To apply for this Master’s programme you will need to register in Studielink AND apply for the programme at the Faculty of Science through DataNose before the mentioned dates, even if you have not completed your Bachelor’s programme yet.

Start your application procedure on time

If the UvA needs to assist with applying for a residence permit, we strongly advise you to apply as early as possible.

Registrations in Studielink and DataNose and getting all documents ready will take several days. Therefore, we strongly recommend to start the application procedure at least a week before the deadline.

Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be considered for admission.

Deadline

If your previous education took place at a Dutch institution but you do not hold the nationality from one of the countries of the EU or EEA (Switzerland included), your application deadline is 31 January 23:59 CET. 

Deadline with a UvA Scholarship 

Please note that if you want to apply for a UvA Scholarship, other deadlines for application to the Master's programme apply.

Prior education

To be eligible for the track Freshwater and Marine Biology of the Master’s programme Biological Sciences, students need to have a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Future Planet Studies with a major Future Earth, or Beta-Gamma with a major Biology, or an equivalent degree.

Additional requirements

• You have obtained your Bachelor’s degree 
• You must have completed a Bachelor's thesis (experimental work) of at least 15 ECTS credits. The subject of the Bachelor's thesis must show affinity with Biological Sciences.  
• You must have advanced knowledge (second and third year BSc level) in Marine or Aquatic Biology. 

Selection criteria

Up to, but no more than, 35 students are admitted to the Freshwater and Marine Biology track of the Master’s programme Biological Sciences. If more than the maximum number of candidates are found suitable, candidates will be selected on (in random order):

• Study programme
• GPA score
• Motivation

Before you can apply to the UvA, you will need to submit an enrolment application in Studielink. Studielink is the national online system for students who would like to pursue a degree programme at a Dutch university.

Check your DigiD (before starting in Studielink)

A DigiD (Digital Identification) is an online ID that provides access to government administration websites.

• Students who do not live in the Netherlands can use Studielink without a DigiD.
• Students who currently live in the Netherlands will need their DigiD to use Studielink. We strongly recommend you to apply for your DigiD at least three weeks before registering in Studielink.

Important! While selecting the Master’s programme of your interest in Studielink, make sure to select the regular programme (option 1). Do not select option 2 (after a temporary termination of enrolment) or option 3 (elective) if you are a degree seeking student. You can select the track of your interest later on in DataNose.

Within 48 hours after submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvAnetID and an email with instructions for the next step of the application process. Follow the instructions in the email to activate your UvAnetID as you will need it to complete your UvA application.

Only after activating your UvAnetID, you can submit your UvA online application via DataNose.

Please make sure to upload the required documents in PDF format. Applicants who (will) hold more than one academic degree must merge copies of all academic transcripts into one PDF.

You need to upload the following documents to DataNose:

1.  A motivation letter in English (max. 500 words)
2.  Your Curriculum Vitae in English
3.  A copy of your Bachelor’s transcript
4.  A copy of your Bachelor’s diploma/certificate (or, if you have not yet finished your current academic programme, a list of courses of your final year)
5.  A description of your Bachelor thesis/project

Please make sure you have uploaded all the required documents, as you can't add any documents after submitting. 

If you have any questions about the required documents as a student with a Dutch degree, please contact the Education Desk.

As soon as you have submitted the (sufficiently) complete online application in DataNose, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. For this selective track, you will first be informed about your eligibility. We strive to get back to you regarding your eligibility within 6 weeks. Then, if the Admissions Board finds you are eligible for this track, you can participate in the selection process, which takes place in the first half of May. You will be informed of the results of the selection process in the second half of May. An admission will always be conditional as we must still verify your documents (consult step 8). You can track the status of your admission using the checklist in DataNose.

If you are conditionally admitted to the Master’s programme you will receive an admissions letter by means of email. In the letter you will find a link to DataNose to accept or decline your place in the programme. This has to be done within two weeks. If you have questions about this, please contact the Education Desk.

Once you have accepted the offer and you are (conditionally) admitted, you should check your DataNose application. Here you will find a checklist with a link that gives you all required information about the verification of your previous education. 

A student ID card is a personal card which serves as proof of identity for examinations or borrowing library books. After admission, you will receive instructions on how to request your student ID card. 

In order to complete your enrolment for a degree programme at the UvA you will need to pay the tuition fee.