To apply for this Master's programme, you will need to register in Studielink and subsequently apply through the application system SIS before the mentioned dates, even if you have not yet completed your Bachelor's programme. 

Start your application procedure on time 

We strongly advise you to apply as early as possible, a week before the deadline at the latest, as registration in Studielink and SIS, paying the required application fee and arranging for all documents will take several days. 
 
Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be considered for admission. 

Deadlines 

Applying is possible from 1 October on. 

EU/EEA students: 30 April 23.59 CET 

Non-EU/EEA students: 31 January 23.59 CET* 

* Are you a current Bachelor's or Master's student at a Dutch higher education institution? Then the deadline mentioned under “EU/EEA students” applies, i.e. 30 April 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.

Entry requirements

Admission to the Master's Programme Information Studies: Track Human Computer Interaction is possible for students with the following qualifications:

A Bachelor's degree, and an affinity for data and technology. 
Students from various disciplines are eligible, such as: Artificial Intelligence, Business Studies, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Information Science, Information Studies, Media Studies or Psychology

Academic Skills (6EC)

Knowledge on the following topics at university level is required (adequacy will be determined by the Admissions board):

• Bachelor thesis
• Literature research
• Academic writing
• The ability to make abstractions from different contexts based on analytical thinking 
• Research skills, scientific reasoning 
• Reflection: critical assessment on general accepted theories 
• Ability to framing: the use of different interpretation schemes (frames) to reason about reality 
• Empirical research

Programming skills - 12 EC (formal higher education only)
Examples: Anything with programming, Applied Machine Learning, Coding Lab

Databases, data structures & algorithms -  6EC (formal higher education only) 

Examples: Anything with Database or Algorithms in the name, Fundamentals of Data Science, Algorithms and Data Structures, Big Data Analytics 

Statistical literacy - 6EC (formal higher education only) 

Examples: Statistics, Introduction to statistics, Probability Theory, Probability & Statistics, Basic Skills in Mathematics, Programming & Statistics, Statistics in Linguistics and Communication, Biostatistics, Psychometrics 

Specific requirements for the track Human-Computer Interaction: 

Human-Computer Interaction and Interaction Design – 6EC (formal higher education only):   

Examples: User-Centred Design, Design Thinking, Prototyping, Ubiquitous Computing, Human Media Perception, Computer-Supported Collaborative Work, Game Design, User Experience Design, Psychology of Technology, Data Visualisation 

Please note that we require formal academic European Credits (EC), or its equivalent, from a higher education institution. Online courses, work experience and other forms of experience will not be accepted. 

Students with HBO background

If you are a Bachelor graduate from a University of Applied Sciences (in Dutch HBO) we still welcome you to apply if you meet the requirements and have taken academic skills courses on a university level and/ or have a well written final thesis 

Additional requirements

In addition to the admission requirements referred to above the student has to comply with the following additional requirements:

• The Bachelor's Grade Point Average (GPA) is at least 6.5 (according to the Dutch grading system). The GPA is the average of the Bachelor's course grades weighed by course/study load.

Limited programme capacity and ranking criteria

A maximum of 150 (75 students each track) students are admitted to the entire Master's programme Information Studies (Data Science and Human Computer Interaction  track) each academic year. 

Candidates will be selected in the following way. First, candidates will have to meet the requirements and additional requirements as stated above. Subsequently all the candidates eligible for admission to the programme will be ranked by the ranking criteria. Each ranking criterion will be classified/assessed according to five categories: excellent, very good, good, sufficient, insufficient. 

Selection will be based on the following ranking criteria: 

• GPA score (minimum of 6.5)
• Academic skills
• Programming skills
• Databases, data structures & algorithms  skills  
• Statistical Literacy skills 
• Human-Computer Interaction and Interaction
• Relevant interdisciplinary Data Science project(s) completed
• Relevant work experience or community outreach and engagement experience 

The ranking criteria apply to all candidates who have met the requirements and additional requirements as stated above.

The Admissions Board will judge requests for admission on criteria mentioned above and select students on an individual basis and in comparison to the other applicants. These criteria will not be applied mechanically, but manually with careful consideration and judgement. For example, the value of the GPA may depend on a students' curriculum, publications may be more or less high ranked, etc.

The top 150 candidates on the ranking list will be admitted to the Master's programme. The Admissions Board will grant admission to the selected candidates. Students who aren’t ranked in the top 150 will be placed on a waiting list in case a student who is placed decides to not take the spot.

Limited pre-registration advice

Unfortunately, due to the large number of applications, it is not possible to give any indepth individual pre-registration advice (by e-mail) or to meet to discuss prior education and/or a possible admission in the upcoming academic year. To inform you about your (possible) admittance to the Master's programme it is necessary that you apply for the programme. 

Assignment for all applicants 

All applicants for the Human Computer Interaction track are advised to complete an assignment to check their programming experience and statistical background before they apply. The assignment is a good representation of the level of knowledge expected at the start of the Master's programme. More information on the assignment can be found here:

Before you can apply to the UvA, you will need to submit an enrollment application through Studielink. Studielink is the national online system for students who aim to enroll in a degree programme at a Dutch institute of higher education. 

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.

After submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvAnetID. This can take up to 48 hours. Follow the instructions in the email to activate your UvAnetID as you will need it to complete your UvA application. 

After submitting an enrolment request in Studielink, you will receive an email within 48 hours with a link to submit your application in SIS. To log in to SIS, you will need your activated UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload the required documents, and submit your application before the application deadline. 

Please note: Completing all the steps may take a few days. You might also need to look for or request certain documents. We therefore strongly recommend that you start well in advance. 
 
Documents should be uploaded in PDF format. A complete application consists of the following documents: 

1. A self-written motivation letter in English (max. 500 words). 
2. Your curriculum vitae in the English language. Please ensure that all previous education, including high school, is included. 
3. A copy of your Bachelor's transcript including your GPA. 
4. A copy of your Bachelor's diploma/certificate or an official graduation statement. Please include a (self-made) list of courses in your final year, if you have not yet completed your current academic programme.  
5. A summary of your Bachelor's thesis/project in English (if applicable).  

In case any of the above-mentioned documents are missing, your application will be considered incomplete, and we cannot continue with your application.   

As soon as you have submitted the (sufficiently) complete online application in SIS, it will be evaluated by our Admissions Board. We strive to process each application within 6 weeks. Important: For this selective programme, you will first be informed about your eligibility and whether you can participate in the selection procedure which will take place in the second half of May. You can track the status of your admission using the checklist in SIS. 

Important: Students from outside the EU/EEA (including Switzerland) who are not selected for a place in the programme following the selection procedure in May, may not be eligible for the waiting list if the deadline for visa and residence permit applications has passed. 

Accept  

If you meet all the entry requirements and the Admissions Board has approved your application, we will send you a letter of conditional acceptance by email. Please accept your offer in SIS within 2 weeks. If you do not respond to your offer within 2 weeks, we cannot continue with your admission process. Please note that accepting the offer does not oblige you to start the programme. You will still be able to withdraw your enrolment request in Studielink until August 31^st. 

Decline  

Please remember to cancel your Studielink enrolment request if you reject the offer in SIS. 

Defer  

It is not possible to defer your admission to the next academic year. A new enrolment is required for each academic year as entry requirements may change. 

If you are (conditionally) admitted to a Master’s programme, then do check your SIS application. The link in your checklist 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. 

To finalize your enrolment in a degree programme at the UvA, you will be required to pay the tuition fee.