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For all students, please take the following steps to apply for this programme:

Application process

  • 1. Check deadlines

    You need to submit your enrolment request via Studielink, activate your UvAnetID, pay the application fee (if applicable) AND submit your complete application request via MyInfo  before the deadline stated below. It may take several days to complete all these steps. We recommend you register in Studielink at least one week before the deadline of your programme.

    Please see below for the most important deadlines you must consider when applying to one of our Master’s programmes for the academic year 2025-2026

    Enrolment September 2025

    Application deadlines with a non-EEA nationality and/or applying for an UvA scholarship:

    Register in Studielink: Monday 6 January 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)

    • Submit your application in MyInfo: Wednesday 15 January 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
    • Notification period: Monday 3 March 2025 – Friday 14 March 2025 (if possible)

    Application deadlines for applicants with an EEA nationality (including Dutch) and who have completed or are about to complete a non-Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree:

    • Apply for DigiD (Dutch students only): Recommended before Friday 7 February 2025
    • Register in Studielink: Monday 24 February 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
    • Submit your application in MyInfo: Monday 3 March 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
    • Notification period: Monday 5 May 2025 – Friday 30 May 2025 (if possible)

    Application deadline for all other nationalities who have completed or are about to complete a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree:

    • Apply for DigiD (Dutch students only): Recommended before Friday 7 March 2025
    • Register in Studielink: Friday 21 March 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
    • Submit your application in MyInfo: Monday 31 March 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
    • Notification period: Monday 5 May 2025 – Friday 30 May 2025 (if possible)
  • 2. Check entry requirements

    Applications will be carefully evaluated by the admissions committee. The committee determines whether all entry requirements as specified below are met and assesses the quality of each application in comparison with the other applications received.

    Limited capacity and selection

    The number of available places is limited to 65 students per year and starts in September. If more qualified students apply than there are places available, candidates with the most convincing academic standing are selected. This is based on:

    • Previous study results
    • The relevance of previous studies
    • Previous knowledge of social sciences research methodology
    • Motivation
    • Relevance of employment, internships or extra-curricular experiences
    • Previously written academic work.

    Please note that this programme attracts many applications each year and that selection tends to be highly competitive.

    Educational background

    Bachelor's degree 

    Students with a Bachelor’s degree in international development studies (ontwikkelingsstudies) or another closely related social sciences discipline.

    International degrees are evaluated on the basis of advice from professional diploma evaluators. The minimum level of the degree should be equivalent to three years of Dutch university education.

    Development studies

    All applicants are expected to have a solid basis in the field of social sciences and development studies in particular, of at least (an equivalent of) 30 ECTS credits earned during previous study.

    Research methodology

    Applicants should have a solid basis in both qualitative and quantitative social sciences research methodology as demonstrated by the completion of (the equivalent of) at least 18 ECTS during previous study. Upon entry to the Master's programme, students are expected to be able to:

    • Understand advantages and disadvantages of different research methods (both qualitative and quantitative)
    • Develop and carry out (simple) surveys
    • Interpret the results of surveys
    • Carry out statistical analysis with SPSS or similar software
    • Conduct interviews
    • Analyse the results of interviews

    Grade average

    Study results obtained in previous education should demonstrate that a student is able to attain and maintain an excellent standard, especially in the fields of social sciences / international development studies and research methodology. Applicants must show an overall grade average at the time of applying of at least a B+/A­ /3.5 (American system), second class, upper division Honours degree (British system), B (ECTS system), 7 (Dutch system) or equivalent.

    English language proficiency

    Our Master's programmes are highly demanding and fully taught in English. To ensure the quality of education and to safeguard students from failing their studies or slowing down class interactions, a high level of English language proficiency is expected of all applicants.

    For more information, also on the test requirements and possible exemptions, please see:

    Pre-Master's programme

    Please see here for more information on our pre-Master possibilities:

    Questions

    If you have questions regarding admission and application, please contact the Admissions Office at  apply-gsss@uva.nl

  • 3. Registration in Studielink
  • 4. Activate your UvAnetID and pay the application fee

    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 *). Only after you have paid this fee the UvA can start to process your application.

    Paying the application fee at the Graduate School of Social Sciences

    If you apply for a master’s programme offered by the Graduate School of Social Sciences, you first need to pay your application fee in SIS. You can pay your €100 application fee by credit card (Master or Visa),  GooglePay, ApplePay, Bancontact or iDEAL.

    Only after paying the fee, you can start your application in MyInfo. It is not possible to start your application without first paying your non-refundable application fee.

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

    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 2025-2026.
    • If you are an exchange student.
    • If you are applying through the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF).
    • If you have deferred your conditional admission last year**) and wish to start for the same programme in 2025-2026. 

    *) 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

    **) Deferring is only possible for M Sociology (all tracks), M Human Geography (all tracks), M Urban & Regional Planning (all tracks), M Cultural & Social Anthropology (all tracks except for Visual Anthropology).

  • 5. Submit your UvA application form

    After you have registered in Studielink, you will also receive an email from Studielink (within a few days) with a link to our online application system. This is where you will submit your application to the University of Amsterdam. Please make sure that your application is complete since incomplete application files will not be taken into consideration by the Admissions Committee and will be closed within 14 days. The application fee is also non-refundable in case of a closed (incomplete) application file.

    The application form will give you all needed instructions. For additional guidance, please refer to the quick reference overviews and more elaborate information here below:

    For more elaborate guidance:

    Questions

    If you have questions regarding admission and application, please contact the Admissions Office at apply-gsss@uva.nl

  • 6. Wait for admission decision

    If and after we have decided that you can be admitted to the programme, we will send you a letter of (conditional) acceptance by e-mail (through MyInfo) together with more information on how to complete your registration at the UvA and how to apply for a visa or residence permit (if applicable to you). 

  • 7. Accept/decline offer

    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.

After (conditional) admission

  • 8. Submit certified documents

    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.

    If you completed your Bachelor’s programme abroad, please send us certified copies of your transcripts and degree certificates, so we can check them. The documents can be submitted by e-mail sent by your university directly to apply-gsss@uva.nl or through an online verification system.

    If you completed your Bachelor’s programme in the Netherlands, we can check your Bachelor graduation in SIS. You do not have to send any certified documents.

    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 and in the link below.

    We will need to have received these official documents at the latest one month before the start of the programme.

    Please note that students who need an entrance visa for the Netherlands and/or have also applied to one of our scholarships, will need to have submitted their official documents, including proof of Bachelor graduation, before 1 July.

  • 9. Register for immigration, housing, start appointment

    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.

    Get more information about practical matters for international students.

  • 10. Attend introduction day

    Student orientation/introduction events are planned in the last 2 weeks of August. At these events you will receive all relevant programme information to make a good start. Your study advisor will send you more detailed information about the Introduction Day in July.
     

  • 11. Request student ID card

    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.

  • 12. Pay the tuition fee

    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.

Frequently asked questions
  • What is the 'crash course' on methodology?

    Promising applicants who are lacking sufficient credits in social sciences research methodologies may be admitted to the Master’s programme after successfully completing the Research methodology module in the month prior to the programme starting (July/August). 

    For more information see the pre-master's possibilities.

  • How many people are accepted in the programme?

    Both the one year and the two year (Research) Master's programme are selective. This means that in our one year Master IDS  60-65 students are accepted in the programme. In the Research Master IDS 20 students are accepted on a yearly basis.