The application deadline for this selective Master's programme is 1 March 2025, 23:59 CET (register in Studielink before 23 February, see step 4).
Please make sure to follow the steps of the application process carefully to ensure that your application can be processed.
You are eligible to apply for admission if you hold an academic Bachelor's degree from an accredited research university in:
If you do not meet the entry requirements above, for example if you have a degree from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO) or an equivalent thereof, you might be eligible to eliminate your deficiencies by completing the pre-Master’s programme in Media Studies first. The Admissions Board will determine if your academic background is sufficient for admission to the (pre-)Master’s programme. Admission to the (pre-)Master’s programme is not guaranteed.
New Master's students should be able to speak, read, write and understand English at an advanced academic level. Please check carefully on the page below whether:
The MA in Archival and Information Studies is a dual (Professional) Master's programme. All prospective students of dual Master's programmes are subject to a selection procedure. The selection committee for the MA in Archival and Information Studies looks at a prospective student’s motivation (see ‘Motivation form’), the academic transcripts (applicants are advised to take into account the grade requirements specified below), their educational and professional background (curriculum vitae) and a writing sample.
If you wish to apply for this Master's programme, you are advised to consider that incoming students generally have a grade average of at least:
All students applying will need to start their application by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink, the Dutch online system for students applying for a degree programme at a Dutch university.
Applicants for Archival and Information Studies need to submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the Master's in Media Studies 90 EC (Dual). When asked, select Archival and Information Studies as the track you intend to follow. Please note: even if you believe your prior education does not grant direct access and you think you need to take the pre-Master's programme to compensate for deficiencies, you must start your application by submitting an enrolment request for the Master’s Media Studies 90 EC (Dual).
It is extremely important that you register in Studielink at least 48 hours before the application deadline (see above). This is to ensure that you receive your login information (UvAnetID) in time to fill in your UvA application in MyInfo (see next step).
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.
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 or Datanose. Make sure to pay your application fee at least 24 hours before the application deadline of your programme.
You do not have to pay the application fee:
* Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. You are not entitled to a refund even if you do not submit your application form, if you submit an application form after the deadline (which will not be taken into consideration) or if you submit an incomplete application.
After enrolling in Studielink, you will automatically receive an email with a link to your MyInfo UvA application form. To log in to MyInfo you need your UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload the required documents and submit your MyInfo application form before the application deadline.
Please make sure that in Studielink (step 4) you have selected Archival and Information Studies as the track you intend to follow, and it is the selected track in your MyInfo application. Applications for selective programmes that have been selected as a second track will not be processed.
Make sure you are well prepared before you start your application, and you have all necessary documents ready. You are asked to upload the following documents:
*Please note: If you have not yet obtained your diploma but are in possession of all other application documents, you may proceed with your application - as long as you obtain your Bachelor's degree before 1 September. If you have a non-Dutch prior education, please bear in mind that you must submit your certified documents before 1 August.
In addition to the application documents that must be submitted for all Humanities Master’s programmes, applicants are expected to submit an English-language writing sample of around 5000 words (either a single paper, a combination of shorter essays, or a section from a longer thesis) that demonstrates their ability to use theory and handle sources in building up a sustained argument on a topic relevant to the programme. (If their first degree was not in English, they may also translate a text originally written in another language.)
Please collect and prepare all necessary documents before starting your application.
This programme does not require any other documents, such as a reference letter. Only the above-mentioned documents are taken into consideration by the Admissions Board.
Because this is a selective programme, applications will be evaluated by the Admissions Board after the application deadline has passed. You will be notified of whether you have been admitted to the programme after this time.
If you are admitted to the programme, you will receive a letter of conditional acceptance. In order to proceed with your enrolment, you must accept this offer at your earliest convenience. Read more about the steps you need to take after (conditional) acceptance on the website of the Graduate School of Humanities:
As a student in the Master’s programme in Archival and Information Studies you are expected to have the following knowledge, insight and skills:
Yes, you can apply for up to a maximum of four Master’s programmes. Some Master’s programmes offer different tracks. You may apply for a maximum of two tracks within the same Master's. If you wish to do so, you can select a second track in the MyInfo application form. Note that we will start by processing the track of your first choice. Only if you are not conditionally admitted to your first track will we continue to process your second track. If you are conditionally admitted to your first track, your application to the second track will be cancelled.
Please note that it is not possible to choose a selective track as your second choice option. If you are interested in a selective track or programme, be sure to put that as your first choice.
Many applicants to Master's programmes have not finished their previous education when they apply. If this applies to you, then you can upload a transcript of records with the courses and grades obtained so far. Make sure to also include a list of courses from your Bachelor's that you still need to complete. This applies to the scholarship applications as well.