Dutch is the national language of 16.4 million Dutch people and is spoken by a total of approximately 23 million people worldwide. It is one of the original official languages of the European Union and is one of the English language's closest relations. There is a very strong Anglo-Dutch trade relationship with multinationals such as Shell and Unilever. With very close cultural ties between the countries, and the equal status of Dutch and English in the European Union, there are many reasons to study Dutch in the United Kingdom.
Many universities offer tuition in the Dutch language, but there are four universities which offer courses on Dutch culture, literature, history and more. University College London, the University of Sheffield, the University of Cambridge and the University of Nottingham all offer Dutch either on its own or integrated in various degree programmes. This often gives students the chance to live and work or study in the Netherlands for one year, and to make use of the European Union's Erasmus scheme. For more information see the websites of the respective universities, which you will find below:
The Dutch government supports the promotion and teaching of Dutch language and culture with the official linguistic authority, the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union). Every year, the Taalunie invites hundreds of foreign students of Dutch to subsidised residential courses in the Netherlands and Belgium in order to deepen their knowledge of Dutch language and culture. This supports the language's position in the world and strengthens Dutch intercultural relations with other countries.
The Embassy works together with all of these educational and cultural bodies in order to promote and facilitate the learning of Dutch and the profile of the nation's cultural heritage. One of our goals is to make the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world in which to learn Dutch.
Here follows a list of the British universities offering Dutch to degree level academic study:
DISCLAIMER:
Whilst we endeavour to keep this list as accurate and up to date as possible, the Embassy can not be held responsible for details which may be listed incorrectly, or for the quality of service provided by those listed below.
UNIVERSITIES OFFERING DEGREE-LEVEL DUTCH STUDIES
NOTTINGHAM
University of Nottingham
School of Modern Languages
Department of German Studies
University Park
Nottingham NG7 2RD
Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/German/
Dutch and French with Dutch.
Email: german-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk
0115 951 5812
BA degree programmes in German with Dutch and French with Dutch, as part of a BA in Modern Language Studies, and as optional language courses at all levels.
CAMBRIDGE
University of Cambridge
Department of German and Dutch
Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge, CB3 9DA
Website: http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/dutch/
- Dutch as part of Modern and
Mediaeval Languages Tripos
degree.
Email: mml.germanmanagers@lists.cam.ac.uk
Tel.: +44 (0)1223-335037
LONDON
University College London
Department of Dutch
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
Website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dutch/
- Dutch degree programme BA Dutch, plus Dutch within
Joint Honours degrees, and postgraduate diploma or MA programmes.
Dutch department.
Contact: Els Braeken
Email: e.braeken@ucl.ac.uk
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7679 3113
SHEFFIELD
University of Sheffield
School of Modern Languages
Department of Germanic Studies
Jessop West
Upper Hanover Street
Sheffield
S3 7RA
Website: http://www.shef.ac.uk/german/prospectiveu_g/courses/dutch
BA Programmes Degrees in German with Dutch, French with Dutch, History with Dutch and Dutch Language courses at all levels.
For more information contact Dr Henriette Louwerse h.louwerse@sheffield.ac.uk
Tel.: +44 (0)114 222 4387
