Location:

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Graduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

Many recent graduates face the same problem as they enter the professional arena for the first time. They have learned to solve problems from an academic perspective, not in a manner that serves their new employer or customer in a memorable and meaningful way. The devil is always in the detail, and they overlook the relevant details. 

The results can be disheartening, even traumatic. At the very least, the graduate, their employer and their customer fail to reap the benefits of years of university training. At worst, fear and insecurity can turn an academic high-flyer into a professional flop.

This course is designed to smooth your passage from classroom to career by addressing some of the novel intellectual challenges you are likely to encounter in the workplace, be that in the public or the private sector. We call our approach the “gentle art” of helping: you learn to deal with the complexity of helping clients, to benefit from the help of senior colleagues, to navigate new processes of problem inquiry and to apply new ways of exploring customer needs.

With its unique approach, you will find the course an unorthodox experience. The facilitators practise what they preach, so you will be placed in unfamiliar situations and set unusual tasks. Even poetry could come into it… But by the end you will be better equipped to build helping relationships in a new world: the world of work.

Cost:

€1150 (not including housing) Included in the tuition fee are: • Airport pick-up service • Orientation programme • Course excursions • On-site support • 24/7 emergency assistance • Transcript of records after completion of the course

Additional Program Information

Scholarships:

Yes

Scholarships Description:

The VU Amsterdam Summer School offers ten scholarships that cover the full tuition and housing fees of one course. Information about how to apply for the scholarship will be posted on the VU Amsterdam Summer School website.