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Pre-Master’s programme

Archaeology

This pre-Master's programme is aimed at students with an academic Bachelor's degree or a Bachelor's degree from a University of Applied Sciences (such as Dutch HBO) that does not grant direct access to the Master's Archaeology. The programme is taught in English.

If you successfully complete the pre-Master’s programme within a year, you will automatically be admitted to the Master’s Archaeology. However, you do need to complete the programme within one year, as you cannot start the Master's without fully meeting the entry requirements. After completing the pre-Master's programme you will not receive a diploma or certificate.

Provisional programme

The schedule below is a provisional programme to give you an impression of the courses you will have to take. The Course Catalogue for the new academic year will be published in May.

Please note: if you have obtained an academic Bachelor’s degree, you do not need to take the two Academic Skills courses (2 x 6 ECTS), which means that the programme will comprise 30 ECTS instead of 42 ECTS.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Academic Skills
    ???studyprogramme .period??? 1
    ???studyprogramme .period??? 3
    12
  • What is Archaeology?
    ???studyprogramme .period??? 1
    6
  • Archaeology of Cult
    ???studyprogramme .period??? 2
    6
  • Theory in Archaeology
    ???studyprogramme .period??? 4
    6
  • Archaeological Materials in Context
    ???studyprogramme .period??? 5
    6
  • Choose between either "Archaeology and Society" or "Field School 1"
    5—6
    6
UvA Course Catalogue: pre-Master's Archaeology

Application procedure

Your application to the Graduate School of Humanities always starts by submitting an enrolment request for the Master's programme you wish to pursue. You can only submit an enrolment request for the pre-Master's if you have been admitted to the Master's programme on the condition of successful completion of the pre-Master's programme.

  1. Check the application deadline
    As you must first submit an application for the Master's programme, the application deadline of the Master's Archaeology applies. This is 15 May for students with a Dutch or EEA nationality, and 1 March for students with a non-EEA nationality.
  2. Submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the Master's Archaeology
    Please complete all of the steps of the application process for the Master's in Archaeology, including the application in MyInfo and the submission of all required application documents. This will ensure that you can automatically be admitted to the Master's in the following academic year.
  3. Wait for the admission decision
    The selection committee will assess your prior education. If you are able to meet the entry requirements for the Master’s by completing the pre-Master’s programme, you will receive a rejection for the Master's and a positive decision for the pre-Master’s.
  4. Submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the pre-Master’s Archaeology
    Only after you have been (conditionally) admitted to the pre-Master’s do you register for the pre-Master’s Archaeology in Studielink (in Dutch: Archeologie - Schakelprogramma). You will be informed by email in more detail.

Important information for non-EEA students

If you need a visa for your stay in the Netherlands, please note that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) only issues visas to pre-Master's students for the duration of one year. If you do not complete the programme in one year, you cannot continue your studies anywhere in the Netherlands.

Costs

The tuition fee rate for a pre-Master’s programme in the academic year 2023-2024 is €38.56 per ECTS, with a maximum of €2,314. This means that for a 42 ECTS pre-Master’s programme, the fee is €1,620; for a 30 ECTS programme, the fee is €1,157.

Alternative routes

If you are following an academic Bachelor's programme, it may also be possible to fulfil the admission requirements for a Master's degree programme by completing a minor during your Bachelor's, instead of a pre-Master's programme after finishing your Bachelor's. 

Facts & Figures
Mode Full-time
Credits 30/42 ECTS, 12 months
Language of instruction English
Conditions for admission University of applied sciences degree (HBO), Academic/research university degree (WO)
Starts in September