Earth Sciences

Application procedure

Applications for admission to the master’s programme, and the application fee payments must have been received by VU University no later than:

The master’s coordinator will evaluate your application and advise the Examination Board on conditions for your admission. The Board reviews the application and the recommendation and decides if you can be admitted and under which conditions. You will then receive a letter of admission from the Examination Board, which will allow you to start your studies in September.

Admission requirements

Students with a bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences from VU University Amsterdam
Students with a bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences from VU University Amsterdam will receive direct admission to the Master's programme in Earth Sciences.

The four different BSc variants (Variant I: Geology, hydro(geo)logy; variant II: Physical geography, Quaternary geology, geo-ecology, hydro(geo)logy; variant III: Environmental sciences, and variant IV: Geoarchaeology) warrant admission to the following specializations*:

• Solid Earth: BSc variant I; 
• Palaeoclimate and Geo-ecosystems: BSc variants I, II, and III; 
• Archaeometry: BSc Archaeology, specialization in Geo- or Bioarchaeology; 
• Landscape Archaeology: BSc Archaeology, specialization in Geo- or Bioarchaeology;
• Applied Environmental Geo-ecosciences;
• Earth Sciences and Economics; 

* After finishing the first year of one of the 6 Earth Sciences specializations, you can choose the differentiation Science Communication.
After finishing the first year of one of the 6 Earth Sciences specializations and provided you have taken Sociale geografie I and, preferably, 12 ECTS of "Oriëntatie-CE"- courses,  you can choose the differentiation Science Education.

Students who do not receive direct admission to a certain Master's specialization, because their BSc variant is not entirely appropriate for this specialization, may still be admitted by a decision to that effect taken by the Examination Board. The Examination Board will, in such cases, place additional requirements on the student before granting admission to the Master's programme.
 
HBO students and students with a BSc degree obtained at an institution inside or outside of the Netherlands
Students who hold a certificate of higher vocational education (hbo) or an equivalent of a VU University BSc degree obtained at an institution inside or outside of the Netherlands may be admitted to the Master's programme in Earth Sciences on the basis of a decision to that effect taken by the Examination Board. The Examination Board will determine whether the qualification in question is sufficiently relevant to warrant admission. The Examination Board may place additional requirements on the student before granting admission to the programme.

Participation in master courses without a BSc degree
The Examination Board may decide to admit the student to certain interim examinations of an MSc programme (specified in AER) even before he or she has successfully completed the BSc degree, provided that the student has accumulated at least 168 credits within the appropriate BSc programme at VU University Amsterdam.

The maximum period for which a student without a BSc degree can participate in components of the Master's programme is 12 months, calculated from the beginning of the academic year. Under certain conditions, the Examination Board may, at the student's request, decide to allow participation in Master’s courses to students who are very near to the 168 credit minimum.

Visa/ residence permit/ Nuffic certificate for Chinese students

All information about visa and residence permits is available under the section:
Visa/ residence permit

Here you can learn more about:

• The visa deadlines and procedure
• The Nuffic certificate for Chinese students (which was known as a NESO Certificate until 1 June 2010)
• Legalisation
• Residence permit

Language proficiency requirements

VU University Amsterdam requires international applicants to take an English test and to submit their score as a part of the application. Exceptions are made for students who have completed their education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia or who have obtained an international Baccalaureate or European Baccalaureate diploma.

Further information on the minimum English language proficiency requirements (TOEFL, IELTS, CAE, CPE) is available under the section:

How to apply?

International Office

For additional information please contact: international@falw.vu.nl.