Short programs
Undertaking a short program or study tour is a great way to gain credits towards your degree, experience new cultures and gain a competitive edge before you graduate.
Short program options
Study overseas for a few weeks and gain credit towards your degree.
Short programs give you the opportunity to travel and learn at universities and colleges all over the world.
You can undertake short programs at partner and non-partner institutions. Many programs run in the semester breaks, so you may even be able to fast-track your degree by completing units sooner.
Fees & costs
Most short programs have a tuition fee that you pay to the host university/program provider. If the host university waives the tuition fee, you may be required to pay the VU tuition fee for the unit(s) you complete. Some programs include accommodation as part of the program fee. Check the program’s website for the full list of inclusions and costs.
Winter block programs
Discover the programs offered during the winter block
CBS provides a short-term programme that is full of opportunities for you.
During your stay at CBS you can select courses from different disciplines to enhance your skills in theory and practice. Acknowledging that working successfully in an international environment requires excellent intercultural soft skills, you will work together with Bachelor and Master students from all over the world. Furthermore, you will get the chance to discover Europe and benefit from a wide range of extracurricular activities.
Academic Options
Students can choose 1 or 2 of the below parings.
Paring 1 SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION (6 ECTS)
- Sustainability Transformation: Basic Concepts
- Sustainability Transformation: Case Studies
Paring 2 FUNDAMENTALS FOR SMART CITIES (6 ECTS)
- Framework and Infrastructures of Smart Cities
- Technologies for Smart Cities
Paring 3 EUROPEAN POLITICS AND ECONOMICS (6 ECTS)
- EU Politics
- EU Law and Institutions
View the CBS summer program website.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 17 June to 12 July, 2024
Application Deadline: 1 April 2024
Program location: Cologne, Germany
Program host: CBS International Business School
Program type: Study Abroad (tuition is paid to Host University).
Cost: 6 ECTS = €900 and 12 ECTS = €1,600
Cost inclusions: Tuition, course materials and social activities. Accommodation is paid separately.The Paris Summer Program offers courses on the themes of luxury and management in one of the world’s most vibrant city. Designed for undergraduate business students, classes will be complemented by some visits to the Yves Saint Laurent museum, the Louvre or on a boat trip on the Seine.
Teaching will be carried out by the regular ESSCA research staff and adjunct professors with the possibility of guest speakers and outings
Cultural events will also be offered during the programme.
Academic Options:
- Paring 1- Luxury Brand Management
- Paring 2 -Cross- Cultural management and Leadership.
View the ESSCA summer program PDF.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 16 June to 6 July 2024.
Application Deadline: 29 March 2024
Program location: Paris, France
Program host: ESSCA
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: €1,900
Cost inclusions: course materials, shared-accommodation, Tourist Tax, welcome lunch and farewell social activities, public transportation card and 3-5 extra curriculum cultural activities.This program offers students the experience of discovering the French Provence through courses on tourism and culture. Students may participate in a wine tasting or attend the Aix Festival, Arles Festival or Avignon Festival.
Academic Program:
Developping Sustainable Experience in Cultural Tourism in Provence
- Digital Promotion in Cultural Event
- Wine Industry and Sustainable Environment
View the ESSCA summer program PDF.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 16 June to 13 July 2024.
Application Deadline: 29 March 2024
Program location: Aix-en-Provence, France
Program host: ESSCA
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: €2,900
Cost inclusions: course materials, shared-accommodation, Tourist Tax, welcome lunch and farewell social activities, public transportation card and 3-5 extra curriculum cultural activities.This program offers students the experience of discovering the World-famous wine region of Bordeaux through courses on wine business while also learning about Luxury Hospitality in an international must-see French city. Marketing of wine producers, luxury service management, selling wine, soft skills in the hospitality industry. Students will go on field trips at a 5-stars palace, on vineyards and undertake wine tastings.
Academic Program:
The French Wine Industry and the Bordeaux Region
- Bordeaux Wine and Food Tourism
- Hospitality and Luxury
View the ESSCA summer program PDF.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 16 June to 6 July 2024.
Application Deadline: 29 March 2024
Program location: Bordeaux, France
Program host: ESSCA
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: €2,400 (organisational costs)
Cost inclusions: course materials, shared-accommodation, Scheduled visits and field trips depending on availabilities and weather (Boat tour, vigneyards visit, walking tour, etc) and welcome and Farewell social events.Experience an unforgettable summer at HKBU in vibrant Hong Kong. Immerse yourself in a world-class metropolis where East meets West. From UNESCO Global Geopark Tour to Thrilling Theme Park adventure and staycation to exciting 80s roller party, embark on a journey filled with mind-blowing activities.
Academic Options:
The maximum study load for the four-week long summer programme is 6 HKBU credits. Each unit is worth 3 HKBU credits.
- Adventures, Treasures, and Archaeology in China
- Introduction to Modern Chinese History
- History of Hong Kong since 1900
- Making a Smart Decision
- Practical Putonghua
- Introductory Mandarin for Non-Chinese Speakers (Part I)
- Introductory Cantonese for Non-Chinese Speakers
- Visual Communication
- The Synergy of Chinese Arts and Literature as Self-Expression
- Business Communication
- Marketing Management
- Reading Chinese Literature in Translation
- Screen Acting Workshop
View the HKBU summer program website.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 2 to 31 July, 2024
Application Deadline: 25 March 2024
Program location: Hong Kong
Program host: Hong Kong Baptist University
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $1,500 USD
Cost inclusions: on-campus accommodation, staycation and theme park activities, administration, and visa fees.iSummer MX is a program designed for international students who love traveling and learning about new cultures. Students will live in four vibrant cities in Mexico. Mexico City, the colonial cities of Queretaro and Puebla and the modern business and industrial center in Monterrey. They will make everlasting memories exercising their intellectual curiosity and developing entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership skills, in a multicultural setting. During their stay in Mexico, students will learn about different parts of the country without ceasing their studies. Each campus has special activities, with field trips, company visits and networking events that will make their experience unforgettable.
Global Business
Students will undertake 2 courses (a total of 6 US credits).
- NI1002B Business Globalization
- MT1002B Market Solutions
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 24 June to 26 July 2024
Application Deadline: 1 May 2023
Program location: Mexico
Program host: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $2,450 USD
Cost inclusions: Housing, Transportation for all program activities, including pick up on official arrival day and transfer from city to city and Breakfast six days of the week.iSummer MX is a program designed for international students who love traveling and learning about new cultures. Students will live in four vibrant cities in Mexico. Mexico City, the colonial cities of Queretaro and Puebla and Guadalajara. They will make everlasting memories exercising their intellectual curiosity and developing entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership skills, in a multicultural setting. During their stay in Mexico, students will learn about different parts of the country without ceasing their studies. Each campus has special activities, with field trips, company visits and networking events that will make their experience unforgettable.
Regional Economics
Students will undertake 2 courses (a total of 6 US credits).
EC1003B Macroeconomics and Economic Development
EC1020 Micro Economic Incentives and Macro Outcomes
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 24 June to 26 July 2024
Application Deadline: 1 May 2023
Program location: Mexico
Program host: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $2,450 USD
Cost inclusions: Housing, Transportation for all program activities, including pick up on official arrival day and transfer from city to city and Breakfast six days of the week.iSummer MX is a program designed for international students who love of travelling and learning about new cultures. Discover four of the most iconic states in Mexico, visit the capital Mexico City, enjoy the colonial city of Querétaro, go to the amazing Guadalajara, walk through historic places at Puebla, and choose to make everlasting memories in beautiful places like Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de Allende.
During your stay in Mexico, you will have the opportunity to live for weeks on four different campuses. This will give you the chance to learn about different parts of the country without ceasing your studies. Each campus has special activities, and several trips, that will make your experience unforgettable!
Mexican Cultural Heritage and Social Challenges
Students will undertake 2 courses (a total of 6 US credits).
EH1013 - Cultural Heritage of Mexico
EH1014 - Violence,Dignity and Social Justice
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 24 June to 26 July 2024
Application Deadline: 1 May 2023
Program location: Mexico
Program host: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $2,450 USD
Cost inclusions: Housing, Transportation for all program activities, including pick up on official arrival day and transfer from city to city and Breakfast six days of the week.More information about the Mexican Cultural Heritage and Social Challenges program.
iSummer MX is a program designed for international students who love of travelling and learning about new cultures. Discover four of the most iconic states in Mexico, visit the capital Mexico City, enjoy the colonial city of Querétaro, go to the amazing Chiapas, walk through historic places at Puebla, and choose to make everlasting memories in beautiful places like Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de Allende.
During your stay in Mexico, you will have the opportunity to live for weeks on four different campuses. This will give you the chance to learn about different parts of the country without ceasing your studies. Each campus has special activities, and several trips, that will make your experience unforgettable!
Migration Beyond borders
Students will undertake 2 courses (a total of 6 US credits).
RI2002B Regional Scenarios in the Contemporary World
RI1016 Gender, Society and Human Rights
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 24 June to 26 July 2024
Application Deadline: 1 May 2023
Program location: Mexico
Program host: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $2,450 USD
Cost inclusions: Housing, Transportation for all program activities, including pick up on official arrival day and transfer from city to city and Breakfast six days of the week.More information about the Migration Beyond borders program.
The main goals of the summer school are to provide students with academic and applied knowledge, experience of an international environment and knowledge of the Swedish culture through a rich program of cultural and social activities.
You will be able to discover Sweden and the region of Småland as part of the social and cultural events included in the programme. You will visit Vadstena Castle – one of Sweden’s best preserved castles from the Gustav Vasa period in the 16th century – and Gränna, which is a small town outside of Jönköping where the popular peppermint candy canes are handmade. You will also visit the ruins of Brahehus Castle and experience the Swedish nature, in addition to a list of fun activities that will be organised for you and your classmates.
Purchasing Logistics with a Global Perspective
The aim of this course is to give advanced knowledge of logistics in purchasing and supply-chain management with a global perspective. The focus is on the purchasing functions important for the company result.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 3 - 28 June 2024
Application Deadline: 22 March 2024
Program location: Sweden
Program host: Jonkoping University
Program type: Exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: SEK 1,500 approx. (Swedish Krona)
Cost inclusions: Social program and application fee.The Summer School for Sustainability is a chance to take action on sustainability and deepen your understanding of global challenges and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Join an international cohort of like-minded people for five inspirational weeks and get the chance to visit the beautiful city of Gothenburg.
The Summer School offers a programme of courses and activities to create synergy around sustainable solutions and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. You will be able to get accepted for one 7,5 credits (ECTS) course, running from 27 June to 2 August, 2024.
Academic Options
There are 5 courses to choose from each worth 7.5 ECTS:
- Biodiversity in Western Sweden - BIO090
- Managing Migration - FH1550
- Digitalisation in a changing world - DIT004
- Imagining justice for a sustainable world: perspectives from fiction, philosophy and religion - LIR103
Teaching Sustainable Development from a Global Perspective - PDG459
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 27 June - 2 August 2024
Application Deadline: 26 February 2024
Program location: Sweden
Program host: University of Gothenburg
Program type: Exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: No program fee, accommodation is guaranteed and approx. 4000 SEK.More information about the Summer School for Sustainability program.
Video: University of Gothenburg - Summer School for Sustainability
Summer Block Programs
Below you will find a list of programs that ran the VU Summer Block 2023/24. This list will be updated in mid-2024 when new programs and dates are announced.
Each year, ESSCA's Central European learning center host a very interactive winter program for students who come from a large number of partner universities from all over the world. The program, worth 7.5 ECTS credits, (12 VU credits), is open to undergraduate students of business.
Cultural events will also be offered during the program.
Academic Options:
- Paring 1 - Doing Business and Management in CEE and Cross Cultural Management
- Paring 2 - Ethics in Finance
- Paring 3 - East meets West in the context of International Relations
View the ESSCA summer program PDF.
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: January 2024 (TBC)
Application Deadline: 1 November 2023
Program location: Budapest, Hungary
Program host: ESSCA
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: €1,200 (TBC)
Cost inclusions:- Course materials
- Shared-accommodation
- Tourist Tax
- Welcome lunch and farewell social activities
- Public transportation card
- 3-5 extra curriculum cultural activities.
"Social Realities in Latin America" is an academic program meant to sharpen the students' awareness of the main development concerns and social challenges in the region. The key factors of the program are an appealing balance of academic and social activities, full cultural immersion, and direct contact with experts, NGOs and the local population.
Universidad Iberoamericana is considered one of Mexico's most prestigious universities, distinguished by its high academic standards and strong social commitment. The Mexico City campus is located within the Santa Fe business district (western part of town).
Academic options
Each week is dedicated to one specific topic of Latin America’s Social Realities:
- Environment
- Human Rights
- Indigenous Studies
- Migration
- Poverty and Social Inequality
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 5 January to 17 February 2024
Application Deadline: 1 October 2023
Program location: Mexico City, Mexico
Program host: IBERO
Program type: Study Abroad (tuition is paid to Host University). VU students receive a 10% discount.
Cost: $3,735 USD (including 10% discount)
Cost inclusions:- Tuition and program fees.
- Housing during the whole program.
- Local transportation to and from all activities.
- Welcome lunch and farewell dinner.
- Lunch on campus throughout the program.
- 2 weekend trips.
- Cultural/social activities.
- Weekly field visits and activities with NGOs.
- One week-long study trip to Puebla and Cuetzalan.
iWinter MX is a program designed for international students who love traveling and learning about new cultures. Students will live in four vibrant cities in Mexico. Mexico City, the colonial cities of Queretaro and Puebla and the modern business and industrial center in Monterrey. They will make everlasting memories exercising their intellectual curiosity and developing entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership skills, in a multicultural setting. During their stay in Mexico, students will learn about different parts of the country without ceasing their studies. Each campus has special activities, with field trips, company visits and networking events that will make their experience unforgettable.
Global Business
Students will undertake 2 courses (a total of 6 US credits).
- NI1002B International Business opportunities
- MT1001B Marketing Insights to Develop Strategies
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 3 January to 6 February 2024
Application Deadline: 1 November 2023
Program location: Mexico
Program host: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $2,450 USD
Cost inclusions: Housing, Transportation for all program activities, including pick up on official arrival day and transfer from city to city and Breakfast six days of the week.iWinterMX is a program designed for international students who love of travelling and learning about new cultures. Discover four of the most iconic states in Mexico, visit the capital Mexico City, enjoy the colonial city of Querétaro, go to the amazing Guadalajara, walk through historic places at Puebla, and choose to make everlasting memories in beautiful places like Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de Allende.
During your stay in Mexico, you will have the opportunity to live for weeks on four different campuses. This will give you the chance to learn about different parts of the country without ceasing your studies. Each campus has special activities, and several trips, that will make your experience unforgettable!
Mexican Cultural Heritage and Social Challenges
Students will undertake 2 courses (a total of 6 US credits).
- EH1013 - Cultural Heritage of Mexico
- EH1014 - Violence,Dignity and Social Justice
Students will need to have the units assessed for VU credit.
Program dates: 3 January to 6 February 2024
Application Deadline: 1 November 2023
Program location: Mexico
Program host: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Program type: exchange (tuition is paid to VU)
Cost: $2,450 USD
Cost inclusions: Housing, Transportation for all program activities, including pick up on official arrival day and transfer from city to city and Breakfast six days of the week.More information about the Mexican Cultural Heritage and Social Challenges program.
Apply
Apply now
To apply for a short program overseas:
- Complete the application for study overseas form (PDF, 257.5 KB)
- Complete the short-term overseas study plan (PDF, 177.99 KB)
- Submit both forms to [email protected] by the relevant application deadline
Eligibility
Both domestic and international students are able to undertake overseas short programs, subject to course requirements.
To be eligible, you must have:
- achieved a credit average (minimum of 60%); and
- completed one year of undergraduate study (eight units) by the time you depart; or
- completed one semester of postgraduate study (four units) by the time you depart.