International Study Programmes at the University of Amsterdam

University of Amsterdam, ranked among the top 30 universities in Europe and the top 100 worldwide, has one of the largest numbers of international Master's study programmes of any university in Europe, with over 120 taught in English and several of the courses offered being unique to the UvA. Study programmes at the UvA offer a high level of autonomy. Respect for each individual's opinions and convictions are central in the Netherlands' diverse and plural society.

For 2012-2013, the UvA has a large number of Master's and Research Master's international programmes covering a broad range of disciplines and topics. Regular Master's programmes usually take a year and lead, upon successful completion, to the award of an MSc, MA or LLM degree. Research Master's programmes take two years and prepare candidates to pursue and develop a career in academic research or associated professions.


The minimum entry requirement for Master's programmes is a Bachelor's degree in a related subject or field which is equivalent to a Dutch Bachelor's degree. In addition, students need to demonstrate a sufficient command of English in order to be able to follow lectures, tutorials and course materials. Some programmes have additional entry requirements.

Potential applicants can find more details about the specific entry requirements and application procedures via the individual programme pages listed here: Master's programmes

Amsterdam Merit Scholarship

The University provides a limited number of scholarships for excellent students in the selected Master's programmes. The total amount for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship dedicated to the specific faculty is established annually. As the actual number of scholarships is derived from this amount, no fixed number is in place. For the academic year 2011-2012, 20% of students from outside the European Union that started in one of the Master's programme has been awarded a € 12,000 Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.  

General Criteria
In order to be considered for the AMS scholarship applicants need to meet the following general criteria:
  • hold non-EEA nationality or nationalities only
  • have above average academic results
  • not be entitled to receive a Dutch study grant or loan ("Studiefinanciering")
  • not receive a full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the AMS scholarship
  • have submitted a complete application to one of the MSc programmes including a sufficient English test score
  • have been (or will be) admitted to one of the MSc programmes
  • be able to comply with the conditions to obtain a Dutch visa (if applicable).

Selection procedure

  1. Applicants should write an AMS motivation letter (tell us in not more than 300 words your motivation to get the scholarship).
  2. Applicants should upload the AMS digital motivation letter to their online application for the MSc programme before April 1st 2012.
  3. Before the end of May 2012 we will inform all applicants about the results by e-mail.
Please note that specific scholarship application requirements and exact dates may differ based on the faculty and the program! Refer to individual program pages specified above to obtain more information. 

Web-site: http://studeren.uva.nl/programmes/isp.cfm