For best experience please turn on javascript and use a modern browser!
You are using a browser that is no longer supported by Microsoft. Please upgrade your browser. The site may not present itself correctly if you continue browsing.

Literary Studies

Pre-Master’s programme

This programme is aimed at students who have a degree from a University of Applied Sciences (such as Dutch HBO) or an academic Bachelor’s degree that does not grant direct access to the following tracks of the Master's Literary Studies: MA Comparative Literature, MA English Literature and Culture and MA Literature, Culture and Society. It does not grant access to the research Master's Literary Studies.

If you successfully complete the pre-Master’s programme within a year, you will automatically be admitted to the Master's programme you wish to pursue. However, you do need to complete the programme within one year, as you cannot start the Master's without fully meeting the entry requirements. After completing the pre-Master's programme you will not receive a diploma or certificate.

Programme

If you have obtained an academic Bachelor’s degree, you do not need to take the two Academic Skills courses (2 x 6 ECTS), which means that the programme will comprise 30 ECTS instead of 42 ECTS. Below you see the programme of the current academic year; the courses in the coming academic year may differ slightly. The Course Catalogue for the new academic year will be published in May.

Recommended for Comparative Literature

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Academic Skills pre-Master's
    Period 1
    Period 3
    12
  • Philosophy of the Humanities (LCA and English)
    Period 1
    6
  • Moving Images in Film and Literature
    Period 2
    6
  • Literary Worlds: World Literature and Globalisation
    Period 4
    6
  • What’s Going On? Emerging Trends in Cultural Analysis
    Period 4
    6
  • Living On: How to survive the 21st Century armed only with a Humanities degree
    Period 5
    6
UvA Course Catalogue - Pre-Master's Literary Studies Comparative Literature

Recommended for English Literature and Culture

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Academic Skills pre-Master's
    Period 1
    Period 3
    12
  • Philosophy of the Humanities (LCA and English)
    Period 1
    6
  • Authors in Focus: Contemporary American Writers
    Period 2
    6
  • Contemporary World Literature
    Period 4
    6
  • English Literature 2: Early Modern Literature
    Period 4
    6
  • English Literature 3: The Eighteenth Century
    Period 5
    6
UvA Course Catalogue - Pre-Master's Literary Studies English Literature and Culture

Recommended for Literature, Culture and Society

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Academic Skills pre-Master's
    Period 1
    Period 3
    12
  • Philosophy of the Humanities (LCA and English)
    Period 1
    6
  • Europese literaire klassieken
    Period 2
    6
  • Moving Images in Film and Literature
    Period 2
    6
  • Literary Worlds: World Literature and Globalisation
    Period 4
    6
  • Contemporary World Literature
    Period 4
    6
UvA Course Catalogue - Pre-Master's Literary Studies Literature, Culture and Society

Application deadlines

Please check the deadlines below very carefully, because they are strict. Missing one of the deadlines means that your application cannot be processed. 

  • I have a Dutch nationality

    Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
    8 May 2024, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 2)
    15 May 2024, 23:59 CET

  • I have an EU/EEA-nationality

    If you wish to apply for housing

    Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
    23 February 2024, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 2)
    1 March 2024, 23:59 CET
     

    If you do NOT wish to apply for housing

    Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
    8 May 2024, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 2)
    15 May 2024, 23:59 CET

  • I have a non-EU/EEA nationality

    Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
    23 February 2024, 23:59 CET

    Submit complete application (see step 2)
    1 March 2024, 23:59 CET

    Important information regarding visa

    If you need a visa for your stay in the Netherlands, please note that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) only issues visas to pre-Master's students for the duration of one year. If you do not complete the programme in one year, you cannot continue your studies anywhere in the Netherlands.

Application procedure

Your application to the Graduate School of Humanities always starts by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink and MyInfo application for the Master's programme you wish to pursue, even if you think you are eligible for the pre-Master’s programme.

An enrolment request in Studielink for the pre-Master’s programme alone is not sufficient and will not be taken into consideration.

  • 1. Submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the Master's Literary Studies
  • 2. Pay the application fee (international prior education only)

    All students applying for a (pre-)Master’s programme with a non-Dutch degree must pay a non-refundable application fee of €100. The UvA cannot start processing your application until this fee has been paid. You can pay the application fee by credit card (Master or Visacard) or iDEAL.

    You do not have to pay the application fee:

    • If you have obtained or will obtain a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences (HBO);
    • If you have already applied and paid the application fee for another Master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2024-2025;
    • If you have already applied and paid the application fee for a Master's programme at the Graduate School of Humanities for the academic year 2023-2024;
    • If you have started a UvA Master’s programme in 2021, 2022 or 2023.
  • 3. Submit a complete application in MyInfo

    Complete all of the steps of the application process for the Master's programme, including the application in MyInfo and the submission of all required application documents. This includes proof of English/Dutch language proficiency that meets our requirements.

  • 4. Wait for the admission decision

    The Admissions Board will assess your prior education and determine whether you are directly admissible to the Master’s programme, admissible to the Master’s programme after first completing the pre-Master’s programme, or not admissible to the (pre)Master’s programme.

  • 5. After admission decision

    If you are admissible to the pre-Master’s programme, you will receive a letter of conditional admission with the steps you need to take to become fully enrolled.

    Please be aware that all pre-Master’s programmes offered by the Graduate School of Humanities must be completed within one academic year. Extensions are not possible.

Costs

The tuition fee rate for a pre-Master’s programme in the academic year 2024-2025 is €42.17 per ECTS, with a maximum of €2,530. This means that for a 42 ECTS pre-Master’s programme, the fee is €1,771; for a 30 ECTS programme, the fee is €1,265.

More information

Dr M. (Marija) Cetinic

Faculty of Humanities

Literatuurwetenschap

Dr R.W.H. (Rudolph) Glitz

Faculty of Humanities

Capaciteitsgroep Engelse taal en cultuur

Prof. dr. S. (Shelley) Godsland

Faculty of Humanities

Capaciteitsgroep Romaanse talen en culturen

Facts & Figures
Mode
Full-time
Credits
30/42 ECTS, 12 months
Language of instruction
English
Conditions for admission
University of applied sciences degree (HBO)
Academic/research university degree (WO)
Starts in
September