Maria Kourdalanova

'I have a Bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Malta. After that, I chose to do a MSc in Business Economics at the UvA. I liked how this programme was organised: each student can choose the courses of his/her interest within one specialisation. The courses that I chose upgraded my previous knowledge, which is what I was aiming for.

Furthermore the programme is divided into 4 quarters instead of 2 semesters. This means there are not too many subjects per quarter, which ensures some free time for both studies and leisure.

Amsterdam is a fantastic city, with a well organized infrastructure and a lovely mixture of different cultures and races. I did not find any problems in communication as everyone who I met so far speaks English. This is definitely a big plus for international students.

In my Master's programme in Business Economics, many nations were represented and thus one can truly experience the globalisation of the world. The Dutch students are really helpful and love to chat with foreigners, thus making it easy to make new friends.

The lectures were well organized and up to date. All the lecturers and staff were also fluent in English which makes communication very easy and enjoyable.'