You are eligible to apply for admission if you hold an academic Bachelor's degree from an accredited research university in:

• Art History
• History
• Cultural Studies
• the Humanities with at least 30 ECTS obtained in the research field of Art History, History, Cultural Studies, History of Design or Fashion

If you obtained your degree outside the Netherlands, the minimum level of your diploma should be at least equivalent to or comparable to three years of a Dutch research-oriented university. The assessment of whether your degree is considered equivalent will be completed by professional diploma evaluators according to the guidelines set forth by Nuffic, the independent organisation for internationalisation in education in the Netherlands. More information on this assessment can be found on the Graduate School of Humanities website.

It is not possible to apply to this programme with a degree from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hbo) or international equivalent, such as degrees or qualifications from art academies. Furthermore, we do not offer a pre-Master's programme (schakelprogramma) for this Master's.

Master's students should be able to speak, read, write and understand English at an advanced academic level. Before starting your application in SIS,  make sure to check on the Graduate School of Humanities website whether you already meet the English language requirements or whether you may need to arrange to take an official English language test. In your SIS application, you may also need to upload an English language test score report which meets the English language requirements of the Graduate School Humanities.

Additionally, the internship at a Netherlands-based museum or cultural institution is an integral component of the programme. Students applying to the programme should therefore also be able to demonstrate an understanding of Dutch before the start of the internship. We recommend non-native students take a Dutch course during the first six months of the programme in order to obtain an A1 or A2 certificate before commencing the internship. Please note that there are a limited number of English-only internships.

This is a selective Master's programme. In addition to meeting the entry requirements, you must also satisfy specific selection criteria. Due to the limited number of available places, a selection process is conducted among all candidates who have submitted a complete application dossier before the deadline. Therefore, even if you meet all entry requirements and selection criteria, a place in the programme is not guaranteed. The selection criteria are as follows:

Grade average

B/3.2 (American system) 
2.1 (an upper second class degree in the British system)
C (ECTS-system) 
7.0 (Dutch system) 

Motivation statement

You must submit a completed motivation form as part of your application. In your statement, be sure to explain:

• Why you want to pursue this particular master's programme, and which elements of the programme are of particular interest to you.
• How this programme fits with your career goals and future ambitions.
• How your previous education (and possible work experience) relates to the programme's focus areas and objectives.

Make sure your motivation aligns with the structure and objectives of the programme. You can download the motivation form in the step 'Submit your application form in SIS'.

Resume

Your resume should demonstrate relevant work experience in the field of study. Highlight any experience that shows your practical skills and knowledge in areas related to this master's programme. Additionally, you should illustrate that you have obtained the following specific experiences: 

• Experience in a museum and/or curatorial context of minimum 3 ECTS. 
• Familiarity with museology and museological issues of minimum 6 ECTS

The programme Curating Art and Cultures has two separate specialisations. Depending on which specialisation you wish to pursue, the application and selection procedure differs slightly.

If you meet both the entry requirement and the above-mentioned selection criteria, you will proceed to the second selection round.

Second selection round

The programme Curating Art and Cultures consists of two separate specialisations. Depending on the specialisation you are interested in, the steps in the second selection round differ:

Curating Art and Cultures specialisation
Applicants invited to the second round will be asked to write an opinion piece of max. 600 words about one of the participating museums or cultural institutions in the Netherlands, or about a comparable institution in their own country. Candidates will then be invited to an (online) interview with the programme coordinators and affiliated curators. During the interview, you will be asked to elaborate on your motivation, discuss your opinion piece, and outline the type of internship you envision.
The final decision will be based on the overall strength of your application, including your written work, interview, and how your profile compares to that of other applicants.

Arts of the Netherlands specialisation
Applicants invited to the second round will be asked to submit a writing sample of no more than 4,500 words (for example, a thesis chapter or research paper). The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to conduct research, develop clear arguments, and communicate effectively in writing. Strong candidates will then be invited to an (online) interview with the programme coordinators. During the interview, you will be asked to elaborate on your motivation, discuss your submitted work, and indicate what type of research focus or internship you envision.
The final decision will be based on the overall strength of your application, including your written work, interview, and how your profile compares to that of other applicants.

All students applying will need to start their application by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink, the Dutch online system for students applying for a degree programme at a Dutch university.

Applicants for Curating Arts and Culture need to submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the Master's in Heritage Studies 120 EC (Dual) or Erfgoedstudies 120 EC (Duaal).

It is extremely important that you register in Studielink at least 48 hours before the application deadline (see above). This is to ensure that you receive your login information (UvAnetID) in time to fill in your UvA application in SIS (see next step).

After registering in Studielink, you will automatically receive an email with a link to your SIS UvA application form. To log in to SIS you need to have activated your UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload the required documents and submit your SIS application before the application deadline.

Application documents

Make sure you are well prepared before you start your application, and you have all necessary documents ready.

The following documents are required for all Master's programmes at the Graduate School of Humanities:

• curriculum vitae;
• proof of language proficiency (if required, see language requirements);
• transcript of records, up-to-date and issued by your home institution (if you are already a student at the UvA, a screenshot from SIS is sufficient);
• diploma (if already obtained)* or list of courses yet to complete;
• translation of your diploma and transcript of records (if they are not in English, Dutch, German or French);
• relevant course descriptions.

*Please note: If you have not yet obtained your diploma but are in possession of all other application documents, you may proceed with your application - as long as you obtain your Bachelor's degree before 1 September. If you have a non-Dutch prior education, please bear in mind that you must submit your certified documents before 1 August.

Additional documents

In addition to the application documents that must be submitted for all Humanities Master’s programmes, applicants are expected to submit:

• motivation form (PDF)
  Ensure that you download, open and save the motivation form in Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

• sample of written work (for requirements see step 3: selection criteria)

This programme does not require any additional documents, such as a reference letter. Only the above-mentioned documents are taken into consideration by the Admissions Board.

All students applying for a Master’s degree programme with an international Bachelor’s diploma are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee*. Only after you have paid this fee the UvA can start to process your application.

You do not have to pay the application fee:

• If you have or will obtain a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences (HBO).
• If you have already applied and have paid the application fee for another Master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2026-2027.

• If you are an exchange student.
• If your tuition fees for the 2026 - 2027 academic year are paid by the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF). If so, your application fee will be refunded.

You can pay your €100 application fee by credit card (Mastercard, Visacard), PayPal, Bancontact or iDEAL.

*The application fee is non-refundable. You are not entitled to a refund even if you do not submit your application form, or if you submit an application form after the deadline (which will not be taken into consideration) or if you submit an incomplete application.