Application and admission

Please note: the above deadlines are the dates by which you must submit your MyInfo application form. You must register in Studielink at least 48 hours ahead of this deadline.

* If you are an applicant with an EU/EEA nationality and apply after 1 March 2020, you will not be able to apply for UvA student housing. For more information, please see our Housing website.

Transfer to a Research Master's

Students who wish to transfer to a Research Master's after the first semester need to complete the transfer procedure (overstapprocedure). If you wish to transfer to a Research Master's programme that starts on 1 February 2020, you must arrange for your transfer before 1 January 2020.

Scholarships in the Humanities

Students who wish to apply for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship or Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship need to submit their MyInfo application for the Master’s programme and the scholarship application by 15 January 2020 at the latest. For more information, please see our page about scholarships.

Possible extenuation of 1 March deadline

Some selective programmes might re-open for application after the 1 March deadline. If you missed the 1 March deadline, but wish to apply for a selective Master’s programme, please keep an eye on the website of the programme of your choice from 15 March 2020 onwards.

Please note the following: due to visa and residence permit regulations, only EU nationals are eligible to apply after 1 March.

Programme entry requirements

Each Master’s programme has specific entry requirements. Before starting your application, please check the entry requirements of the Master's programme of your choice.

Please note that your application will be assessed by the selection committee of the programme you applied to. The Admissions Office cannot make any statements on eligibility. We kindly refer you to the entry requirements found on the programme page.

Language requirements

English-taught programmes

All students applying for an English-taught Master's programme are required to be proficient users of academic English before being allowed to enrol. For more information on how you can prove your language proficiency, please see our website:

Dutch-taught programmes

If you are an international student applying for a Dutch-taught Master's programme, you may be required to submit an NT2-II certificate. 

For more information, please visit:

All students applying for a Master’s programme at the University of Amsterdam will need to start their application by submitting an enrolment application in Studielink. Studielink is the national online system for students who would like to pursue a degree programme at a Dutch university.

Please make sure you register for the correct Master's programme in Studielink at least 48 hours before the application deadline (see step 1.). Check out the Master's programme of your choice to see which programme you should enrol in in Studielink.

1. Check your DigiD (before starting in Studielink)

A DigiD (Digital Identification) is an online ID (username and password) that provides access to government administration websites.

• Students who do not live in the Netherlands can use Studielink without a DigiD.
• Students who currently live in the Netherlands will need their DigiD to use Studielink. We strongly recommend that you apply for your DigiD at least three weeks before registering in Studielink.

2. Read the step-by-step guide to Studielink

Before submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, read the 'Step-by-step guide to Studielink'. Please see:

After submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive your UvAnetID by email within 48 hours. Follow the instructions in the email to activate your ID as you will need it to complete your UvA application in MyInfo (see next step).

If you already have a UvAnetID, you can proceed to step 5. If you have not received an email within 48 hours, please make sure to check your spam box.

After registering in Studielink, you will automatically receive an email with a link to your MyInfo UvA application form. To log in to MyInfo you need your UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload all required application documents and submit your MyInfo application form before the application deadline. For detailed information, please follow the link to further information on applying in MyInfo below.

Before starting your application, please take the following into account:

Deadline

You need to submit your application before the application deadline applicable to you (please see step 1). Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application documents

As part of your application in MyInfo, you are required to upload transcripts, diplomas, a motivation form, a CV/resume, an English language test report (unless you are exempt) and programme-specific documents (if applicable). Please find more detailed information on our page on application documents.

Application fee

All applicants holding a nationality outside the EU/EEA are required to pay an application fee of €100 per Studielink enrolment before submitting your MyInfo application form. You will find payment instructions on your application form.

Once we receive your complete application, it will be evaluated by our admissions committee. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. You will be notified about the admission decision by email within 6 to 8 weeks after the application deadline.

After you have been conditionally accepted to the Master’s programme, you will receive a separate email with a link to our offer, which you must accept or decline. Please make sure you respond within 2 weeks. Only once you have accepted our offer will you be able to apply for housing and a visa (if applicable), and will your application be processed further. 

Accept
You will receive more instructions on how to complete your enrolment in due time. For now, please read the steps below.

Decline
If you decide to decline our programme offer, make sure you also withdraw your enrolment application in Studielink to avoid receiving emails about completing your enrolment.

If you have been conditionally admitted to one of our Master's programmes, you can only start the programme in September if you have obtained the required diploma(s) before 1 September*. The Admissions Office must verify this. The method of verification depends on your previous education.

Non-Dutch degree

In order for us to verify that you have obtained your Bachelor’s degree from a non-Dutch university, you are required to send us certified copies of your transcripts and degree certificates (we strongly advise against sending us original diplomas and transcripts). Note that you must send us these documents by post. Plain copies or digital scans of the original certified documents are not accepted.

Please note that if the original language of your documents is in another language than English, Dutch, German or French, these documents must be translated into English, Dutch, German, or French by a sworn translator for use in your application to the Graduate School of Humanities.

Dutch non-UvA degree

On www.mijndiplomas.nl you can download your extract of the diploma register. You can upload this extract in MyInfo as a proof you graduated from your Dutch Bachelor’s degree.

Please note that you will still need to send in a physical, certified copy of the transcript of records from your Bachelor’s degree, to prove your curriculum meets the specific entry requirements for your programme.

UvA degree

If you have completed your Bachelor’s degree at the University of Amsterdam, please contact the Admissions Office. They will be able to verify your degree on your request.

Deadlines for sending certified documents:

1 August

Postal address:

Universiteit van Amsterdam
Graduate School of Humanities, Admissions Office

PO Box 93055
1090 BB Amsterdam
The Netherlands

* If you have completed your studies, but the diploma itself will not be issued until after 31 August, please provide the Admissions Office with an official statement of graduation, signed and stamped by your university. In this graduation statement your university needs to declare that you have fulfilled all graduation requirements and have graduated from the Bachelor's programme, stating your exact graduation date. This graduation date must be a date before 1 September 2020.

In order to study in the Netherlands, you may need to apply for a residence permit and/or an entry visa. This depends on your nationality. You will receive an email from the immigration department with a link to an online application form after you have accepted your offer. More information on how to apply for UvA housing and on the UvA start appointment will become available in May.

Please keep in mind that the housing market in Amsterdam is very competitive and that applying for student housing through the UvA does not guarantee placement. For this reason, we advise you to start your orientation for housing options early and to explore the private housing market as well. The UvA housing service is always offered for a fixed period of one year (two semesters) to new incoming international students. 

More information:

Online course registration for the first semester takes place in June. All information about course registration can be found via the link below. 

In the Course Catalogue, you can find the courses you will need to take each semester. The course catalogue for 2020/2021 will be released in May 2020. On www.rooster.uva.nl, you can enter your courses and see your own (weekly) timetable.

More information:

For questions regarding course registration, please contact the Education Desk via the Digital Student Service Desk.

A student ID card is a personal card which serves as proof of identity for examinations or borrowing library books. You will receive instructions on how to request your student ID card.

To help you get started in Amsterdam, the UvA and the Faculty of Humanities organise several mandatory and optional introduction sessions before the start of the semester. 

START appointment
During the individual Start appointment, you will be able to collect your student ID card and check the status of your enrolment. More information about the START appointment. 

Faculty introduction meeting
At the Faculty introduction meeting, which will take place in the week before the start of the semester, you will receive practical information about studying at the Faculty of Humanities and in Amsterdam. Moreover, it is a great way to meet other new students at the Faculty of Humanities.
For more information, check the website for new students at the Faculty of Humanities.

Intreeweek
The Intreeweek is a great way to get to know Amsterdam, the UvA and your fellow UvA students. The Intreeweek is open to international and Dutch students for a small fee. Each year, a team of dedicated students organise this major event to kick-off the new year. You can find details on the Intreeweek website. 

Programme specific introduction
Most Master's programmes organise a Programme specific introduction during the Intreeweek. If applicable to your programme, you will receive an invitation from your Programme Coordinator separately. 

You will need to pay the tuition fee in order to complete your enrolment for a degree programme at the UvA.

For questions about the tuition fees, you can contact the Central Student Service Desk.