Program Overview
Program Overview
Come spend the summer in The Netherlands, the perfect site to examine social challenges the country faces with a critical lens.
Using the dynamic cities of Groningen and Amsterdam as your laboratories, explore the Dutch water management, bike infrastructure, and urban planning. Guided site visits to places like a drug safe house and the prostitution information center provide you with a behind the scenes look at Dutch social policy in practice.
Study abroad in Groningen and Amsterdam with CIEE and you will:
- Study environmental studies in Groningen during Session I and gain a greater understanding of the innovative ways in which the Dutch approach these areas
- Study contemporary Dutch contemporary social policy in the capital of the Netherlands (Amsterdam) during Session II and learn more about Dutch policies concerning subjects like prostitution, drugs, and abortion
- Live in the practical, environmentally-conscious country of the Netherlands
The CIEE Difference
The CIEE Difference
Coursework
Students can explore the Dutch approach to water management and city planning in Groningen during Session I and then choose to stay on for the Contemporary Dutch Social Policy course during Session II in Amsterdam, where you’ll use guided site visits to supplement lectures on Dutch social policies, giving you the opportunity to form you own opinions about the effectiveness of their implementation and practice.
Excursions
In addition to field visits around the cities of Groningen and Amsterdam, you’ll also venture into the Dutch countryside, offering you insight into typical Dutch rural life as an alternative to the city.
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
We want to make sure you get the most out of your experience when you study abroad with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.
- Tuition and housing
- Pre-departure advising and optional on-site airport meet and greet
- Full-time program leadership and support
- Field trips and cultural activities
- CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits
Please note, program dates are subject to change. Please contact your CIEE Study Abroad Advisor before purchasing airfare. Click the
button to view more detailed information about dates and fees.
Application Due
Start Date
End Date
Costs
Summer 2013 (7 wks)
Extended to: 04/15/2013
06/02/2013
07/20/2013
$7,700
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
In addition to the items outlined below, the CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, field trips, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.
Participation Confirmation *
$300
Educational Costs **
$5,723
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
* non-refundable
** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
Estimated Additional Costs
Meals not included in program fee
$1,500
International Airfare *
$1,450
Local Transportation
$100
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
* round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
Summer 2014
04/01/2014
to be announced
to be announced
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
Estimated Additional Costs
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
Eligibility
Recommended Credit
Recommended Credit
In Amsterdam, total recommended credit for each session is 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours. Each course has 45 contact hours. In Groningen,
total recommended credit for each session is 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours. Each course has 45 contact hours.
Program Requirements
Program Requirements
In The Netherlands, all study abroad students take the required course during each session, Society, Environment, Transportation and Space: The Dutch Experience in Groningen during Session I, and if you choose to continue on for Session II, Contemporary Dutch Social Policy in Amsterdam.
About the City
About The City
Amsterdam, with world-renowned museums, art galleries, music, opera, and theater is a truly international and multicultural city. Amsterdam offers the advantages of a cosmopolitan city with a small-town feel. Because it is so compact, bicycles are the most convenient means of transportation; in fact, bicycles outnumber the people in Amsterdam!
Located in the north, Groningen is a lively city offering everything you would expect from a city with many cafes, shops, historic monuments, theaters, parks, and markets. Groningen is the youngest city in the Netherlands with about half its population under age 35.
Meet The Staff
Meet The Staff
Hannah Huber
Hannah Huber heads the CIEE Study Center in Amsterdam and Groningen and is responsible for, among other things; program development, the CIEE course curriculum, outreach, hosting site visitors, coordinating customized programs, and overseeing study center activity and staff. Hannah is originally from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and first ventured to the Netherlands as a Rotary exchange student in high school where she learned the language and fell in love with Dutch culture. She received her bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Dickinson College, where she also participated in Dickinson’s study abroad programs in Bologna, Italy and Norwich, England. Prior to working for CIEE, Hannah was employed by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, DC before moving to Amsterdam where she received her Master’s degree in American Studies (Thesis: Securing Country or Résumé: The History of Drivers for Study Abroad in the United States) with a minor in Educational Policy and Management. Having studied American culture from an outside perspective, and having been an exchange student to the Netherlands at a young age, Hannah is passionate about helping students adjust to their surroundings and appreciate all that the Netherlands has to offer them, as well as encourage them to give back and develop themselves while abroad.
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I realized I missed Amsterdam when I held out my right hand to turn right in my car rather than on my bike.” Statements like these exemplify the lasting impressions students have after spending a semester or year at the CIEE Study Center in Amsterdam. Not only do students miss their bike as part of their Amsterdam lifestyle, but they also miss the multicultural population and the Dutch with their practical and innovative perspective on social issues. They miss the opportunity to live and study in Dutch society where progressive policies, culture, tolerance, and an international focus are key. Furthermore, there’s the abundance of cultural activities as venues across Amsterdam host both the world’s biggest talent from across the globe. Students often comment on the ability of the Dutch to preserve the old charm while making room for the new. Amsterdam is a city that draws students back, whether just for a visit, a master’s program, or a job down the road.
For those wanting to experience a different approach on ideas of migration and integration, housing and urban planning, drug policies, gender and sexuality, and other contemporary social policies, this is the place for you. I hope that Amsterdam will make the same lasting impressions on you as it has me and countless others.
— Hannah Huber, Resident Director
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Jonathan Key
Jonathan Key is the Resident Coordinator of the CIEE Study Center in Groningen overseeing student affairs for CIEE students. Jonathan came to this position after graduating with a BA and MA in American Studies from the University of Groningen where he focused on the changing representation of women on American television. Born and raised in Belgium, he has been fascinated with the United States for as long as he can remember, and after being an exchange student in Oregon for a year after high shcool, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life in the orbit of the U.S.
As resident coordinator, he hopes to draw on his theoretical understanding of how cultures work as well as his experiences on the ground to ensure that CIEE students in Groningen receive all the support they need navigating cultural, academic and day-to-day life in the Netherlands.
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Renee Spruit
Renee Spruit, Student Services Coordinator, has a Master’s from the University of Amsterdam in migration and ethnic studies and a Bachelor’s in communication management from Hogeschool van Utrecht. Renee studied abroad at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada. She brings a wealth of knowledge about Amsterdam and the Netherlands to study abroad students and assists the Resident Director in coordinating student services, housing, course registration. day to day inquiries, and summer programs.
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Annabel Thomas
As the Activities and Projects coordinator at the Amsterdam Study Center, Annabel Thomas runs around the Netherlands to look for interesting, special and entertaining activities for CIEE students. Her aim is to find activities and projects that fit the program goals, experiences that add value to studying abroad and locations that are not easy to reach for students on their own. You will find her browsing the internet, reading guidebooks and reviews or leading a group of students to an event.
Annabel strongly believes in volunteering as a way of integrating in another culture. For example, CIEE Amsterdam students have worked in a soup kitchen, taught English to Amsterdam school kids, helped out at a work reintegration project for the homeless and met locals whilst cleaning a local park. CIEE is constantly looking for new ways to reinforce the ‘Dutch experience’. Another project CIEE Amsterdam runs is the ‘Weekend Homestay Project’ where students spend a weekend at the house of a Dutch family somewhere in the Netherlands.
Before she joined CIEE, Annabel received her Bachelor’s in Experience Marketing from the University of Applied Sciences in Haarlem and her Master’s degree in Eastern European Studies from the University of Amsterdam. She has worked with international students as a residence assistant, as an intern at the international office and as the National Representative of the Netherlands in the International Student Network.
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Bonny Wassing
Bonny Wassing has been working as lecturer Dutch for CIEE Amsterdam since 2007. He studied Dutch Studies and Cultural History at The University of Amsterdam and he has studied Linguistics for one semester at Columbia University in New York. After his studies he lectured for two years Dutch language and culture at the University of Bucharest in Romania. Besides working for CIEE, Bonny provides Dutch courses for various businesses as a first and as a second language. “I love to combine working for students and corporate people. I see every day that a good proficiency of the Dutch language and a better understanding of the Dutch culture are so important for all people.”
Bonny currently teaches Dutch Culture on the Business + Culture and Social Sciences programs and Contemporary Dutch Social Policy (CDSP) during the Social Sciences program and all of the summer programs. CDSP is a class that discusses in depth the controversial social topics such as drugs, prostitution, gender and sexuality, abortion and euthanasia; a very popular class. In Dutch Culture we discuss the norms and values of the Dutch on a very pragmatic level as well as on a metalevel.
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Where You'll Study
Where You'll Study
During the first session in Groningen, students study at the International School of Spatial Policy Studies at the University of Groningen. Students can take part in a rich academic tradition, while enjoying the student-centered city. While in Amsterdam, students study at the CIEE Study Center, located on the Roetersstraat on the eastern side of the city center, steps from Amsterdam’s Zoo and in close proximity to the University of Amsterdam.
Housing & Meals
Housing & Meals
Housing is included in the study abroad program fee. Students are placed in single rooms in residence halls with shared shower and kitchen facilities. Residence halls are within a short commute by foot, bike, or bus to the CIEE Study Center in Amsterdam and to the University of Groningen Meals are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of the student. Meals may be taken at affordable restaurants, in the University cafeteria, or prepared in the residence’s kitchen facilities.
Orientations
Orientations
At the beginning of the program, a mandatory orientation organized by CIEE staff is held to introduce students to Dutch culture and to the academic program, as well as to provide practical information about living in the Netherlands. Ongoing support is provided on a group and individual basis throughout the program.
Internet
Internet
Internet cafés are available throughout the Netherlands. The residence halls offer Internet access and students are encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops.
Culture
Culture
Amsterdam
In addition to field visits around the city of Amsterdam, students also venture into the Dutch countryside, which offers them insight into typical Dutch rural life as an alternative to the city.
Groningen
In addition to numerous day trips and activities associated with each course, one overnight excursion is offered during each three-week session. Students participating in the Society, Environment, Transportation, and Space: The Dutch Experience program in Groningen visit Amsterdam, the multicultural center of the Netherlands.
Academics
Academics
The CIEE Study Center in Amsterdam was established in 1993; the summer study abroad program began in 2007. The summer program includes two three and a half-week sessions looking at Water management, Infrastructure, and Urban Planning (Groningen) in session one and contemporary Dutch social policy in session two (Amsterdam).
Contemporary Netherlands Studies is ideal for students interested in social policy or environmental studies. It allows students to develop a better understanding of Dutch social policies and the country’s interest in sustainable living. In addition to a classroom component, the study abroad program also involves guided site visits and excursions.
Academic Culture
Both courses include a combination of lectures, active participation, guest speakers, and guided site visits. Students visit organizations related to the themes covered in the course and are asked to give a presentation of their findings. Students are evaluated based on active participation, a presentation, and a final 15-page paper on one of the themes discussed in the course.
Nature of Classes
Classes are with CIEE study abroad participants only.
Grading System
Grades are based on a combination of class participation, oral presentations, and papers. Grades are based on a numerical scale of 1 to 10, rather than on letters. The numerical scale will be translated to American letter grades on the final CIEE grade report.
Language of Instruction
English
Faculty
Qualified lecturers from various institutes of higher learning in The Netherlands teach the required CIEE courses.
Course Description
Course Description
All Courses
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
Required CIEE Courses
Session I
Society, Environment, Transportation, and Space: The Dutch Experience
This course provides students with a solid foundation of the Dutch economy, policies surrounding the environment, and transportation and space. The aim of this course is to help students develop an understanding of the ways that the Netherlands deals with economic, environmental, and settlement challenges. These challenges are placed in the context of increasing levels of globalization, the expected effects of the changing climate on water management and flood protection systems, as well as sustainability concerns related to increasing levels of mobility in general—all of which seem to have an even stronger impact on the population of one of the most densely populated countries of the world. At the same time, the course aims to challenge participants to reflect on economic, environmental, and planning issues in their home country by exposing them to Dutch spatial-economic problems and the Dutch experiences of planning policies implemented to deal with those problems. Students explore “planning” in an economic sense (including regional economic development), spatial planning (including housing, settlement planning, and transportation planning), and environmental planning (including water management). Special attention is devoted to the Dutch history, successes, failures, and future challenges of water management (flood protection and water quality), specifically in the light of the expected consequences of rising sea levels and changing annual precipitation distributions for the Netherlands. A second focus is on intensive land-use planning or the “compact city policy” as a successful instrument to counteract sprawl. This course takes place in Groningen with an overnight excursion to Amsterdam.Instructor: Paul van Steen
Session II
NLST 3001 NETU
Contemporary Dutch Social Policy
The goal of this course is to help students gain a greater understanding of the Netherlands and to increase their social awareness of the Amsterdam community in which they are studying. The course seeks to accomplish this through lectures combined with guided site visits within organizations that deal with the social policy topics and issues covered in the lectures. Through an examination of social policy theory and practice, students are challenged to “see” their surroundings from a sociological and anthropological point of view, and to examine where policy and practice are working well and where they may be less successful. In the lectures, social and legal policy is studied as it affects certain groups, e.g., prostitutes, drug addicts, and immigrants. Through the guided site visits, students have the opportunity to form their own opinions about the effectiveness of the implementation and practice of these social policies and to ask staff working in the organization questions about the policies themselves. A general historical overview of the Netherlands is given in order to establish a framework for themes on social policy. This is followed by lectures on tolerance covering such issues as drugs, prostitution policy, abortion, and euthanasia. Multiculturalism is also addressed. This course takes place in Amsterdam. Instructor: Bonny Wassing
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