B.Sc. Social and Behavioural Sciences (Liberal Arts and Sciences)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
BSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2027*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
EUR 6,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 15 January 2027 – regular application 1 May 2027 – late application
** • €6,000 for EU/EEA students • €17,800 for non-EU/EEA students
Key Summary
About: Discover Erasmus University College's BSc Social and Behavioural Sciences, a three-year liberal arts programme at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Specialize in Sociology, Psychology, International Law, or Political Science & International Relations, and combine disciplines across PPE and Global Health. The curriculum builds interdisciplinary study, research skills, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and flexibility for study or careers.
Career Outcomes: Graduates progress to Masters at Erasmus and other schools (Bocconi, LSE, Oxford, Sciences Po, King's, Edinburgh, Utrecht). Employers hire alumni in research, tech/IT, government, education, and financial services for roles like consultant, researcher, manager, and policy advisor; you can start a venture.
Discover Erasmus University College's Social and Behavioral Sciences majors (part of Liberal Arts and Sciences BSc) delving into human behaviour at individual and societal levels. Specialize in Sociology, Psychology, International Law or Political Science & International Relations within this dynamic program.
Key Features
Immerse yourself in the world of Liberal Arts and Sciences at EUC through the captivating Social and Behavioral Sciences Majors.
Within this program, you have the opportunity to specialize in majors like Sociology, Psychology, International Law, or Political Science & International Relations. But there's more! EUC encourages you to break boundaries by combining these disciplines, creating a unique Bachelor Programme.
This programme isn't confined to silos; it's a tapestry of knowledge interwoven with other EUC departments. Collaborate across disciplines in majors like Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE), Global Health, and Biological Aspects of Public Health, showcasing the true essence of interdisciplinary exploration. Welcome to EUC, where the world of Liberal Arts and Sciences awaits your discovery.
In your first year, you will follow Academic Core courses from all four departments to give you a solid foundation and help you identify your ideal major. At the end of this first year, you will declare your major and (optional) minor to tailor your curriculum to your interests and ambitions.
In your third year, you will complete your Capstone Project, which explores a topic of your choice related to your major under guidance of one of EUC’s excellent academic staff.
The Social & Behavioural Sciences department offers four majors.
Major: Psychology & Global Health
In the major Psychology & Global Health, you explore mental, physical and social health from an individual, societal and global perspective.
Choose this major if you want to develop a deep understanding of the psychological factors that shape behaviour, emotions, and cognition, while also addressing broader public health challenges such as disease prevention and health disparities. You will get the tools to analyse health problems at various levels and learn to select or develop appropriate diagnoses, therapies, and prevention strategies.
Scientific research and methods play a central role in the programme, helping you develop the skills to improve individual health through changes in behaviour, cognition, and emotion, as well as evaluate prevention strategies and therapies.
If you major in this programme you can pursue a Master’s degree in various fields, including psychology, pedagogy, health policy and health sciences. Depending on the specific Master’s programme chosen, you may have to complete a pre-master programme before being eligible for a Master’s degree.
Courses include:
- Clinical Psychology
- Intermediate Statistics
- Qualitative Research Through Interviewing
- Child Development: Psychology & Health
- Health Psychology
- Understanding Health Behaviours
- Epidemology & Global Health
Major:International Law
The International Law major gives you the tools to understand the working of the global legal system and its relations with our social and political environment.
The courses are designed to show you – within an interdisciplinary environment – that every political, social, natural or economic process has a legal aspect, which may be driving (or constraining) it.
The aim is to prepare you for masters of International or EU Law (or other Master programmes in which a solid basis of law is required) at top universities in the Netherlands and around the world.
Courses include:
- Introduction to Law
- Public International Law
- European Union Law
- International Human Rights Law
- Qualitative Research through Interviewing
- International Dispute Settlement
- International Criminal Law
- International Environmental & Energy Law
- European Union: Foundations, Policy & Institutions
Major: Political Science & International Relations
The major in Political Science & International Relations (POLIR) introduces you to the dynamic world of politics.
It gives you an interdisciplinary perspective on politics and global affairs by focusing on how states, non-state actors, social movements and international organisations are organised, and how they engage with key issues today.
The major familiarises you with the main fields within Political Science: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Public Policy, and Political Philosophy. The courses offer a critical outlook, while developing skills in research, writing, communication, policy analysis, data visualisation, negotiation, and news literacy.
Theoretical and practical insight into politics is important in a wide range of postgraduate programmes and careers in, for instance, government, academia, advocacy, diplomacy, legal work, consultancy, and journalism.
Courses include:
- Early Modern Political Philosophy
- Intermediate Statistics
- Understanding Politics
- International Relations: Theories, Approaches, & Themes
- Qualitative Research Through Interviewing
- Conflict Resolution
- Diplomacy
- Global Regimes
- Politics of Public Policy
- European Union: Foundations, Policy & Institutions
Major: Culture & Society
The Culture & Society major gives you the tools make sense of social and cultural dimensions of themes such as social inequality, social cohesion, cultural representation, and the construction of social and cultural identities.
By integrating concepts and theories such as globalisation, postcolonialism, capitalism, patriarchy, environmentalism, migration, and performativity, you engage with concrete social practices and cultural objects, to understand and interpret these complex sociocultural dynamics. You will also develop foundational knowledge of rigorous research methods, ranging from interviewing and ethnography to discourse analysis and deconstruction, to independently explore the multiple layers of social phenomena and cultural life.
The Culture & Society major prepares you for a broad range of future careers, including (among others) research, journalism, publishing, the development sector, and communications.
Courses include:
- Gender Studies
- Critical Theory
- Intermediate Statistics
- Highlights of Sociology
- Urban Sociology
- Qualitative Research Through Interviewing
- Analysing Contemporary Culture
Erasmus University College (EUC) offers several scholarships and grants:
- Rotterdam Talent Scholarship -For students who live and/or go to school within the municipality of Rotterdam who can prove a need for substantial financial assistance
- EUC Scholarship -The EUC Scholarship is meant for highly qualified students from any country who can prove that they require financial aid to be able to study at EUC
- Dutch Government Student Finance -Most Dutch students are eligible for student finance from the Dutch government. Under certain conditions, non-Dutch, EEA students may also qualify for such student finance
- Third-Party Grant -Depending on your nationality and your financial status, different types of financial aid are available
If you are not eligible for any of the above-mentioned scholarships, you can look at the financial aid options at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
After EUC
- Postgraduate studies
EUC, being part of Erasmus University, offers the opportunity to easily transition into Master’s programs at Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam School of Management, or Erasmus School of Economics after graduation, based on the courses you choose.
Our graduates have also been accepted into Master programmes at universities such as: Bocconi University, King's College London, London School of Economics, Oxford University, Sciences Po Paris, University of Edinburgh and Utrecht University.
2. Career opportunities
You can also choose a career in the corporate world, public organizations, or even start your own venture. Employers value our graduates for their critical thinking, adaptability, creativity, research skills, and cultural awareness. These are the most common career paths of our alumni:
Top 5 work fields:
- Research
- Tech/IT
- Government
- Education
- Financial services
Top 5 positions:
- Consultant
- Researcher
- Manager
- Marketeer
- Policy advisor
Erasmus University College is ideal for students who:
• Enjoy a small, close-knit community
• Have multiple interests or would like to combine disciplines
• Appreciate international settings
• Are motivated and independent learners
• Seek a challenging academic environment