For this programme there are strict admission criteria. These are set by the Admissions Board, which also decides on individual applications. Applicants are required to have an academic knowledge basis in Business Administration as well as basic knowledge of research methodology and sufficient analytical and statistical skills.
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Check if you meet the programme requirements and sign up
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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)
Admission requirements
With a Bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics and Business Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you are directly admissible.Services for international (EBE, EOR, IBA) students / Residence permit:
If you are planning to continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam after your SBE Bachelor, please contact the Central Admission’s Support Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further information and specific questions about the offered services for international students like extending your residence permit. You will need to apply for extension of your residence permit if you continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam -
I have a business, economics or econometrics degree from a Dutch research university
Students with a Bachelor's degree from a Dutch research university in (International) Business Administration, Economics and Business Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research will be directly admitted after they complete the application process in VU.nl. For this a formal transcript of your Bachelor’s grades, a resume (CV) and a motivation letter is required.
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I have a Dutch University Level (WO) bachelor’s degree that is not a business, economics or econometrics degree
Admission requirements
You are expected to have:- An academic working standard, including experience in academic writing. Course requirements: at least 6 ECTS in academic writing courses (e.g. a Bachelor’s thesis) at the 3rd year Bachelor’s level.
- Sound knowledge of research methodology, including sufficient analytical and statistical skills. Course requirements: at least 12 ECTS in research skills (qualitative and quantitative) at 3rd year Bachelor's level.
- Experience with entrepreneurship, demonstrated with completed courses in Entrepreneurship (at least 6 credits on 3rd-year Bachelor’s level) and/or entrepreneurial experience as (co-)founder or (co-)owner (at least 6 months, in the past 3 years).
The admission board will assess your application and will notify you on its decision by mail.
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I have a Dutch higher vocational education (HBO) Bachelor’s degree
You will gain direct admission after completing the premaster’s programme for this master. This is a 30 EC fulltime programme with courses on at least three days a week and runs from February till July.
Here you can find detailed information about Entrepreneurship
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Application procedure with a Dutch Degree
Application procedure
To enroll in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink.
Step 1:
Apply for the programme via Studielink before 1 June.
Step 2:
After application in Studielink you will receive a VUnet-ID and password unless you already have a VUnet-ID. Please complete your application on your VU Dashboard by answering additional questions and uploading the following documents (except for students (I)BA, EBE or EOR of VU Amsterdam):
• a formal transcript of your bachelor grades.• A motivation letter in which you explain why you would be a good fit for the Joint Master Entrepreneurship and why the Master Entrepreneurship would be a good fit for you.
• A recent resume (CV).
Please note: we can only process your application when you uploaded all required documents.
Step 3:
The admission committee will assess if you meet the admission criteria and will inform you about the decision via email. -
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
- 6 ECTS in Academic Writing (e.g. a Bachelor’s thesis) at the 3rd year Bachelor’s level
- 12 ECTS in Research Methods (qualitative and quantitative) at 3rd year Bachelor's level.
- 6 ECTS in Entrepreneurship at 3rd year Bachelor’s level and/or entrepreneurial experience as (co-)founder or (co-)owner (at least 6 months, in the past three years).
How to demonstrate that you meet the above requirementsYou are required to indicate in the course description section of the Application Form how you meet the programme specific admission requirements.
Whether you meet the admission requirements, is determined by the Admission Board based on your complete application.
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.
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Application procedure 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 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you can apply for a variety of grants and bursaries. Detailed information about scholarships and deadlines can be found on www.vu.nl/scholarships or www.grantfinder.nl.
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.
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Pre-master's programme for international students
Applying for the pre-master's programme directly is not possible. All international students are required to apply for the Master's programme of their choice first. If you do not meet the admission requirements directly, the Admission Board might refer you to the pre-master's programme. After completing the pre-master's programme you are directly eligible for the Master's programme.
The pre-master's programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for this Master's programme. It is a programme of 30 ECTS that is offered in the second semester, from February through July. Content details of the offered pre-master's can be found here.
Admission requirements for the pre-master's programme- You have a Bachelor's degree from a non-Dutch university or from a non-Dutch university of applied science (which is equal to at least a Dutch HBO degree).
- The Admission Board might request to hand in GMAT. This will be stated in the invitation to apply for the pre-master's programme you will receive from the Admission Board after you applied for the Master's programme. Do you want to know more about the GMAT? See GMAT ® - More about - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl)
Deadlines and application
The programme starts 1 February. Because of visa application deadlines, non-EU citizens must have submitted their application before 1 November. EU citizens or students with a valid residence permit for the Netherlands have until January 31st to complete their application. However, to make sure everything is arranged before the enrolment deadline it is advised to submit your application well before this date.- 1 November 2023: Non-EU/ non-EAA students who need visa/residence permit. November 1 is the deadline to apply. Once you are conditionally admitted you have till December 1 to hand in a valid English Language test and GMAT (if applicable)
- 31 January 2024: EU/EAA students
Note: When applying, you can find the pre-master's programme in Studielink after selecting Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and by entering ‘pre-master's’ in the search bar.
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International diploma applicants