Then the Master’s in International Business Law is the programme for you.
Business law for a better world
Check whether you meet the admission requirements and apply.
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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 to this Master’s programme (LLM) is based on a relevant degree, and on merit and motivation.
You can apply with a Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB).
If you do not have such a degree, but you have a sound academic background and considerable experience in the field of law, and you can substantiate this, then you can also apply.
Merit is demonstrated by academic excellence, as evidenced by your overall grade average, your thesis, academic English proficiency, proficiency in (legal) research methods and techniques and recommendations. You should have a min. Grade Point Average (GPA) of 7.0 according to the Dutch grading system. Please note that VU Amsterdam will convert international grades into the Dutch equivalents in order to assess your GPA.
Motivation is demonstrated not only in your motivation letter, but also by relevant extra-curricular academic and/or legal work experience on your CV.
A somewhat lower score in one area may be compensated by a strong score in another.
VU pre-master's
The faculty does not offer a pre-master's for this master.
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I have a Dutch higher vocational education (HBO) bachelor’s degree (pre-master's)
Admission to this Master’s programme (LLM) is based on a relevant degree, and on merit and motivation.
You can apply on the basis of one of the HBO degrees listed below in combination with a relevant pre-master's:
- HBO-Rechten plus VU SchakelzoneRecht (in Dutch)
- HBO-Rechten plus doorstroomprogramma HvA-VU (in Dutch) at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
- HBO-Rechten plus non-VU pre-master's Law with Civil Effect : send scans of your HBO degree, certified transcript of the pre-master's courses completed plus the course descriptions of all pre-master's courses to admission.law@vu.nl for assessment
You cannot apply with other HBO degrees, even if you have completed a relevant pre-master's.
Merit is demonstrated by academic excellence, as evidenced by your overall grade average, your thesis, academic English proficiency, proficiency in (legal) research methods and techniques and recommendations. You should have a min. Grade Point Average (GPA) of 7.0 for your pre-master’s according to the Dutch grading system.
Motivation is demonstrated not only in your motivation letter, but also by relevant extra-curricular academic and/or legal work experience on your CV.
A somewhat lower score in one area may be compensated by a strong score in another.
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I have an international degree
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.
If you have a degree from a University of Applied Sciences, you need a completed relevant pre-master's to apply. The faculty does not offer a pre-master's for this master.
2. Programme specific requirements
Admission to this Master’s programme (LLM) is based on a relevant degree, and on merit and motivation.
You can apply with an academic Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) or equivalent.
If you do not have such a degree, but you have a sound academic background and considerable experience in the field of law, and you can substantiate this, then you can also apply.
Merit is demonstrated by academic excellence, as evidenced by your overall grade average, your thesis, academic English proficiency, proficiency in (legal) research methods and techniques and recommendations. You should have a min. Grade Point Average (GPA) of 7.0 according to the Dutch grading system. Please note that VU Amsterdam will convert international grades into the Dutch equivalents in order to assess your GPA.
Motivation is demonstrated not only in your motivation letter, but also by relevant extra-curricular academic and/or legal work experience on your CV.
A somewhat lower score in one area may be compensated by a strong score in another.
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.
Check how to apply for International Business Law
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Application procedure with a Dutch degree (WO & HBO plus premaster’s)
First check whether you meet the admission requirements.
You can apply from 1 October. The application deadline is 1 June. This applies to all students, also students who obtain their bachelor degree at VU Amsterdam.To apply, it is not necessary that you have already obtained your bachelor's degree; you must, however, graduate by 31 August.
Apply for the Master’s programme in Studielink. After applying in Studielink you will receive login information for your VU Dashboard. Finish your VU Dashboard by 1 June; here you will need to upload the filled-out Master Application File. Please download the Master Application File here: in this file, you can see which documents are required to apply for your programme (letter of motivation, 2 letters of recommendation, transcript etc).
Only complete dossiers will be considered. We may ask for additional information on your academic record if this is deemed necessary to come to a decision.
The Admissions Board decides monthly on applications.
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Application with an international degree
Application documents
To apply you are required to provide the following documents:
- A scan of your passport or national ID card (ID for EEA students only) valid at the start date of the programme.
- The Master Application File: please download the correct file from this webpage. 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.
Don't hesitate to contact us!
Dutch diploma applicants
International diploma applicants
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