Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is for excellent students joining a full-time Leiden University Master’s degree programme in the Netherlands.
The 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship offers a full scholarship opportunity that covers the tuition fees of selected individuals pursuingg Masters degree in the heart of Europe.
SCHOLARSHIP AT A GLANCE:
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Scholarship Name | 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) |
| Purpose | To attract excellent international students to enroll in full-time Master’s degree programs at Leiden University |
| Coverage | Significant portion of tuition fees |
| Eligibility | – Non-EEA/non-EFTA nationals applying for a Master’s program at Leiden University – Students of all nationalities applying for LLM Advanced Studies or MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy programs |
| Participating Faculties | – Archaeology -Humanities -Medicine/LUMC – Governance and Global Affairs – Law – Social and Behavioural Sciences – Science – African Studies Centre – International Institute for Asian Studies |
| Academic Requirements | Top 10% of graduates in previous relevant study program (proof of ranking not required) |
| Scholarship Levels | – € 10,000 of the tuition fee – € 15,000 of the tuition fee – Total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee |
| Application Deadline | October 1, 2024 |
| Selection Process | Faculty selection committees nominate recipients and notify the Scholarships Team up to 6 weeks after the deadline. Decisions are communicated in late November for February intake and late April for September intake |
| Application Process | – Apply online for admission to a Master’s program at Leiden University and pay the application fee – Indicate wish to apply for LExS in the scholarship section – Upload a motivation letter (max. 500 words) explaining why you should be considered for the award – Submit the online application before the deadline |
Facts about Leiden University
- Historical Significance: Founded in 1575 by Prince William of Orange, Leiden University was established as a reward for the city’s heroic defense against Spanish attacks. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands.
- Royal Opposition: Despite its prestigious foundation, Philip II of Spain, a key adversary of Prince William, forbade all his subjects from studying at Leiden University.
- Scholar Magnet: Within fifty years of its founding, Leiden attracted renowned scholars like Hugo Grotius, Joseph Scaliger, and Justus Lipsius, earning a stellar reputation across Europe.
- Student Diversity: By the 1640s, Leiden University had over five hundred students from all across Europe, making it the largest Protestant university of its time.
- Scientific Breakthroughs: The Zeeman effect, a major scientific discovery, was made by Pieter Zeeman at Leiden, and further explained by Hendrik Antoon Lorentz. Additionally, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, working at Leiden, was the first to liquefy helium and discovered superconductivity in metals.
- Academic Partnerships: In 2012, Leiden University formed a strategic alliance with Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam to enhance research and teaching quality. In 2017, it partnered with Duke University School of Law to run a joint summer program on global and transnational law.
- Library Riches: The University Library boasts over 5.2 million books and fifty thousand journals. It holds the world’s largest collections on Indonesia and the Caribbean and houses the Scaliger Institute’s extensive collections.
- Einstein’s Legacy: In 2005, a manuscript by Albert Einstein on the quantum theory of the monatomic ideal gas was discovered in Leiden’s libraries, highlighting the university’s rich academic heritage.
- Pioneering Research: Leiden University was home to the world’s first low-temperature laboratory where groundbreaking work on achieving temperatures close to absolute zero was conducted.
- Global Influence: The university is the unofficial home of the Bilderberg Group, a meeting of high-level political and economic figures from North America and Europe, demonstrating its global reach and influence.
Details For 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LexS)
The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is a prestigious award that covers a significant chunk of your tuition fees.
Scholarships are available for the following faculties
- Archaeology, Humanities,
- Medicine/LUMC,
- Governance and Global Affairs,
- Law,
- Social and Behavioural Sciences, Science,
- African Studies Centre,
- International Institute for Asian Studies
Requirements For 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LexS)
The following nationalities are eligible to apply for the 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship:
- Non-EEA/non-EFTA* nationals who are applying for a Master’s programme at Leiden University. See additional note for UK students below.
- Students of all nationalities applying for an LLM Advanced Studies programme, or the MSC in International Relations and Diplomacy.
*EEA/EFTA: All EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland
1. Study programme requirements
- Applicants for all Master’s programme at Leiden University – with the exception of LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes at Leiden Law School.
- 2. Students must have achieved excellent academic results in their previous study programme(s), which must be relevant to the Master’s programme for which they are applying.
- As an indication, the student is amongst the top 10% of graduates in his/her previous study programme. Note that proof of ranking is not required – this information is purely to indicate the level of competitiveness.
Rewards For 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LexS)
The LExS is awarded for the duration of the study programme. There are three available levels of awards:
- € 10,000 of the tuition fee
- € 15,000 of the tuition fee
- Total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee
Selection Process For 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LexS)
- The faculty selection committees will nominate LExS recipients and inform the Scholarships Team, up to 6 weeks after the LExS deadline.
- The Scholarships Team will notify all LExS applicants of the decisions:
– At the end of November – for the February intake.
– At the end of April – for the September intake.
How To Apply For 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LexS)
To apply for the 2025 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, interested and qualified applicants should;
- Click on the button below to visit the scholarship application page
- Apply online for admission to a Master’s programme at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable.
- In the scholarship section of your online application, indicate that you wish to apply for a LExS.
- Upload your LExS motivation letter as instructed in your online application. This is a PDF file of max. 500 words, in which you explain why you would like to be considered for the award.
- Submit your online application, containing your LExS application, before the LExS application deadline.
- If you apply for more than one study programme and wish to apply for a LExS for each, indicate this clearly in each application and upload a LExS motivation letter for each.
- Deadline is October 1, 2024