University College Maastricht (UCM) is the Honors College at Maastricht University.  It is one of the top ranked undergraduate programs in the Netherlands.  All classes are small and are taught in English, utilizing an innovative pedagogical method called Problem Based Learning.  More than half of the students at UCM are international, coming from over fifty different countries.  Maastricht itself is the oldest city in the Netherlands.  Its close proximity to Belgium and Germany gives Maastricht a cosmopolitan feel, and larger cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, or London are just hours away by train.

Here are some quick facts about the UVM PLHC and UCM exchange:

• This exchange program is only available to HCOL sophomores and juniors.  Within the context of the PLHC curriculum, it is ideal for students who wish to study abroad in the spring semester of their sophomore year because by taking a COR course you can satisfy the HCOL 2000 requirement.
• Students need to be in good standing in the PLHC to apply.
• The PLHC will select up to four students (dependent on the year) to advance to the OIE application process which has an August 10^th deadline. UCM typically accepts the students that their partner institutions recommend. 
• Because this is an exchange program, HCOL students will pay the University of Vermont exchange tuition rate (see Finances of Exchange Programs) for the semester they are abroad at UCM. 
• Exchange students studying at UCM normally find housing in Maastricht University’s Guesthouse which is similar to a residence hall, or in shared student apartments. Students are responsible for applying for housing individually.
• Several students from UCM will also be joining the UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College community during the Fall semester which provides a great opportunity to begin building a UCM community.
• The application process needs to begin approximately twelve months before the semester students wish to study abroad.  For students who wish to study at UCM in the spring semester of their sophomore year, this means completing the application in the spring semester of their first year.

The following sites have additional information to help you decide if UCM is a good fit for you:

• University College Maastricht site: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/education/bachelor/bachelor-university-college-maastricht
• GoAbroad Link: https://goabroad.uvm.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=10845

APPLICATION
There is a two-step process in order to apply to the UCM exchange:

1) Honors College internal application – DUE 11:59 PM on May 12th, 2024

On the day of the deadline, all students seeking an Honors College nomination must have 1) completed OIE's Getting Started requirements, 2) completed UVM’s Go Abroad pre-decision phase and 3) submitted a complete HCOL nomination application. The application will consist of a short essay explaining why you want to study abroad with the UCM exchange, and a letter of recommendation from one UVM faculty member. Because most faculty are off-contract during the summer months, students are advised to request the required faculty letter of recommendation well before the end of the spring semester. Once your application is complete, we will add your transcript to the application (no need for you to send it to us).

Download the  HCOL_UCM application form here.

2) Complete the final Inquiry steps in the GoAbroad process by August 10th. This is UVM's deadline for all students planning to study abroad on an exchange program in Spring 2025. OIE will direct you to fill out the direct UCM application when necessary.

The Principia Consortium is a group of more than 26 Honors programs at liberal arts colleges and universities from across the United States that participate in an Honors study abroad program at the University of Glasgow. This program is open only to Honors programs/colleges and their students.

Here are some quick facts about the Principia Program in the UVM Honors College:

• The Principia Program is open to HCOL sophomores and juniors, but in the UVM context, it makes by far the most sense for HCOL sophomores in their spring semester of sophomore year to participate in the program because HCOL 2000 is satisfied by The Scottish Enlightenment course taken by all students in the program.
• Students need to be in good standing in the PLHC to apply.
• There is no quota on the number of students we can send to Glasgow, but acceptance is not automatic. We will base our own decisions about who to send on the quality of the application. Students that the Patrick Leahy Honors College recommends for the program will typically be accepted into the University of Glasgow on our recommendation (provided the student has submitted to Glasgow a complete application).
• The Principia Program operates as a separate study abroad program, not as an exchange. This means that students will be on a study leave from UVM during the semester they are in Glasgow, and they will pay their fees directly to the University of Glasgow. This also means that any UVM-specific financial aid (including merit aid) will not go with the student to Glasgow. Federal financial aid, however, will go with the student.
• Tuition fees (as of the 2023-24 academic year) for an international student at the University of Glasgow for one semester are £9960, or about $12433 USD. The University of Glasgow estimates living expenses for a semester to be around $6500 (books, meals and housing).
• All students from UVM participating in the Principia Program are considered international students while in the program.
• Students are guaranteed housing in one of the University of Glasgow residence halls. All the rooms are suite-style accommodations with cooking facilities.
• The Principia Program in Glasgow has an extremely helpful staff; students are very well taken care of, and answers to all questions are a quickly-answered email or a phone call away.
• Principia is organized such that students on a science track can get their requirements done—particularly in Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Anatomy—in Glasgow. But the Principia program is not just for students in science disciplines. Hundreds of courses are available for the Principia students to take at the University of Glasgow, allowing the program to accommodate most other majors (with the exception of engineering, nursing, and probably education majors).

The following sites have additional information to help you decide if the Principia Program is right for you:

Principia site: http://www.gla.ac.uk/subjects/scottishliterature/undergraduate/principia/

University of Glasgow information for international students: http://www.gla.ac.uk/study/visiting/studyabroadexchange/studyabroadprogramme/howtoapply/

GoAbroad Link: https://goabroad.uvm.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=10900

APPLICATION

There is a two-step process in order to apply to the Principia program:

1) Honors College Internal Application - DUE 11:59 PM on May 12th, 2024

On the day of the deadline, all students seeking an Honors College nomination must have 1) completed OIE's Getting Started requirements, 2) completed UVM’s Go Abroad pre-decision phase and 3) submitted a complete HCOL nomination application. The application will consist of a short essay explaining why you want to study abroad with the UCM exchange, and a letter of recommendation from one UVM faculty member. Because most faculty are off-contract during the summer months, students are advised to request the required faculty letter of recommendation well before the end of the spring semester. Once your application is complete, we will add your transcript to the application (no need for you to send it to us).

Download the Honors College internal application (doc).

2) Complete the related parts of the GoAbroad process by September 15, 2023. This is UVM's deadline for all students planning to study abroad on an external program in Spring 2025. After you complete this portion OIE will direct you to complete the application directly to the University of Glasgow. The application consists of the same materials used for the internal application as well as an additional letter of recommendation you will need to request.