All online courses organised through the Summer Programmes Office at the Graduate School of Social Sciences (including this course) are designed so that you can focus on participating in the course and immersing yourself in your new digital environment. We make that possible by including the following in the tuition fee:

1. All course readings and materials
2. Access to the digital library at the UvA 
3. Welcome and wrap-up sessions
4. Both live and pre-recorded lectures 
5. Access to the digital learning environment 
6. Individual feedback from our instructors on all course assignments 
7. An official transcript or certificate of participation

We believe that the right sort of online education experience can deliver knowledge in an impactful manner. Our online courses are designed to deepen your understanding of a series of innovative topics, and to reach as many people around the world as possible.

Past online courses have included participants from every continent: in order to facilitate this diversity we encourage discussion and feedback from all participants, and focus on student participation in the structure and delivery. Our instructors also give detailed feedback on assignments, to ensure you get the most out of your online course, and our staff is available to help should you have any technical difficulties. 

Our online courses make use of both live and pre-recorded sessions in varying formats, including seminars and lectures, as well as guided self study. All sessions are roughly two hours long, and are typically held at standard times for the duration of the programme, making them easy to plan for and attend. The online programe "Comprehensive Introduction to Research Methodology" is an exception however, as this is a more intensive course. 

We also make use of preparatory and in-course assignments, and participants will get the opportunity to write a final academic/research paper, or work on a final major project for the course of their choosing. Participants can also expect daily readings and weekly assignments to help solidify what they learn in the digital classroom. 

Transcripts and earning academic credit: Students who wish to earn credits (EC) receive an official transcript stating the course taken, credits earned and grade obtained. The number of credits your programme is worth is found on the main programme page in the programme at a glance table. An official transcript will only be issued if the student completes all necessary programme components, and also writes the academic/research paper at the end of the programme. Once the grade for the paper has been received, the transcript will be issued digitally and if needed, by post. 

Digital certificate of participation: Participants who are not taking the course for credit can receive a digital participation certificate from the University of Amsterdam. In order to receive this digital certificate, students are requested to adhere by the student code of conduct, and attend all programme elements. A digital certificate will only be issued to students who are not taking the course for academic credit. 

Counting credits towards your degree: Students are responsible for ensuring that their home university will accept the credits, and final credit conversions need to be made by the home university. If you have questions about credit transfer, or need more information/documents about the programme for your home university's administration, please email us at summer-info-gsss@uva.nl.

All of our programmes make use of Canvas, the UvA's digital learning environment.  Roughly one month before the start of your programme, you will receive an invitation by email to access Canvas. We recommend you do so as soon as possible. Once we invite you to Canvas, programme specific communication will appear there. Canvas is where announcements, schedules, and readings will be posted, both in advance of the course, and throughout its duration. Canvas is also the place to meet and interact with your fellow classmates.

Within the Canvas environment, Zoom has been integrated for the live lectures and seminars. It is seemelssly integrated with the course calendar, and participating is only a click away. We will also be using Kaltura Capture, an application that comes built into the UvA Canvas environment. Kaltura is a video recording platform that securely integrates content into Canvas, allowing participants to record submissions for course assignments (where applicable) and make meaningful video content to share only with their fellow students and academic director, fostering collaborative learning and deeper social bonds in a digitally secure way, despite the physical distance between them. 

If the Summer Programmes Office is notified via email at least 30 days before the start of the programme (orientation/opening date), students may cancel their participation for a refund of tuition fees, minus the €250 administration costs. No refunds will be given after this date.

In the event that a programme must be cancelled by the Summer Programmes Office, students who have paid tuition  fees will be reimbursed in full minus €50 to cover banking costs. If possible, students will be offered a spot in another programme, if a similar programme is available.