Please check the list of recommended bachelor's under 'Entry requirements'. If your bachelor (or an equivalent programme) is not in the list, you can send an email to our study adviser (studieadviseur-iis@uva.nl) to make enquiries. To be able to give you advice, we need the details of your programme.

Bachelor's without a substantial science component are not suitable for our master, e.g. law, psychology, medicine, archeology, anthropology, etc.

Note that most of our applicants have a background in Life Sciences, so choosing another discipline (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Computer Science) will increase your chances to be admitted since we aim for a mixed student’s population.

Please check the entry requirements. For some bachelor's we demand a certain specialisation or emphasis. If no further emphasis is listed we have no suggestions.

Often, students are still busy finishing their bachelor and not all marks are yet known. If you expect to obtain the required GPA with the last marks, please indicate that in your application and we will make our decision awaiting the final GPA. However, even if the GPA will finally be lower than required it is possible to apply for admission but notice that your motivation has to compensate for your low grades.

No, we do not offer a pre-master programme. If you have a bachelor’s which is included in the list of recommended bachelor’s the programme is suitable for you.

Costs associated with the Master's programme in Forensic Science that you can expect are listed below.

For all students:

• Books: approx. €115
• Other various costs approx. €100

For those without public transport card:

• Travel expenses to the Netherlands Forensic Institute, five times for the course Cybercrime, Digital Traces and Forensic Data analysis. Return ticket Amsterdam Science Park – Den Haag Laan van Ypenburg approx. €30. Train group tickets are available for €14,50 per person when traveling with 7 people together Off-Peak Group Ticket | Most wanted | producten | NS.  
• Travel expenses to the Dutch Police Academy (1 time during the programme, for the Mock Crime Scene). Return ticket Amsterdam Science Park – Apeldoorn Arnhemseweg) is approximately €33
• Other various travel expenses: approx. €100

Optional:

• Study trip: Depending on the destination, the costs can vary between €150 to €180.
• Poster costs for the elective course Advanced Forensic Biology: €10 per person
• Book for the elective course Physical and Forensic Anthropology: €33,50

If you completed a MSc programme in one of the (bèta) sciences it is possible to follow a shorter programme. Part of the programme - approximately 21 ECTS - is devoted to deepening your knowledge of your Bachelor's field of study. If you already obtained a Master's certificate, it is possible that you use 12 or 18 EC from your Master’s as specialisation courses in the second year of the Forensic Science Master's programme. If you wish to do this, you have to get approval from our Examination Board. If you think this might apply to you, then:

• Please provide information on the application form about the Master's as well as the Bachelor's that you completed.

• Indicate on the form that you want to discuss the possibility of an adapted programme (dispensation).

The first year of the Master’s programme in Forensic Science gives a broad orientation of the forensic field and therefore shows some overlap with the “Forensisch Onderzoek” programme.  
In the second year, students specialise in one discipline. Their Bachelor's programme provides the background for this specialisation.

If you are following a HBO “Forensisch Onderzoek”, it is therefore important that you already specialise in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. Biology or Chemistry) during your programme. Without such a specialisation, you lack the background to choose a forensic specialisation during the Master’s and be able to conduct the research project on a Master’s level.

So, when the examination board reviews your file, they will assess whether you indeed have the required scientific background to choose a specialisation.

Note that most of our applicants have a background in Life Sciences, so choosing another discipline (e.g. Chemistry, Physics or Computer Science) will increase your chances to be admitted since we aim for a mixed student’s population.

If you want to study Forensic Science in the future, you will need to choose a bachelor's in one of the exact or natural (bèta) sciences. If you wish to enroll in a bachelor's in mathematics, physics, chemistry, or computer science the N&T profile would be a good choice. If you wish to do a bachelor's in biology, then the N&G profile is a good choice too.

No, the master is only offered as full-time program. All courses are scheduled during the week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No, all students start in September with the master programme.

Yes, only a few courses are open for other students with a maximum of 12 EC.  If you are thinking about following one of these two courses as an elective, always first contact our study adviser for more information (studieadviseur-iis@uva.nl). Courses that can be elected are:

• Forensic Statistics & DNA Evidence

• Criminal Law and Expert Evidence

However, the admission criteria still apply. It is not possible to follow more courses. The programme is designed as a coherent and evolving set of courses. All courses are building on those given before.

It is not recommended to have a job when enrolling in the MSc Forensic Science. The master is a full time programme. Each student is expected to spend at least 40 hours a week to his or her studies. During weekdays you will need to be available at varying times (all between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.).

If the programme that meets the entry requirement of this master’s has been completed abroad, you need to apply for this master’s via the International Office, more information on this can be found here.

The MSc in Forensic Science is taught in English. This means all plenary meetings will be in English and all group meetings where one or more participants are non-Dutch will be in English. The reports that you need to write will also be in English.

We strongly discourage you to do this. An AI generated motivation letter will interfere with an accurate assessment of your qualities, English proficiency, motivation, and qualifications. We want to get to know you better and understand your intrinsic motivation to come to Amsterdam and study forensic science with us. This process, that is obstructed by AI technology, is also important for you to really understand whether our curriculum is what you seek.