Please see below for the most important deadlines you must consider when applying to one of our Master’s programmes for the academic year 2023-2024.

Enrolment September 2023

​For enrolment in September 2023, the application deadlines for all our Master’s programmes are:

• Apply for DigiD (Dutch students only): Wednesday 8 February 2023
• Registration in Studielink: Wednesday 22 February 2023, 17:00 hrs (CET)
• Application in MyInfo: Wednessday 1 March 2023, 17:00 hrs (CET)

Visa & scholarship

If you are in need of a visa or are applying for a scholarship, you will need to adhere to earlier deadlines:

• Registration in Studielink: Friday 6 January 2023, 17:00 hrs (CET)
• Application in MyInfo and for scholarship: Wednesday 11 January 2023, 17:00 hrs (CET)

Applications will be carefully evaluated by the admissions committee. The committee determines whether or not all entry requirements as specified below are met and assesses the quality of each application compared to the other applications received.

Limited capacity and selection

The number of available places is limited to 60 students per year. 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
• Job experience
• 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 political science or in another closely related discipline (such as other social sciences, history, law and economics) are invited to apply, provided they meet all other entry requirements.

International degrees are evaluated on the basis of advice from professional diploma evaluators. The minimum level of the degree should be equivalent to a Dutch academic Bachelor's degree.

Political Science

All applicants are expected to have a solid basis in the field of political science / Political Economy, with a minimum of 30 ECTS earned during previous studies.

Research methodology

Applicants should have a solid basis in social science methods and techniques as demonstrated by the completion of (the equivalent of) at least 20 ECTS during previous study. Upon entry to the Master's programme, students are expected to be able to:

• Construct a solid research design
• Understand advantages and disadvantages of different research methods and a mixed methods approach
• Develop and apply a research method, for instance:
• Develop, apply and analyse a survey with a statistical package
• And/or develop, apply and analyse an interview
• And/or apply interpretative methods and analyse findings.

Grade average

Study results obtained in previous education should demonstrate that a student is able to attain and maintain a good to excellent level, especially in the field of political science / Political Economy.

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

All students who would like to apply to a programme at the University of Amsterdam will have 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. 

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.

Useful information

Before starting your enrolment application in Studielink, read the 'Q&A guide to Studielink':

• Q&A guide Studielink 

Please note that the programme names in Studielink may differ from the ones used on our website. Please check the list with programme and Studielink names:

• Programmes and their names in Studielink

Select the main Programme name in Studielink. Do not select the programme name with option Free curriculum or Optional course. If these are selected, your application will not be processed.

Applying for a specialisation/track?

If you wish to apply for a specialisation/track, please choose the study programme name first. After confirming the study programme and starting date you will be asked to indicate the specialisation/track.

Applying for a second programme?

• If you wish to apply for a second programme, please add another Enrolment application/Verzoek tot inschrijving, using the same Studielink account.
• If you wish to apply for a second specialisation/track of the same programme, please register in Studielink for one specialisation/track only. You can select your second track when you submit your application in our online application system MyInfo.
• Please be informed that you can sign up for a maximum of 2 programmes the GSSS offers.

Submit enrolment application in Studielink

After registering in Studielink you will receive several e-mails:

• Confirmation of your Studielink  registration: 
  The first e-mail you will receive will confirm your registration in Studielink.
• UvA student number: 
  The UvA receives the registration details from Studielink on a daily basis on working days. After these details have been imported in the UvA administration, you will receive an e-mail with your UvAnetID. You will need this ID for your application in MyInfo. Whilst awaiting the ID, you can already start working on your MyInfo application (see the next step).

Other messages you may expect to receive:

• Verification of personal details 
  Studielink will try to verify your personal details. If your personal details cannot be automatically verified, Studielink will ask you to send  a copy of your passport to the UvA administration.
  Please note that, for this step, you can await the admissions decision first. If and when you are admitted, you will need to send a copy of your passport, valid for the duration of your studies, to the UvA administration.
• Verification and evaluation of diplomas
  Studielink will try to verify your educational background. Your diploma cannot be automatically verified if you obtained or will obtain a non-Dutch diploma. Studielink will then send you an e-mail indicating that your diploma needs to be verified and evaluated.
  After you submitted your application in MyInfo, the verification and evaluation of your diploma will be taken care of by the Admissions Office of the Graduate School of Social Sciences. Please make sure you submit your application with all needed documents in MyInfo on time.
  If and when you are admitted unconditionally, the Admissions Office will inform the UvA administration of your acceptance and that your diploma is verified and evaluated.
• Status updates
  From both the UvA and Studielink you will receive e-mails on a regular basis as long as your enrolment is not completed.

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.

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.

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

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). 

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.

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.

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 May.

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.

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.
 

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.

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.