As part of the application process, you are asked to submit a wish list of your desired courses. In order to be eligible, you will need to check if you meet the entry and language requirements, as well as the specific criteria per faculty or academic department.
On this page:
- General entry requirements
- Course selection
- Faculty-specific requirements
- Global Exchange Programme for Bachelor's students
- Global Exchange Programme for Master’s students
- Language requirements Global Exchange Programme 2024-2025
General entry requirements
In most cases, you should have at least two years of academic education, a grade point average of 3.0 (US system), and you should be able to show a relevant academic background in the proposed field of study. The guidelines to determine if you meet the entry requirements for your intended degree/courses, can be found in both the faculty-specific and language requirements below.
Course selection
During your Exchange programme at the University of Amsterdam you will be able to take English-taught courses from over 100 international study programmes in all kinds of fields; Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Psychology, Child Development and Education, Law, PPLE, Science, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Exchange students cannot choose courses in the fields of Medicine and Dentistry.
- Course wishlist
Before starting the application process, you are asked to make a wish list of your desired courses. You will need to check if you meet the entry and language requirements, as well as the specific criteria per faculty. Your course wish list represents your intended course preferences or field of study, but please note that this is not a definitive list, as it is still dependent on availability and on possible changes in the course schedule.
You will have to take the majority of your courses at your host faculty (the faculty that you were nominated for). In some cases it is possible to take one or maximum two courses in another faculty.* This can only be arranged on a case-by-case basis by the international officer of your accepting faculty, and is dependent on availability of courses and possible course requirements. We advise you to select courses that represent your current study level and study background.
As a Bachelor's (undergraduate) student you are registered on a non-degree basis and you should select Bachelor's courses. Access to Master's (graduate) courses is very limited and restricted. Admission to courses at Master’s level is awarded on a case-by-case basis and only if you already have a Bachelor’s degree in the desired field of study. As a Master's student you will only be able to follow courses for a maximum of one semester (full year is not allowed).Acceptance at a UvA faculty does not automatically make you eligible for all courses in that faculty, as some courses may have specific entry requirements or prerequisites. Also, keep in mind that the course schedule and availability of courses are subject to change.
* If you are accepted by the Amsterdam University College (AUC) you can only register for AUC courses.
- Course registration
The official registration for your courses will only take place after acceptance. Due to possible changes in the course schedule, the UvA cannot guarantee that the courses of your wish list will actually be available during course registration. It is also possible that at the time of your application, the latest course schedule has not been released yet. For application purposes, you may therefore select courses from the most recent academic year available.
Faculty-specific requirements
Next to the general entry requirements, you will also need a relevant academic background for the intended faculty.The relevant academic background will be assessed by the guidelines below per faculty or academic department.
Global Exchange Programme for Bachelor's students
- Faculty of Economics and Business
For courses in Economics and Business, students should have completed at least two full academic years of courses in one of the fields of study below. Students should also have passed courses in Mathematics and Statistics.
- (General) Economics
- Business Economics
- Econometrics
- Actuarial Sciences
- Management
- Marketing
- Faculty of Humanities
For courses in Humanities, students should have taken courses in any of the following subject areas for at least one full academic year. Please note that we require a theoretical academic background in at least one of the fields of study below:
- Art, Religion or Cultural Studies
- Archeology and Ancient studies
- History and American studies
- Dutch Studies
- European Studies
- English Language and Literature
- Literature, Language and Culture studies
- Media studies
- Philosophy
- Faculty of Science
For courses in Science, students should fulfill the prerequisites as follows:
- Artificial Intelligence - application possible for 3rd year students of AI (and related sciences),English taught courses in semester 1 only.
- Biology - application possible for 3rd year students of Biology, most English-taught coursesare offered in semester 1.
- Biomedical Sciences - application possible for 3rd year students of Biomedical Sciences (andrelated sciences), English taught courses in semester 1 only.
- Chemistry - application possible for 3rd year students of Chemistry.
- Computer/Information Sciences: application possible for 3rd year students of Computer/Information Science (and related sciences).
- Future Planet Studies - application possible for 2nd and 3rd year students of EnvironmentalStudies (and related sciences).
- Mathematics - application possible for 3rd year students of Mathematics.
- Physics and Astronomy - application possible for 3rd year students of Physics and Astronomy,most English-taught courses are offered in semester 1.
- Psychobiology - application possible for 3rd year students with a Biology or Psychologybackground, English-taught courses in semester 1 only.
If there is not a full semester load of courses offered in your own field of study, you can choose additional Interdisciplinary courses or courses in Scientific Programming, both at Bachelor's level (see below):
- Interdisciplinary courses – application possible for students of all study areas
- Courses in Scientific Programming – application possibly for students with a Sciencebackground
- Amsterdam Law School
The Lawprogramme is intended for advanced law students who have completed at least two full academic years in law courses. The law programme is open for bachelor students, but most law courses are offered at master’s level. Law students can apply for:
- European Private Law courses
- European Union Law courses
- European Union Competition Law and Regulation courses
- International Trade and Investment Law courses
- Public International Law courses
- College of Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE)
The College of Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE): Today’s major global issues, such as the rise of populism, the debate between security and privacy, or global trade conflicts, are best addressed by a combined analysis through the lens of Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics. Incoming exchange students are eligible to take PPLE major courses offered in years 2 and 3, interdisciplinary electives and interdisciplinary seminars. Due to the small-scale nature of the PPLE programme and the intense workload of an honours programme, PPLE college reserves the right to review applications on motivation, academic background, study progress and GPA. Incoming exchange students must have previously taken at least 30 ECTS (or equivalent) of courses in at last two of the four PPLE disciplines.
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
For courses in Social and Behavioural Sciences, students should have taken courses in any of the subject areas below for at least one full academic year in order to be able to follow second-year courses. It is recommended to have accomplished courses on statistics previously. Note that in order to have access to specialisation modules, a background of two years in a specific field is required.
- Sociology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Communication Science
- Human Geography
- Urban planning
- Political Science
- Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
- Child Development and Education
- Psychology
- Amsterdam University College (AUC)
Amsterdam University College is UvA’s honours college that offers a small-scale and intensive, international Liberal Arts and Sciences programme, taught entirely in English. A key aspect of this interdisciplinary programme is tackling real-life problems and challenges facing today’s world. All students live and study together on the AUC international campus in Amsterdam East. Exchange students can apply to study at AUC with one and a half years of academic experience, but they must have a high GPA and a strong motivation. Due to the small-scale nature and space constraints in their own dormitories, Amsterdam University College has relatively limited availability and therefore reserves the right to review applications on motivation, academic background, study progress and GPA.
Global Exchange Programme for Master’s students
Students with a degree comparable to a Dutch Bachelor's degree can apply for Master's level courses.Please note that registering for Master’s (graduate) courses is difficult and competitive. The international officer will evaluate on an individual basis if the student has the required study background. Master's level students can only stay for one semester (a full year is not possible).
- Faculty of Economics and Business
Master’s students with a relevant Bachelor’s degree can apply for courses of:
- Accountancy and Control
- Business Economics
- Finance
- Business Administration
- Economics
- Econometrics
- Actuarial Science and Mathematical Finance, provided they meet the entry requirements.
- Faculty of Humanities
HumanitiesMaster's students can apply for courses in
- History
- Classics and Ancient studies
- Archaeology
- Arts and Culture
- Literary studies
- European studies
- Media studies
- Linguistics
- Middle Eastern studies
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Modern European languages (courses in target language)
The student should have completed a relevant Bachelor’s degree in the aforementioned field of study.
- Faculty of Science
Science Master’s students with a relevant Bachelor’s degree can apply for Master's courses from the following disciplines:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Biological Sciences
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences
- Chemistry
- Computational Science
- Earth and Life Sciences
- Information Studies
- Logic
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Software Engineering
- Stochastics and Financial Mathematics.
Please note that some Master's programmes have partial restrictions, meaning that not all courses are open to Exchange students.
- Amsterdam Law School
Advanced law students can apply for:
- European Private Law courses
- European Union Law courses
- European Union Competition Law and Regulation courses
- International Trade and Investment Law courses
- Public International Law courses
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Research Master in Urban Studies
The Graduate School of Social Sciences organises exchange opportunities for the Research Master in Urban Studies (RMUS). This is a selective Master's programme aimed at students who hold a thorough interest in the field of Urban studies. This exchange programme is only open to students of partner institutions within this Master's programme. A limited number of places are available for exchange students who have shown that they have the right qualifications and potential to successfully finish courses of this research-oriented graduate programme. The Research Master in Urban Studies is open for exchange students during the first (fall) semester.
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Child Development and Education
Master's students can apply for courses within the Master's tracks Youth at Risk and ChildDevelopment and Education (research master) and the course Democratic Citizenship andEducation.
Language requirements Global Exchange Programme 2024-2025
International exchange students must provide proof of their proficiency in the English language by means of a TOEFL, an IELTS, or a CAEtest report. Please consult the table below for the language requirements per faculty, department, college, or school.
Exemption:You do not need to submit an English proficiency test if either you are a national of, or if you have completed your secondary or higher education in: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, or USA.
Faculty, department, college, or school | Level of exchange | TOEFL* | IELTS | CAE/CPE** | Minimum subscore |
Humanities | Bachelor's | 92 | 6.5 | C | TOEFL 22| IELTS 6.0 | CAE C |
Humanities | Master's | 100 | 7.0 | 190 | TOEFL 24 reading & writing, 22 listening, 25 speakinglIELTS 6.5 |
Social and Behavioural Sciences | Bachelor's | 92 | 6.5 | C | N/A |
Social and Behavioural Sciences | Master's | 100 | 7.0 | C | TOEFL 22 | IELTS 6.5 |
Economics and Business | Bachelor's | 92 | 6.5 | C | TOEFL 22 l IELTS 6.0 |
Economics and Business | Master's | 92 | 6.5 | C | TOEFL 22 l IELTS 6.0 |
Science | Bachelor's | 92 | 6.5 - 7.0 | C | TOEFL 22 | IELTS 6.0 |
Science | Master's | 92 | 6.5 - 7.0 | C | TOEFL 22 | IELTS 6.0 |
Law | Master's | 100 | 7.0 | C1 | TOEFL 24 reading & writing, 22 listening, 25 speaking | IELTS 6.5 | C1/190 |
Amsterdam University College (AUC) | Bachelor's | 100 | 7.0 | C1 | TOEFL 24 reading & writing, 22 listening, 25 speaking | IELTS 6.5 | C1/190 |
Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE) | Bachelor's | 100 | 7.0 | 190 | TOEFL 24reading & writing, 22 listening, 25 speaking | IELTS max. 1 subscore 6.5 |
* Please note: TOEFL IBT & TOEFL IBT Home edition are accepted. We don’t accept TOEFL ITP.
** AUC also accepts a "Cambridge English: Proficiency" certificate.