History
Founded in 1636 and located in the heart of the Netherlands, Utrecht University is one of Europe's leading research universities. We are recognised internationally for our high-quality, innovative approach to research and teaching.
Education
Innovative, high-quality and future-proof: these qualities typify the education offered by Utrecht University. For years Utrecht University has been at the forefront of educational innovation and it creates challenging programmes for groups of extra-talented and motivated students, in order to meet the international need for outstanding graduates. This is illustrated in a number of Utrecht initiatives, such as University College Utrecht and Utrecht Law College. The university is constantly working on creating even better education, with inspiring lecturers and ambitious students.
Research
Utrecht University focuses its research on four strategic themes:Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability.
These four strategic research themes direct Utrecht University towards important contributions to societal issues such as health, governance, climate, environment and upbringing.
University Ranking
Student services
Together, Utrecht University and the city of Utrecht create a comfortable environment for students to study in. Utrecht has a bustling student community, which offers plenty of opportunity for extracurricular activities. There are many different student organisations and societies in Utrecht.
Utrecht University has its own cultural centre -Parnassos- which provides you with plenty of opportunities to explore your talents via the performing arts and creative workshops.
Utrecht Science Park also provides you with excellent sports facilities at Olympos
Housing services
Utrecht is one of the most popular university cities in the Netherlands. Because of this, the demand for student housing is extremely high, especially during the first months of the academic year. It is not uncommon for Dutch and international students to search for several months and move from one temporary place to another before they find accommodation. Arranging accommodation can demand a lot of time and effort for Dutch and international students. For this reason, finding a place to stay is one of the first things that need to be arranged when you are planning to study in Utrecht. Unfortunately, Utrecht University cannot guarantee housing.
Library services
The University Library offers you easy access to a wide range of information. With your smartphone, you can order a book from the mobile site or find an available computer. You can also create your own reference library, geared to your programme of study and your personal tastes. For many students, the library is also an ideal spot for quiet study.
ICT services
Utrecht University believes in making the best modern technology available to support your studies, so you can:
- use email, chat and calendar integration with Google Apps (7GB free storage)
- use the electronic learning environment Blackboard
- find all your study information (schedules, room numbers, etc.) through the Osiris Online information system
Medical services
Of course we hope that your stay in the Netherlands will be without any problems regarding your health or safety. And most likely this will be the case. However, should you need any medical assistance or emergency services (ambulance, police or fire brigade), here is some useful information.
Campus life
Utrecht University is based at three locations. The University has a number of buildings in Utrecht's historic city centre, where it first originated, in an area officially known as the university quarter. The largest part of the University is located in Utrecht Science Park/De Uithof. The third location is the International Campus on Prins Hendriklaan.
Sports facilities
- The Olympos Sports Centre has facilities for a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports.
- Utrecht University has teamed up with Olympos to create a number of sports facilities at the Utrecht Science Park. There are a challenging boot camp location, two volleyball fields, two football fields and a trail for a 5km endurance run. Sprint distances of 200 and 400 meters are to be added.
- The Basket - On the roof of grand café The Basket (on the corner of Heidelberglaan and Genèvelaan) is a basketball court, which is freely accessible for everyone.
Student clubs
One of the distinctive characteristics of the Centre for Global Challenges, besides its emphasis on interdisciplinarity, is the presence and active participation of students. Various student associations work together in the Student Council. Their task is to advise the Board, to cooperate with another and to organise interesting events for students involved in the various Master’s programmes.
In the Student Council the following six student associations are represented: Aegee Utrecht, CS Ubuntu, SIB-Utrecht, UHSK, URIOS and UUMUN.
University College Utrecht is accredited by the NVAO, the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders. We have consistently been in the top 5 in Elsevier Magazine’s survey among Dutch institutes of higher education, and are rated positively by our students in the annual National Student Survey (Nationale Studentenenquête or NSE).