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Admission requirements

• I have a Dutch university level (WO) Bachelor’s degree (VU Bachelor’s degree, VU pre-master's or Bachelor’s degree at another university)

  The Humanities (Research) Master programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities. The two-year (Research) Master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their MA, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.

  To be eligible to the Humanities (Research) Master programme, students should have a Bachelor’s degree in one of the Humanities disciplines History, Philosophy, Linguistics, Literature or Art, or an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s programme (such as Liberal Arts & Sciences, Arts and Culture Studies, PPE, PPLE, Political Sciences, Anthropology, European Studies, American Studies, Global Studies, Digital Society, Computer Sciences, Digital Humanities, or Environmental Humanities or Environmental Studies. 

  For the track Philosophy students must also meet the following requirements:

  • knowledge: applicants who wish to follow the track Philosophy must have a solid background with a minimum of 30 EC in philosophy. 
  • understanding: an understanding of academic methodologies. 
  • skills: an ability to analyse philosophical texts; the capacity to discuss developments in philosophy in a wider societal context, and to use theoretical writings

  Admission is also based on additional strict selection criteria:

  • proof of excellent study results: outstanding grade for your bachelor’s thesis or similar final work (7.5 or higher), and an average of no less than 7.5 for a relevant selection of your bachelor’s programme (to be decided by the Admission Board). 
  • clear motivation for doing academic research: showing evidence of enthusiasm, commitment, intellectual curiosity, genuine interest, perseverance, and capacity for sustained study.

  The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. 

• I have a Dutch higher vocational education (HBO) Bachelor’s degree (pre-master's)

  Students with a higher professional education qualification cannot proceed directly to the (Research) Master’s programme. You will have to complete a Bachelor’s degree programme first.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  How to apply

  1. Apply for the Master’s programme Humanities (research) in  by 1 June. After applying in Studielink you will receive login information for your personal dashboard. See also Additional information on the enrolment procedure. In your personal dashboard you can choose the track Philosophy.
  2. Add the requested Application File to your personal dashboard and complete your application.
  3. Upon receipt of your application, your admission request will be processed and you will be notified whether you have been admitted or whether you must first meet additional requirements.
  4. Ensure that your payment of tuition fees for the Master’s has been received by 31 August so that you can complete your registration by then.

  The Admissions Committee will determine whether you are directly admissible. If you are not admissible, you will receive a notification with the exact reason.

• I have an international degree

  Admission requirements

  Students must meet the following admission requirements:

  1.  Academic requirements

  Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years). Please find more information about your admissibility with a non-Dutch degree here. 

  2. Programme specific requirements

  The Humanities (Research) Master programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities. The two-year (Research) Master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their MA, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.

  To be eligible to the Humanities (Research) Master programme, students should have a Bachelor’s degree in one of the Humanities disciplines History, Philosophy, Linguistics, Literature or Art, or an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s programme (such as Liberal Arts & Sciences, Arts and Culture Studies, PPE, PPLE, Political Sciences, Anthropology, European Studies, American Studies, Global Studies, Digital Society, Computer Sciences, Digital Humanities, or Environmental Humanities or Environmental Studies. 

  For the track Philosophy students must also meet the following requirements:

  • knowledge: applicants who wish to follow the track Philosophy must have a solid background with a minimum of 30 EC in philosophy. 
  • understanding: an understanding of academic methodologies. 
  • skills: an ability to analyse philosophical texts; the capacity to discuss developments in philosophy in a wider societal context, and to use theoretical writings

  Admission is also based on additional strict selection criteria:

  • proof of excellent study results: outstanding grade for your bachelor’s thesis or similar final work (7.5 or higher), and an average of no less than 7.5 for a relevant selection of your bachelor’s programme (to be decided by the Admission Board). 
  • clear motivation for doing academic research: showing evidence of enthusiasm, commitment, intellectual curiosity, genuine interest, perseverance, and capacity for sustained study.

  The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. 

  How to demonstrate that you meet the above requirements

  You are required to indicate in the course description section of the Application Form how you meet the programme specific admission requirements.  

  3. English-language proficiency requirements

  You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page. 

• Application with an international degree

  Application documents

  To apply you are required to provide the following documents:

  • Scan of your passport or national ID card (ID for EEA students only) valid at the start date of the programme
  • Master Application File please download the correct file from this page. In this file you can see which documents are required to apply for your programme.
  • Proof of English language proficiency (if already obtained): upload your proof of English language proficiency or English language test results. Please find the English language requirements here.

  After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure. 

  Application fee & deadlines

  All students seeking admission to an international Master’s programme with an international degree are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee. Only after you have paid this fee will we be able to start the evaluation of your application file. If you are applying for more than one programme, you will only need to pay the application fee once. Your application fee payment is valid for two years.
  
  Information on how to apply with an international university degree and deadlines can be found here. 

  Grants and scholarships

  As an international student planning to study at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, you can apply for a variety of grants and bursaries. Detailed information about scholarships and deadlines can be found on or .

  International Student and Alumni Ambassadors 

  Our International Student and Alumni Ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU Amsterdam and living in Amsterdam.

  • Our Student Ambassadors are current students at VU Amsterdam that represent a wide variety of programmes and countries.
  • Our International Alumni Ambassadors are VU Amsterdam graduates who are currently either working in the Netherlands or abroad, or doing a PhD or (second) Master's.

  You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.