CIEE College Study Abroad in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Name: CIEE College Study Abroad in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Brand: CIEE
SKU: 268382
Rating: 4.75 (28 reviews)

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4.75 Rating

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Location

Netherlands
- Amsterdam

Term

Fall, J-Term, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

Accounting Anthropology Communications Economics European Studies Finance Health Sciences International Business International Relations Liberal Arts Marketing Public Health +2

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Bachelors

Housing

Dormitory Host Family

Language

English

Pricing

Price Details

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE! Our high-quality programs include tuition, housing, on-site airport pick-up, field trips and cultural activities, 24/7 on-site professional staff, and automatic iNext insurance. There are no hidden charges or surprises when you arrive, and scholarships opportunities are available!

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Classes Some Meals Travel Insurance

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024

Last Reviewed: Jan 19, 2024

Wish List

7 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

If you find yourself wondering why it’s so easy to feel at home in Amsterdam, chalk it up to “gezellig.” Roughly translated, that’s Dutch for cozy or home-like – a sensibility commonly associated with this city. Compact and easy to navigate by bike or on foot, Amsterdam houses more than 6,000 buildings from the 16th century forward that are protected for historic importance. It’s loaded with charm and treasures, from the gabled houses that stand shoulder to shoulder along the canals, to glorious masterpieces by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Matisse, and more.

The center is located conveniently across the street from the University of Amsterdam and is embedded in a thriving, student-friendly neighborhood with cafes and restaurants and picturesque canals.

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CIEE College Study Abroad in Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Program Highlights

CIEE Amsterdam is located conveniently across the street from the University of Amsterdam and is embedded in a thriving, student-friendly neighborhood with cafes and restaurants and picturesque canals.
Trips to Rotterdam, Maastricht, or an island off the Dutch coast.
Bike tours through Amsterdam’s countryside.
Tours of medieval castles.
Depending on their program of study and availability, students may be able to participate in an internship or volunteer.

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Whether you want to study Business, Humanities or examine social and environmental challenges with a critical lens, the Netherlands is the place to be.

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Earn credits this January in one of the most progressive cities in the world. Join the locals and bicycle around this accessible, environmentally-conscious and multicultural European capital city.

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Program Reviews

4.75 Rating

based on 28 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Study

5 rating 75%
4 rating 25%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.1
Support 4.45
Fun 4.8
Housing 4.5
Safety 4.95

Good for Students, Adventure travelers, Solo Travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 28 reviews

I am currently finishing up my semester abroad in Amsterdam. I seriously cannot recommend a better location. This is based not only on the CIEE program, but the experience overall. I have met some of the best friends and I have started to experience real independence as a 21 year old. Abroad is able to push you in many ways, especially with the ability to travel freely and live in such a beautiful young city. Amsterdam is another home to me and I cannot wait to come back and visit again in the future.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

I traveled to Interlaken, Switzerland and I had the opportunity to paraglide throughout the mountains. I absolutely loved traveling to such an incredible country, but paragliding will go down as one of my favorite memories of abroad.

Pros

Challenging Oneself
New Experiences
Living

Cons

Becoming comfortable being independent
Finding yourself
Being true to yourself

Studying abroad in Amsterdam is ideal for those who enjoy independence and an active lifestyle. The city is organized extremely efficiently and the biking lifestyle was perfect for me. My living accommodations were very comfortable and conveniently located which made it very easy to get anywhere in the city in less than 30 minutes. Amsterdam is a beautiful place and filled with motivated and creative people who march to the beat of their own drum. The academics kept me busy and motivated while also leaving time to explore the city and the country. I highly recommended this experience and I can say with near certainty that I will be returning to Amsterdam as soon as possible.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

Hopping on the bike for the first time in Amsterdam can be very stressful. I was nervous that I'd be too confused to follow directions and that other bikers would get frustrated with me. I overcame this fear by first taking easier routes to get around and then slowly as my skills developed I tried more complicated routes in busier areas. I am so happy I was able to do this because it allowed me to see the city and the country in a totally different way. Not only is it the most efficient way to get around but it is also incredibly fun and keeps you active everyday. Now I feel very comfortable on my bike and I have even gone on long rides to other cities in the Netherlands which is such a lovely way to explore. If you come to Amsterdam, do not let the bikes scare you, the Dutchies do it for a reason!

Pros

Safety
Accessibility
Beauty

Cons

Weather

A typical view walking through the canals

I had the most memorable month in Amsterdam with CIEE! From the start, the staff was supportive, responsive, and organized. They made themselves available to help us feel comfortable. The trips taken were the class were so much fun and a great way to meet the other students. I learned a ton in my class and made so many memories outside of class! Lots of shopping, things to do, and places to eat. We went to tons of museums and tried lots of different types of food as well. Would recommend to anyone!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

I tried Indonesian food for the first time with our school! It was delicious and greatly expanded my horizons.

Pros

Free time to explore and travel
Supportive staff
Housed with friends

Cons

Housing a bit out from the city
Some classes were on the weekends
Orientation was extremely helpful

I had a great time studying abroad in Amsterdam with CIEE. The staff was extremely friendly, supportive and helpful getting all the students settled in Amsterdam at the beginning of the semester. Throughout the semester, they planned lots of fun outings for us in Amsterdam and other cities in the Netherlands. They were always very responsive via email or GroupMe about various academic, social, and cultural questions that students may have. Overall, the supportiveness of the staff made this program run smoothly and it was very appreciated.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Take advantage of the program's excursions! It's a great way to get to know your host city and other cities nearby, and bond with others in your program!

Pros

Fun, informative trips
Supportive staff
Great academics

Cons

Pre-departure planning wasn't very organized
No public transportation vouchers

My experience studying abroad in Amsterdam was amazing. This is one of the most beautiful cities. The architecture is so unique and has so much history. Amsterdam has something for everyone. There are many museums, green spaces, yummy food, and good music. You will never run out of things to do. The rest of The Netherlands is also great and very easily accessible through their intercity trains. Schipol airport is also very well connected so you can easily get around and travel to other countries. I also felt very safe in Amsterdam and was comfortable walking around everywhere by myself.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

Amsterdam has many different policies when it comes to health and safety, compared to the US. With one of my classes we where able to visit a drug consumption room, a place where addicts can go and consume safely. We where also able to visit the PIC and speak with a sex worker which was very eye opening.

Pros

Great public transport
Beautiful architecture
very safe

Cons

weather
price of some food
housing distance from center of city

Amsterdam was the perfect place to study abroad for the summer! CIEE handled all aspects of our stay wonderfully. My housing option was conveniently central and close to where our classes were. We were offered plenty of support, and despite never having to use it, I was aware of where to go if needed. The city was extremely safe and walkable, which made it easy to explore with friends regardless of the time of day. Lastly, the academics that were offered boasted a great range of topics and class sizes, and instructors were passionate about their chosen class topics.

Pros

Walkable City
English speaker friendly
Friendly people

Cons

Temperamental weather
Student housing options were far away from each other

A safe and reliable program with good housing and a couple of fun excursions that are planned, but aside from class mostly free time. A good opportunity to live abroad and explore independently while getting credits. They are somewhat disorganized but ultimately everything gets sorted. This is a great option if you only want to spend 4 weeks abroad and meet people. It is mostly students who are 19, 20, and 21 so expect that age range. Anyone can sign up for this program when approved so you meet people from all over.

Pros

Safe and Simple Housing
Easy to meet other students
Good course

Cons

Bad administrative communication in the beginning stages
Lack of academic organization

Being able to explore Amsterdam and the cities around has been the best part of this experience. Transportation has been really easy to use. Administration from CIEE is super helpful in giving you tips on where to go and how to get there throughout the city and in other countries. My professor had a lot of great experiences in the workforce that he could share in class that related to the topic taught. Being abroad has given my time to learn about myself and to do things I wouldn't normally. Learning about the culture has been really cool to gain a new perspective and makes you adapt. A really nice part is that almost everyone speaks English in Amsterdam.

Pros

speaks english everywhere
bike or walk everywhere
so many food options

Cons

public transportation can cost a lot
weather app is not always accurate

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

My study abroad office at the University of Scranton had a connection with the CIEE Amsterdam program, so when I found out I could knock out most of my elective credits there, I jumped aboard.

I knew I wanted to go to Amsterdam after I discovered an extensive blog written by a previous study abroad student who stayed in Amsterdam for a full year. The stories of stroopwafels, canals, and extensive biking culture all just pulled me in until I knew I needed to experience it for myself.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

CIEE Amsterdam helped with so many things both within the registering process as well as throughout the semester. They provided assistance in applying for classes both with CIEE and at the UvA. They also took care of finding housing for us, hosted extensive orientations for the first few days, and was also a constant resource for questions or concerns throughout the semester. They also assisted in setting up meetings for us to register at the IND and at the UvA.

I had to get my classes approved before the end of my previous semester at my home university. I also had to organize travel to and from Amsterdam, food, and transportation within Amsterdam, and most of your day to day activities are on your own.

This program will be there to help and takes care of a lot of the bureaucratic aspect of studying abroad in another country (minus registering at the IND and setting up a bank account).

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I wish I had known that you can only take one humanities class at the UvA. Due to the limited number of CIEE student openings in these classes, you'll likely only be able to get into one humanities class. The rest will be social science classes. So if you planned on doing this program for the humanities electives, be aware.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

During an average day on the CIEE Amsterdam program, you'll likely only run into CIEE if you either have a CIEE facilitated class or physically stop by the office. The rest is up to you.

My day consisted of me waking up, showering and eating breakfast, biking to class (which is very easy via the bike pathways all throughout Amsterdam), and usually stopping by a new cafe or section of the town after class.

The program itself isn't overly structured, so it leaves you a lot of time to travel and do your own thing when you want to.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest challenge studying abroad was loneliness. I didn't make a solid group of friends in the first couple weeks, so most of my time exploring Amsterdam and traveling was done alone. I'll be honest, there were times I didn't feel too great. Sometimes I would just force myself to get out of my apartment every day just to see other people.

Eventually, I discovered Meetup groups and befriended some local coffee cafe owners, so I did get to know some locals. I also made an effort to take advantage of the CIEE activities. I started doing the day trips to other cities and I went on both overnight excursions (Utrecht and Schiermonnikoog respectively). I also participated in the weekend homestay opportunity that CIEE offers, which I can honestly say I'm very happy I did.

In terms of traveling in Europe, I also learned how to travel on my own. Since most of my trips were done by myself, I learned how to navigate airports, book hostels/Airbnbs, figure out buses and train schedules, and overall just became more independent.

I'm far more confident in my ability to travel and manage a new culture than when I left for Amsterdam this past January.

What is Dutch culture really like?

I believe it is important to understand that while most Netherlanders speaking English, they are not like their English neighbors from across the North Sea.

Now, of course, this is just my observation, so none of this is set-in-stone fact. However, I noticed the Dutch were classically Northern European. In other words, they tend to be a little cold. Not unfriendly, but just a little different from my usual American perspective. By cold, I mean that they tend to stick to their own groups and mind their own business.

You'll also get used to "Dutch Directness", which is a fancy way of saying that they like to get to the point. If you go to a restaurant, you'll typically find that the waiter or waitress won't introduce themselves or go out of their way to greet you or ask how you're doing. To me initially, this came across as slightly off-putting or rude. However, this isn't considered rude. Politeness for the Dutch is getting to the point and not wasting each other's time with pleasantries.

Once you do get to know a native Dutch person though, you'll find them to be as warm and friendly as anyone else. The initial barrier is a little awkward, but rewarding in the end. If worst comes to worst and you still haven't made that connection with a Netherlander, just wait until the weather gets warm.

By the end of my time in Amsterdam (May and June), I saw a noticeable change in how open people were in Amsterdam. Personalities come alive as the rainy season is finally gone. Suddenly cafes will be filled with locals having a beer on outdoor tables and kids of all ages having fun in local parks. It'll never be as warm as say Italy for example, but keep an eye out for the small changes as the seasons progress.

About CIEE

A nonprofit, non-governmental organization, CIEE is the world leader in international study and exchange programs. For more than 75 years, CIEE has helped thousands of students, professionals, and educators gain the knowledge and skills necessary to live and work in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world by offering the most...