Study information

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The Dutch higher education system may differ from those in the home countries of many students. Below is some brief, but important, information for interested LLM students regarding various aspects of studying in the LLM programme.

Academic year

The academic year is divided into two terms (semesters). Each semester consists of two blocks of classes and exams. Two courses will be taught in each block: one course of 10 ECTS and one course of 5 ECTS. Only the final semester of the programme has a different set-up in which the Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium will take up the entire semester (a total of 10 ECTS) and next to that some courses will be taught in the two second semester blocks. The first semester usually starts on the first Monday in September. The current academic year calendars can be found here.

Examinations

Oral and written examinations are used to assess students’ comprehension of lectures and required reading. An examination period without classes follows each term. An oral examination normally takes one hour. The duration of a written examination is two to three hours. In the case of seminars, performance is assessed and grades are given on the basis of papers, presentations, quality of participation in group discussions, and other assignments. Students should be aware there is the possibility that some exams will be administered digitally (computer based exam).

Grading system

The Dutch grading system is using a 1 to 10 grading scale in which 10 is the highest grade, 6 the minimum pass grade, and 1 the lowest grade. However, the grade 10 is rarely awarded. The scale used translates as follows:

10 = outstanding
9 = excellent
8 = very good
7 = good pass
6 = pass
1-5 = fail

In the Netherlands, grades are given on an absolute basis. Results of exams will hardly ever be adjusted to a curve, because we do not use a comparative system for grading. The distinction Cum Laude is awarded, when a degree programme is completed with an average grade of at least 8.0 or higher, including a Bachelor’s thesis marked 8.0 or higher.The distinction Summa Cum Laude is awarded, when a degree programme is completed with an average grade of at least 9.0 or higher, including a Bachelor’s thesis marked 9.0 or higher.

All assessments are graded in full marks. The only exception to this is the Master's thesis. This can be graded in half grades. The grade 5.5 is considered to be a pass grade in this respect. For all other assessments only full marks are given. In order to be granted the distinctions Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude, students are not allowed to resit an examination or score a six on one of the examinations.

Tuition fees & Scholarships

Tuition fees for students depend on their country of origin - from inside or outside of the EU/EEA. Fees are indexed each year by the Dutch government. The tuition fee does not include costs of travel, living, accommodation, insurance, books and readers. Current tuition fees for the University of Groningen can be seen here.

For scholarship possibilities you can best check the University of Groningen Grantfinder . The Grantfinder offers prospective students a scholarship database in which to enter their personal and study details, and then initiate a search in which the database will list the distinct scholarships that they are eligible to apply for. Unfortunately only a very limited number of scholarships exist for bachelor students at the University of Groningen.

Moot Courts

Participation in moot court competitions is occasionaly offered to students as part of the extracurricular activities in some of the LLMs. In the past, academic staff has provided extensive coaching for the written and oral phases of various moot courts such as the Telders International Moot Court Competition, the ICC Moot Court Competition, the Jean-Pictet Competition on International Humanitarian Law, the ELSA European Human Rights Moot Court Competition or the Pax Moot Court Competition. Law in practice activities such as moots offers students valuable experience in defending their legal arguments in front of judges. The particular moot court(s) students participate in varies from year to year and depends on student interest.

In 2020, a Groningen team ranked among the top 8 teams in the ELSA European Human Rights (virtual) Moot Court Competition. In 2022, a team from Groningen placed 2nd in the Frits Kalshoven Moot Court Competition.

Internships

Internships are an option within the Law in Practice module offered in each LLM programme.

Publishing

For students considering an academic career or want to raise their professional profile of activities, various opportunities exist for students to actively submit articles or papers to law focused journals or mediums, or be involved in their editorial activities. For example, some students submit articles to the Groningen Journal of International Law.