More information

• Academic requirements

  Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree referred to as wetenschappelijk onderwijs (WO) and must have been obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years).  
  
  Every country has its own educational system. VU Amsterdam uses Nuffic (the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education) and equivalent sources as a primary guideline to determine the comparability of your qualification(s) to that of a Dutch WO Bachelor’s degree.  

  • Please note that Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO).  
  • WO is oriented more towards theory and research and has traditionally been offered at research universities (universiteiten) 
  • HBO is more practically oriented and has traditionally been offered at universities of applied science (hogescholen). 
  • If you apply with a non-Dutch diploma VU Amsterdam will assess if your previous education is sufficient for admission. 
  • You can start your application even if you have not completed or obtained your diploma yet. Your diploma (or statement of graduation) needs to be obtained by the time you enroll for the programme (August 31^st for September intake and January 31^st for February intake).   

• Programme-specific requirements

  • Every Master’s degree programme has specific programme admission requirements. You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of these programmes. 
  • Refer to the Master's programme of your choice to find out if any knowledge of specific subjects is required, for example a certain amount of ECTS in accounting courses. 
  • VU Amsterdam uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) which is based on the workload students should have in order to achieve expected learning outcomes. ECTS is based on the principle that 30 ECTS credits measure the workload of a full-time student during one semester (and 60 ECTS for a full academic year). In addition, each ECTS credit is equivalent to 28 study hours (which includes both classroom hours as well as self-study).  
  • We base our grade conversion on data collected by expert institutions, such as ECCTIS (UK). The comparison between the Dutch and foreign grade is based on grade distribution statistics, so how often a certain grade is given. This methodology ensures that a student who is successful in one country will be regarded as equally successful in another country. This way, we ensure all applications are treated fairly and equally. It is important to realise that grade comparison is not as simple as calculating that the grade 8 out of 10 is equivalent to, for example 80%, 16/20 or 3.2/4.

• English-language proficiency requirements

  If you are applying for one of our English-taught Master's degree programmes you will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency by submitting English test results. 

  • You can find an overview of all accepted tests and scores that can be used to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page. 

  Although complete applications are preferred, you can begin your application before you have completed the test and then submit your passing score once you have been conditionally admitted. 

• Not directly eligible for admission?

  If you do not meet the academic or programme specific requirements, the following options are advised: 

  • In case you are not directly eligible for the Master’s programme, the Admission Board might refer you to the pre-master's programme if offered by VU Amsterdam. For more extensive information about registration and admission for the Master's programme, please check ‘How do I apply for a Master’s programme?’. 
  • Have a look at an University of Applied Sciences. They offer programmes with a more applied and practical approach (compared to the more research oriented approach offered at VU Amsterdam) and have different admission requirements. 

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