Erasmus University Rotterdam
Rotterdam is Europe's largest port city and Netherlands's second largest city. Located only 40 minutes from Amsterdam in one of Europe's most architecturally fascinating areas, Erasmus University Rotterdam dates back to 1913.
The campus was constructed during World War I, when Rotterdam became known as the world's largest city of spies - so you may never know the secrets behind its walls. A very prestigious university, EU Rotterdam currently ranks in the top 75 universities in the world (#70, THE 2019). The campus currently has over 22,000 students, including over 3,000 international students, and has a strong sustainability focus. Within a 10-20 min bike ride, you can explore your inner foodie at Rotterdam's eye-popping Markthal (Market Hall), tilt your head at the bizarre yellow Cube houses, and visit the half-hive-half-igloo Floating Pavilion to see one of the world's only floating forests (we're not kidding)!
Key information
Student experience
Useful links
Program details
The information below was last updated in 2025
Exchange students to EUR must be nominated into a specific faculty and take the majority of courses from that faculty. The faculties UCalgary has access to are:
- Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication (Media, Communications, History & Arts)
- Erasmus School of Social & Behavioural Sciences (International Relations, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Development Studies, Law & Society)
- Erasmus University College (an interdisciplinary liberal arts & sciences program: Economics, Business, Humanities, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, and Interdepartmental Program with Sustainability, Public/Global Health, and more)
- Erasmus School of Law (only for UCalgary JD Law students)
- Erasmus School of Economics (Economics)
- Erasmus School of Philosophy (Philosophy)
Closed Programs: Haskayne students might be eligible to take courses from the Rotterdam School of Management, but they must apply for an exchange directly through the Haskayne School of Business.
Course requirements:
Exchange students at EUR are expected to take 30 ECTS (European credits) per semester, with at least 50% of their courses from their host faculty as listed above. 6 ECTS = 3 UCalgary units, so 30 ECTS is equivalent to 5 UCalgary courses. The amount of credits each course is worth corresponds to the workload/contact hours, and can vary from 1-30 ECTS per course, so please be mindful of this in your selection.
Student Tips: "If you're looking to network, there were a lot of recruitment events around campus along with speaker sessions with prominent figures including Michael Porter and Ban Ki-Moon."
"The most interesting class I took was Science Fiction and Media where we literally talked about aliens, robots and artificial intelligence, time travel, etc. It was a fascinating course and not one offered at the University of Calgary."
The academic year is divided into 2 semesters. Each faculty has their own calendar. Links to the academic calendars are provided below; if no calendar is readily available, students can research the faculty online to find exact dates.
- Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication: Semester 1 (Fall) September to early February, Semester 2 (Winter) early February to early July. See the academic calendar for ESHCC.
- Erasmus School of Social & Behavioural Sciences: Semester 1 (Fall) September to December and Semester 2 (Winter) from January to early July. See the academic calendar for ESSB.
- Erasmus University College: Semester 1 (Fall) late August to December and Semester 2 (Winter) mid January to early June.
- Erasmus School of Law: Semester 1 (Fall) September to December.
- Erasmus School of Economics: Semester 1 (Fall) September to December. Semester 2 (Winter) is divided into 2 blocks; students can study from January to April (block 4) or April to July (block 5), or stay from January to July (which will allow you to take enough courses for a full 5 credits at UCalgary).
- Erasmus School of Philosophy: Each course runs at varying dates, so your study dates will depend on the courses selected. Generally, our Fall semester corresponds with course blocks 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B; courses between 1A-2A will run September to December, but courses in 2B run from early Janury to early February. Our Winter semester corresponds with blocks 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, which runs from mid February to early July.
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Costs
Exchange students pay their tuition and academic fees to the University of Calgary. Other expenses are paid directly to the service provider. Also, remember to include things like visas, insurance, vaccinations, etc. in your budget planning.
It is recommended that students budget around €1500 per month to pay for accommodation and living expenses. Cost of living estimates can be found online.
Rotterdam cost comparison vs. Calgary
Visa Note: Students travelling on a Canadian passport will apply for a residence permit through their host university in the Netherlands. Students travelling on non-Canadian, non-EU passports may be required to apply for an additional visa at the Dutch embassy of their home country or country of residence. It is your responsibility to research visa requirements & costs, however, your host university in the Netherlands will also provide some guidance upon being accepted for an exchange.
Student Tips: "Invest in rain gear and absolutely get a bike (but make sure to ALWAYS double lock it with a heavy lock)! Get the Rotterdam pass!! It’s a great deal: free movies, discounts at restaurants, free entry into museums, etc. Also do the Wanderlust trips that are promoted there - they plan trips and activities for you at a great price and are a great way to meet people. Also when shopping (even if things are cheaper), don't forget to factor in the exchange rate!"
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Funding
Did you know that you can take your UCalgary funding with you on exchange? Since you remain a degree-seeking student at UCalgary while studying abroad, you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are otherwise eligible to receive from the university, as well as student loans.
Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund and the Global Learning Award. Students may only receive these awards once. Please see the funding page, linked below, for more information.
Exchange students to EUR cannot always be guaranteed housing. The university has reserved limited rooms for international students through the housing provider SSH; these are predominantly private rooms with shared kitchen/facilities and are located on campus Woudestein. Rent typically sits around €400-€600 per month. When availability is low, students must arrange for their own housing and are encouraged to look into the different accommodation providers recommended by EUR. Additional information can be found online.
2023 update: Due to housing shortages, please start your accommodation search early and have your housing arranged before the start of your program.
Student Tip: "I would recommend living in the Hatta residence if possible."
This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in any faculty at the U of C, who have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-).
Haskayne students wishing to take courses from EUR's School of Management must apply for this exchange through the Haskayne School of Business.
For applicants from the UCalgary Faculty of Law, an academic reference letter is required. Please view the reference letter factsheet for guidelines & submission instructions. It must be submitted at the time of your application to UCalgary.
Do I have to speak Dutch?
EUR offers many courses in English and so no prior knowledge of Dutch is required for this exchange.
What's special about Rotterdam?
Student Tips: "Rotterdam is cooler temperature-wise than most people expect it to be (because of high humidity). Transportation is extremely easy: the city is well connected by public transport. You can also bike everywhere and it is very safe and easy to. For places to visit, anywhere on Witte de Withstraat is nice (lots of cool restaurants, bars/cafes, and shops). Markthal (Blaak) is also good for shopping and restaurants and is really beautiful. I also liked the Erasmus bridge."
What resources are available to new students?
EUR publishes online a "Handbook for New Students", which is updated every academic year.
EUR also arranges a variety of orientation sessions before the start of each semester, such as Dutch language and culture workshops, faculty introductions, and "Eurekaweek", as well as services like airport pick-up and a buddy programme. Exchange students can participate in as many of these opportunities as they wish. Check out the full schedule of events.
What supports or services are available at EURotterdam?
EUR provides comprehensive academic support for students with disabilities.For information on accessibility and support services of campuses across Europe, please check out Inclusive Mobility. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.
COC Rotterdam is a local club committed to the LGBTQ+ community and especially gay and lesbian issues. They host various social events, as well as having advisors and counsellors available.
Have questions?
The exchange advisor for this program is: Kathryn Bauer
How to Apply
Download the application guide
This PDF contains information on how to complete your application and what to do after you have applied.
Identify three programs of interest
We recommend applying for your top three programs for the priority application deadline, as placement may be competitive. We will assess your applications in ranked order.
Check requirements and deadlines
These may vary by program, so check the individual program pages and make sure that you are aware of any different application deadlines or eligibility requirements.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.