NHL STENDEN UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Stenden has five campus locations in the northern part of the Netherlands, namely in Leeuwarden (main location), Emmen, Groningen, Meppel and Assen.

All Stenden locations have good public transport facilities and the major cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, are no more than 2 to 3 hours away.

An orientation week is organized for all international students at the beginning of their study term at Stenden. This NHL Stenden programme helps foreign students get better acquainted with the cities they will live in and their university campus. First year foreign students can also be assigned a so called “Buddy”, if they want. This is a senior student, who will guide them through their first days in the Netherlands.

We have information centers, which will provide you with specialist support and guidance concerning your studies. There also is a special desk for international students, which can answer all your questions about various things, you may face during your daily life in the Netherlands.   

For housing matters Stenden works with its official accommodation partner “StudentStay”. EU students are welcome to register for a room via their website, but getting a room will depend on availability.

We therefore encourage European students to find their own accommodation, since finding a place to live in the north of the Netherlands, where NHL Stenden’s branches are located, is relatively easy.

Once you have been admitted and have registered for a study programme at NHL Stenden, you should start looking for accommodation. We recommend you to start early with finding a suiting accommodation. This way you can ensure you find the right place to live during your study.

In the Netherlands, it is common for students to rent a room in a shared house or apartment with other students. There are also options to rent a one-bedroom or studio apartment. Student accommodation is usually provided by real estate agents, or private landlords who advertise their rooms on different platforms.  

Many people use Facebook to advertise accommodation and to find flat mates. 

There are also plenty of online platforms which publish vacant rooms, apartments and houses by different agencies in different price categories. Some of them are free to join while for others you may be required to pay a one-off registration fee or a monthly fee.

Leeuwarden, the European Cultural Capital for 2018, is situated in the north of the Netherlands, about 140 km north east of Amsterdam and 280 km from Hamburg in Germany. With its small canals and bridges, Leeuwarden is known as “the Venice of the North”. Its historic city center has a captivating cultural heritage, but also numerous café’s, boutiques and small shopping streets. This lively city host no less than 25.000 Dutch and International Students, attending Leeuwarden’s three universities. About 25 % of all students are foreign, making it a truly international student town. Hestia (from the Greek word εστία), is the “in” student lounge in Leeuwarden and often considered “a home away from home”. It is extremely popular amongst Dutch and international students for socializing, parties and study related activities.       

Emmen lies in the north east of the Netherlands, just a few km away from the German border. It is about 185 km from of Amsterdam and 270 km from Hamburg in Germany. Emmen is a friendly, laid back town, with plenty of bars and café’s for a night on the town. “The Country Club” is an international student club at NHL Stenden in Emmen; everyone is welcome there, irrespective of where you come from.

Meppel is situated in the east of the Netherlands, about 130 km from Amsterdam. The city’s picturesque canals and ample parks, give Meppel a warm and welcoming feel. It is a friendly, laid back town, with plenty of bars and café’s for a night on the town. If you are looking for a slightly wider range of entertainment, the city of Zwolle, a lively university city, is just a 15 minute train ride away. Meppel campus is the most intimate and coziest of the Stenden campuses. Despite its small size and just around 230 students, Meppel is a campus with a strong international student community. 

Groningen, voted best student city in 2016, truly is a vibrant student city, with a quarter of the city’s 200.000 inhabitants consisting of students. The city has a picturesque city centre, dating from the early Middle Ages with many beautiful old buildings. Groningen’s cultural scene is big and diverse. The city has a vibrant nightlife, with bars in the centre allowed to stay open around the clock. Groningen also has many student societies and international associations.

Studying abroad for a while gives you an opportunity to broaden your horizons. You live in an international environment, meet people with different cultural backgrounds and accumulate knowledge.

All students perform several work placements. These internships provide you with on-the-job-experience and allow you to learn as you work at a company that matches your interests and ambitions.
Your placement can be at an international company in the Netherlands, or abroad.

Official statistics show that for the year 2015, 80 % of the Bachelors graduates of a Dutch University of Applied Sciences, found a suitable job in their specific field and level, within 3 months of obtaining their diploma. 

These indicators are considerably lower for graduates from a Dutch Research University. The reason for this is that the education system of the Universities of Applied Science is more practical and directly related to a certain profession, whereas the education philosophy of the Research Universities is more general and scientifically orientated.

With the Dutch economy recovering and growing at a fast pace in 2017, these indicators for the Universities of Applied Sciences are expected to have improved significantly in 2018. In fact, for some fields of study, students are at the moment already offered suitable jobs before graduating.