialized study program while preserving the rich academical offerings of UCU.
The double degree program allows me to practice law in the Netherlands. In practicing law, many other disciplines can play an important role too, for example economics. It is for that reason that I frequently value the strong academic (legal and non-legal) knowledge gained through the double degree program. Thereby, I get to profit from the double degree experience in my working life.