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 HCOL and UCM exchange:

•This exchange program is only available to HCOL sophomores and juniors.  Within the context of the HCOL 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 Honors College in order to apply.

• 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.

• There are two stages to the application process.  First, students need to apply internally through the Honors College, visit the OIE Getting started page, and complete UVM’s Go Abroad process through “Confirm Intended Start Time Abroad.” The Honors College will then select up to four students to advance to the second stage in which they complete the final Inquiry steps in GoAbroad and the University College Maastricht exchange application, which is also located in GoAbroad. The OIE deadline for exchange programs is August 10^th. 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 Exchanges Programs) for the semester they are abroad at UCM. 

• Exchange students studying at UCM normally find housing in Maastricht University’s Guesthouse.  Prices range from 350 to 700 Euro per month, depending on the facilities.  Students should book their housing as soon as they are admitted into the program as more choices are available earlier on.

•  Several students from UCM will also be joining the UVM Honors College community during the Fall semester.

For more information, please browse through the websites below:

University College Maastricht site:
https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/education/bachelor/bachelor-university-college-maastricht

University College Maastricht information for exchange students:
https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/education/exchange/humanities-and-sciences/university-college-maastricht-exchange

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 7th, 2023

On.the day of the deadline, all students seeking an Honors College nomination must have 1) have completed OIE's Getting Started requirements, 2) completed UVM’s Go Abroad process through “Confirm Intended Start Time Abroad,” and 3) submitted 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 (doc) here.

2) Complete the final Inquiry steps in GoAbroad process and the UCM application in GoAbroad by 11:59 PM on May 7th, 2023. This is UVM's deadline for all students planning to study abroad on an exchange program in Spring 2024.

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.
• The requirements for the program include good standing in the Honors College, as well as a thoughtful application.
• Application to the program will involve two steps (internal, and external—see below), and the completion of the UVM GoAbroad process that the student must begin 12-15 months before going abroad (see also below).
• There is no quota on the number of students we can send to Glasgow, but acceptance is not automatic. In other words, we will base our own decisions about who to send on the quality of the application. That said, students that the UVM 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 $12433USD. 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.
• 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).

For more information, please browse through the websites below:

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 at 11:59 PM on May 7th, 2023
By the day of the deadline, all students seeking an Honors College nomination must have, 1) Complete the Getting Started  requirements through  UVM's Office of International Education (OIE), and 2) Submit a complete HCOL nomination application. The application will consist of a short essay explaining why you want to study abroad with the Principia program in Glasgow, 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 your Glasgow University application and 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 2024.

Once you have been approved for the program via the internal application, you will apply directly to the University of Glasgow.  The application will consist of the same essay, transcript, and letter of reccomendation you used for the internal application, plus an additional letter of recommendation you will need to request. You will be able to access the application on this website: https://www.gla.ac.uk/study/visiting/studyabroadexchange/studyabroadprogramme/howtoapply/

While the UVM external deadline is in September 2023, you will also need to complete an application directly through the University of Glasgow in October. We realize this makes for a tight turn around before your departure date, but rest assured you will have plenty of time to make travel arrangements, and UVM's Office of International Education will guide you through this phase of the process.

A FINAL IMPORTANT NOTE: As you are planning to study abroad, be sure to complete UVM's Study Abroad planning process through the GoAbroad system. Ideally, OIE suggests that you begin the GoAbroad process 12-15 months before you plan to leave for your semester abroad.

Click here for UVM's Office of International Education