Persons in conversation Radboud Honours Academy
Persons in conversation Radboud Honours Academy

Honours Arts

Are you passionate about doing research? And are you looking for an extra challenge? The Faculty of Arts Honours programme will give you the chance to develop the research project you’ve been dreaming about and to share your insights with a wider (non-academic) audience.

    General

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    Your own research project

    You already have a particular topic in mind and you can’t wait to get started on your dream research project. Maybe one of your courses really inspired you, or you know about a current research project in your Faculty and you want to link your own research to it.

    This honours programme will give you all the space you need to work on your own project, with expert supervision, a customised programme and plenty of opportunities for personal growth. The number of hours you spend on your honours project will vary. On average, this will be around four hours a week. You will largely be able to schedule your time as you wish.

    Final product

    You decide what form your final product will take, but it must be aimed at communicating your findings and insights to a wider audience. You might build a website, make a podcast or develop an exhibition. You could also set up a workshop, make an educational video, or deliver a public lecture. In short, the programme offers you the chance to be creative and work on achieving societal impact (valorisation).

    Individually, but not alone

    During the honours programme you will primarily work independently on your research project, but you won’t be alone. We will start the programme with a kick-off, where you’ll meet your fellow honours students. Additionally, we will be organising several evening sessions and a writing day at the Soeterbeeck monastery (Ravenstein). During these meetings, you will work with your fellow students on developing your research plan and setting up and testing your path to making impact. You will also discuss your progress and reflect on your methods with your peers.

    The programme will conclude with a final symposium where you will present your final product.

    Honours certificate

    This honours programme will give you the chance to develop your academic and professional skills in relation to achieving societal impact. Once you have met all the programme criteria, you will receive a special honours certificate.

    Starting date

    To be announced
    The programme starts at the end of September 2026. An exact date will be announced later.
    Costs
    Free
    Main Language
    Dutch-English
    Intake
    Yes
    Deadline registration
    01 September 2026, 12 am

    Factsheet

    Type of education
    Research
    Study load (ECTS)
    5
    Result
    Certificate

    Contact information

    If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact heleen.loof [at] ru.nl (heleen[dot]loof[at]ru[dot]nl)

    What does the programme look like?

    Kick-off

    We will start this honours programme with a kick-off meeting in De Lindenberg (Nijmegen) in late September (date t.b.c.). During the kick-off, you will meet your fellow honours students and further develop your research proposal.

    Evening sessions

    Over the course of the year, we will convene for several evening sessions or in the weekend to share ideas and problems and help each other succeed in bringing every project to the finish line. One of the sessions will be a writing day in the Soeterbeeck monastery (Ravenstein).

    Final symposium

    The programme concludes with a shared final symposium where you will present your final product.

    Custom-tailored programme

    This honours programme will be tailored to your interests and needs. Of course, that already starts with your choice of research topic. But it also applies to the content of your programme and the form of your final product. While working on your research project, you will have an academic supervisor who brainstorms with you about the content and direction of your research. Your supervisor is an expert in your research field and helps you to make the right choices.

    Coaching 

    In addition to having an academic supervisor, you will have a coach from the Radboud Honours Academy. Your coach will pay attention to your personal development. Together, you will create a personal development plan and discuss which academic skills you want to develop, but also how your planning is developing and where your main challenges and pitfalls lie.

    Application 

    You can apply using the online application form below. You can submit your application until 1 September 2026. If you apply before the summer break, you will be invited for a short meeting to fill you in on the details for the start of the programme.

    Necessary documents

    Please send us a brief motivation letter, a research idea, your CV and your academic transcript.

    • Statement of purpose: in no more than one A4 page, describe why you are interested in taking on the additional challenge of the Honours programme and how you intend to balance it with your degree course.
    • Research idea: briefly describe the topic you would like to research. Answer the following questions:
      • Which aspects of this topic appeal to you most? 
      • What does the starting point of your project look like? 
      • For example, what knowledge and insights do you already have about your research topic? What are you still unsure about? 
      • What do you ultimately want to communicate about your topic? How will you go about translating your academic insights into a product that is accessible to a wider audience?
      • What kind of support do you need to achieve this? Who could provide that support? 
    • Curriculum vitae: an up-to-date overview of your education and work experience.
    • Transcript: an overview of your grades from Osiris.

    If you have any questions, please contact heleen.loof [at] ru.nl (heleen[dot]loof[at]ru[dot]nl)

    Apply now

    * Mandatory field

    Great that you would like to participate in an honours programme. Please fill out the form below and we will contact you after the application deadline.

    Portfolio

    Upload files containing a letter of motivation, your curriculum vitae and an overview of your study results.

    One file only.
    One file only.
    One file only.
    One file only.
    One file only.

    Motivation

    Provide a brief explanation of why you would like to participate in this Honours Programme. One paragraph of approximately 80 words is sufficient.