The Research Master programme starts once a year in September. 

• The application deadline is 1 March for applicants with a non-EU/EEA nationality.*
• The application deadline is 1 June for applicants with a Dutch or other EU/EEA nationality.

*Please note that in order to enroll in September we need to have received official certified copies of your degree certificate and transcripts before 1 August.  These documents should be sent by post.

2.1 Entry requirements

The entry requirements for the Research Master Child Development and Education are outlined in the document below.

For information in Dutch please check the Studielink section on our Dutch site.

All students who would like to apply to a programme at the University of Amsterdam will need to start their application process by submitting 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.

3.1 Check your DigiD (before starting in Studielink)

A DigiD (Digital Identification) is an online ID (username and password) 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.

3.2 Read the step-by-step guide to Studielink

Before starting your enrolment application in Studielink, read the 'Step-by-step guide to Studielink'. 

3.3 Submit enrolment application in Studielink

After submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with a confirmation of your application, and information about where to submit the application form and upload the required documents. Please note that it may take some time before you receive this email. If you have not received an email within 48 hours (in working days), please contact the Student Service Desk.

After submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvAnetID. Follow the instructions in the email to activate your ID as you will need it to complete your UvA application.

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 in SIS by credit card (Master or Visacard) or iDEAL. Only after you have paid this fee the UvA can start to process your application in MyInfo. It is not possible to start an application without paying the application fee. 

Note: that it can take up to 24 hours for your fee payment to be registered in SIS. Make sure to pay your application fee in time and at least 24 hours before the application deadline of your programme.

Applying for programmes at multiple Graduate Schools?
You only have to pay the fee once. So, you can apply to multiple programmes.

You don't have to pay the application fee:

• If you have of 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 2024-2025.
• If you have started a UvA master’s programme in the 2021, 2022 or 2023 academic year.
• If you apply for a master’s programme at the Interfacultaire Lerarenopleidingen (ILO), Faculty of Dentistry or Faculty of Medicine.
• If you are an exchange student.
• If you are applying through the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF).

After registering in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvA student number (UvA-net ID) and an email with instructions for the next step of the application process. You need your UvA-net ID to continue with your application.

Applicants must submit an application file consisting of the following documents:

1. Application: A completed web application form.
2. Statement of purpose: A letter of motivation (about 500 words, in English) in which you explain why you wish to attend the programme and what your specific interests are (i.e., in what field(s) you want to specialise).
3. Academic transcript: A copy of your Bachelor’s degree if you have already graduated (not relevant for students with a Dutch Bachelor's degree). Please note that non-EU/EEA students need to make sure that we receive a certified copy of the Bachelor’s degree by post, no later than 1 May.
4. List of courses in research methods and statistics: provide a description of the courses (content, literature) that you took as part of your former studies (this is not necessary for students who followed a bachelor Pedagogical sciences or Psychology at a university in The Netherlands).
5. Written academic work: Provide an example of individually written academic work (e.g., a paper or thesis). If you do not have an individual writing sample, we advise you to write a paper especially for application purposes. If you choose to do so, the paper you write should be between 1000 and 1500 words and you may choose your own subject matter. You may want to write about the subject you wish to explore for the research master’s thesis. References should be included where appropriate in the running text, and a full reference list should be included at the end (the reference list does not count to the number of words).
6. Curriculum vitae: A resume of your experience and skills in academic research, clinical work, or other work (if applicable; 2 pages maximum).
7. Letter of reference: Two letters of reference; at least one letter should be from an academic staff member. Referees will be asked to send the letter of reference directly to the admissions committee (in the application form, you will only have to fill in the details of the referees).
8. Proof of English language proficiency, if required. See the information about entry requirements for more information.

Application fee: Students whose application is based on a diploma from a university in a non-EU/EEA country have to pay an application fee of 100 euro.

The admissions committee studies the application file. If the educational background of the candidate fits the entry requirements of the research master programme, the candidate will be invited for an online application interview.

For any questions about the programme, its entry requirements or the application process, please contact the programme coordinator via resma-cde-fmg@uva.nl.

The candidate will be informed within 4-6 weeks about the admission decision through email the admission committee.

After you have been (conditionally) accepted to the Master’s programme and we have sent you the letter of (conditional) acceptance, you will receive an Accept Offer sent to you by MyInfo. Please follow the instructions and confirm this Accept Offer. We will only continue to further process your application, including your housing and possibly visa application, after you have confirmed our Accept Offer.

• If you have been (conditionally) admitted to our Master's programme, we need to verify your previous education. This means that we have to check whether you have successfully completed your Bachelor’s programme. Verification is done based on the records provided by DUO.

For international students:

• If you completed your Bachelor’s programme abroad, please send us certified copies of your transcripts and degree certificates, so we can check them. You need to send us these documents by post. Plain copies or scans of the original certified documents are not accepted.  You may also need to submit an official English test score report.
• You can find more information about the certified documents and where to send them to in your (conditional) acceptance letter.
• We will need to have received these official documents at the latest one month before the start of the programme. 

If you are an international student, you will need to arrange a variety of practical matters before starting your studies. This includes your visa or residence permit, insurance and housing. You will receive an email with more information about this after you have been admitted.

The UvA does not offer student housing on our campuses. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the housing market in the Netherlands before you choose your study programme.  It can be difficult to find available housing in Amsterdam, so you will need to start looking for yourself as soon as possible via Dutch student housing websites. For international students, the UvA has limited number of rooms available throughout Amsterdam, which you can apply for via UvA Housing. Please note there are not enough rooms available via UvA Housing to accommodate all international students. As placement for UvA Housing is not guaranteed, we advise you to start your orientation for housing options early and to always explore the private housing market as well.

Get more information about practical matters for international students.

The introduction day for the Research Master Child Development and Education will take place in the week before the start of the new academic year. Make sure that you attend the introduction day, so you can meet your fellow students and teachers.

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

Once you are admitted, follow the instructions provided by the faculty or programme staff regarding courses for which you might need to register separately.

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

Find out more about how to pay the tuition fees.