Application, selection and placement
Source: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/study-programmes/bachelor/political-science/international-relations-and-organisations/admission-and-application/application-selection-and-placement Parent: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/study-programmes/bachelor/political-science/international-relations-and-organisations/about-the-programme/programme-structure
International Relations and Organisations (BSc)
Application, selection and placement
Our selection and placement procedure starts with your application and ends with—hopefully—an invitation to you to enrol as an IRO student. This page tells you all you need to know about the steps to be taken in between.
Fix the numerus fixus
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Application, selection and placement: step by step
Step 1: Apply for the programme in both Studielink and uSis
What?
Apply for the programme
- first in Studielink (the Dutch online higher education enrollment portal)
- then in uSis (Leiden University’s online application portal).
When?
Applications for BSc Political Science: International Relations and Organisations (2026-2027)
- open on 1 October 2025 and
- close on 15 January 2026 (23:59 CET).
How?
How to apply in Studielink
Studielink: what is it?
Studielink is the online portal for arranging enrolment at institutions of higher education in the Netherlands.
Getting started
Studielink website
- Choose your language in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select one of the login options.
Authentication
- If you live in the Netherlands, you will need a DigID for your Studielink account. If you do not yet have a DigID, keep in mind that it takes at least five work days to set it up.
- If you have an eID issued in another EEA country, use the eIDAS login option.
- If you are from outside of the EEA, you will be asked to upload a scan or photo of your passport or ID for verification purposes.
E-mail: check regularly
While setting up your Studielink account, please make sure to use an e-mail account that you regularly access and check. All the information you need for the follow-up steps will be via e-mail.
Find the programme
In step 2, Choose a study programme, make sure to select the following options:
- Educational institution: Leiden University
- Type of study programme: WO Bachelor
- Academic load: Full-time
- Language: English
Then, in the search bar (Fill in study programme or location), type
- political science and
- enter
Select IRO
The Result that appears to the right of the search bar, should look like this:
- Political Science, Full-time, numerus fixus programme
- WO Bachelor, Leiden University
- Location: ‘s-GRAVENHAGE’ (this is the formal Dutch name for The Hague)
Indicate the start date and whether you are a first-year student
The following screen asks you when you want to start and whether you are new to the programme:
- In the start date field select: September 1, 2026. A February start date, if mentioned, is NOT available for the IRO programme!
- In the start as field select: First-year (if this applies to you, of course).
- Click Next ›.
Confirming your selection
- In the next screen, Institutional questions, select the programme:
- Bachelor Political Science, International Relations and Organisations (IRO - ENG)
- and click on Next question.
- Answer the remaining questions.
How to apply in uSis
After your application in Studielink you will receive an email with log-in details for uSis, Leiden University’s online application portal (it can take a couple of days before the email arrives).
Your application can only be processed after you completed the necessary steps in uSis.
See also:
Check the entry requirements
Make sure you will be able to meet the entry requirements when the programme starts:
- Bsc Politicologie: Nationale en Internationale Politiek (in Dutch)
- BSc Political Science: International Relations and Organisations
Visa and/or residence permit needed?
Familiarise yourself with the procedure for obtaining visa and/or a residence permit, if applicable to your situation.
Step 2: Submit your grade average
What?
Submit your grade average.
When?
Deadline for submitting grade average: ~~31 January 2026~~ 2 February 2026, 23:59 CET.
Please note that submitting documentation will not be possible during Saturday 31 January, due to ICT systems maintenance. You are advised to take care of this before the original deadline. Should that not be possible: the deadline has been postponed to Monday 2 February 2026, 23:59 CET.
How?
Collect required documentation
Start collecting the required documentation in time and make sure not to miss the upload deadline.
Upload grade average in uSis
After you have completed your application in Studielink, you will receive an e-mail message from the student administration system uSis. This message also contains your login credentials. The next step in the selection and placement procedure is to submit your grade average in uSis. Which procedure you have to follow, depends on your previous education, as outlined below:
Dutch diploma
Dutch pre-university education (VWO), University of Applied Sciences (HBO), propaedeutic year of University (WO):
- Upload your grade average, following the instructions.
- Please make sure that your grade average documentation is officially certified, or at least contains a date, a stamp and a signature of an authorised employee of the issuing school.
Non-Dutch diploma
Non-Dutch and international diploma’s (IB and EB), High School diploma, VWO diploma Dutch Caribbean:
- Continue your application and upload your grade average, following these instructions (in English).
- Please make sure to prepare the following documentation: passport or ID, diplomas and transcripts of obtained grades.
- Transcripts must be certified by your educational institution (official stamp and signature for authentication).
Step 3: Do the online assessment
What?
Participate in the online assessment. This consists of multiple choice questions. You will receive the accompanying study materials and detailed instructions beforehand.
When?
The assessment is open only
- fromThursday 19 February 2026, 13:00 CET
- toFriday 20 February 2026, 23:59 CET.
Outside this period, you cannot do the assessment.
How?
- Study the instructions for the online assessment. You will receive these instructions by e-mail on 5 February 2026, around 18:00 CET.
- Familiarise yourself with the study materials provided.
- Do the online assessment. Please make sure you have a fully functioning computer with an internet connection at your disposal for the assessment.
Step 4: Accept place in the programme
Ranking numbers and placement explained
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What?
Offered a place in the programme? Accept it in time!
When?
From the moment you receive the offer for a place in the progrramme, you have a maximum of two weeks to accept the offer (14 x 24 hours, to be precise). Whether/when you receive the offer, depends on your ranking number.
How?
Ranking number
On 15 April 2026 you will receive your ranking number from Studielink by e-mail.
Instructions for accepting/declining offer
Also, you will receive instructions for accepting or declining the place offered to you. Furthermore, you will receive a letter explaining the ‘score’ determining your ranking in the selection and placement procedure.
Vacant places
Initially, places are offered to candidates with a ranking number between 1 and 400 (which equals the numerus fixus). This does not mean that candidates with a higher ranking number will fall by the wayside. After all, offers must be accepted, in time. And it may happen that candidates ultimately fail to comply with the entry requirements. When a place becomes vacant, it is offered to the candidate with the next ranking number. Experience shows that, eventually, many places become available.
Step 5: Finalise your enrollment
Follow these steps to finalise your enrolment:
- Check in uSis whether you need to submit any documents to meet your conditions of admission, if applicable. Instructions on how to do so will be provided in uSis.
- Arrange tuition fee payment before the official start date of your study programme. You will receive instructions and information on payment methods by email.
- International students must upload their visa/residence permit application in uSis before 1 June 2026. Please refer to our prepare your stay pages to find out about all the practical matters you should take care of before and upon arrival.
Steps 1-5: Overview
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
› Frequently asked questions numerus fixus, selection and placement procedure (PDF)
Selection and placement regulations Political Science
Official selection regulations
The official document containing all guidelines for the selection and placement procedure can be dowloaded here:
› Selection regulations for BSc Political Science: International Relations and Organisations
Please note: the early application deadline (15 January) and the provisions about selection and placement apply to the International Relations and Organisations specialisation.
The specialisation Nationale en Internationale Politiek has a later application deadline and no numerus fixus.