Home | Study at VU Amsterdam | Short programmes | Winter School | How to apply |

Application Process & Requirements

VU Graduate Winter School 2021 was a great success! Winter school 2022 will open for applications in August and the website is currently on hold. If you would like to receive a notification then please send us an e-mail or leave your details in our contact form. Did you know that we also offer a summer school? VU Amsterdam Summer School is open for registrations. Find out more! 


In the online application form you will be asked to provide a short motivation for the course and we ask for the following document (no larger than 1 MB per document): 

  • Curriculum Vitae/Résumé (in English)
    The documents will be shared with the professors before the start of the course.
In case you apply using the student price, we would like to ask you to apply with your university email-address.

If you have any questions regarding the procedure or anything else, please contact us via [email protected]. Your admission will be definite once we have reviewed your application on the basis of the entry requirements, availability in the courses, and once we have received your payment. Your place in the VU Graduate Winter School will not be guaranteed until we have received your payment. 

Before applying make sure to read the General Terms and Conditions.

Courses are taught at Master and PhD level, and are suitable for students as well as for staff and professionals. The following entry requirements are set:

  • Master: at least enrolled in the 1st year of Master studies - professionals need to have a Bachelor diploma
  • PhD: at least enrolled in 1st year of PhD studies 

Individual courses may have their own entry requirements, please check the course descriptions

*If on the basis of the provided documents doubts remain about the academic level of the student, the VU Graduate Winter School reserves the right to ask for additional documents and/or a telephone/Skype interview.

It is not necessary to provide us with proof of your English. We do expect your English to be sufficient to understand classes and course literature. This means you should have at least a B2 level of English, as developed within the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). This is comparable to a Toefl internet test with a score of 92, or an IELTS score of 6.5.

Are you unsure about how to proceed in your field, would you like to add a new skill to your cv or earn ECTS? Join the online VU Graduate Winter School.

What can you expect from the winter school?

  • Personal development
  • Equip yourself with a new set of key skills 
  • Specialize yourself by gaining incremental expertise
  • Possibility to earn study credits
  • Broaden your international and professional network
  • Expand your CV and remain professionally competitive 

You can always reach out to us for questions. 

Testimonials from winter school alumni:

  • VU Graduate Winter School quickly equipped me with skills necessary for content analysis and made me passionate to exploring further.
  • It was a wonderful experience to discuss and study with such a diverse group of students from different backgrounds and disciplines and with a diverse group of teachers
  • Attending this winter school has given me several research ideas during the lectures. It really inspires me as a PhD student and researcher. 
  • This is my first time to attend a winter course and I found it very convenient and enriching. I learned a lot in a short period of time. The lecturer was an expert in the field and the coordinators were effective and friendly.



If you have been accepted to VU Graduate Winter School and have paid the tuition fee, but due to unforeseen circumstances need to cancel, the following refunds will be given:

  • Cancellation before 1 December: 50% of total fee will be refunded
  • Cancellation after 1 December: no refund will be given