Pre-Master’s programme

Literary Studies

This programme is aimed at students who have a degree from a University of Applied Sciences (such as Dutch HBO) or an academic Bachelor’s degree that does not grant direct access to the following tracks of the Master's Literary Studies: MA Comparative Literature, MA English Literature and Culture and MA Literature, Culture and Society. It does not grant access to the research Master's Literary Studies.

If you successfully complete the pre-Master’s programme within a year, you will automatically be admitted to the Master's programme you wish to pursue. However, you do need to complete the programme within one year, as you cannot start the Master's without fully meeting the entry requirements. After completing the pre-Master's programme you will not receive a diploma or certificate.

Programme

If you have obtained an academic Bachelor’s degree, you do not need to take the two Academic Skills courses (2 x 6 ECTS), which means that the programme will comprise 30 ECTS instead of 42 ECTS. Below you see the programme of the current academic year; the courses in the coming academic year may differ slightly. The Course Catalogue for the new academic year will be published in May.

Recommended for Comparative Literature

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC

Academic Skills pre-Master's

Period 1

Period 3

12
Philosophy of the Humanities (LCA and English)

Period 1

6
Moving Images in Film and Literature

Period 2

6
Literary Worlds: World Literature and Globalisation

Period 4

6
What’s Going On? Emerging Trends in Cultural Analysis

Period 4

6
Living On: How to survive the 21st Century armed only with a Humanities degree

Period 5

6

UvA Course Catalogue - Pre-Master's Literary Studies Comparative Literature

Recommended for English Literature and Culture

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC

Academic Skills pre-Master's

Period 1

Period 3

12
Philosophy of the Humanities (LCA and English)

Period 1

6
Authors in Focus: Contemporary American Writers

Period 1

6
Contemporary World Literature

Period 4

6
English Literature 2: Early Modern Literature

Period 4

6
English Literature 3: The Eighteenth Century

Period 5

6

UvA Course Catalogue - Pre-Master's Literary Studies English Literature and Culture

Recommended for Literature, Culture and Society

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC

Academic Skills pre-Master's

Period 1

Period 3

12
Philosophy of the Humanities (LCA and English)

Period 1

6
Europese literaire klassieken

Period 2

6
Moving Images in Film and Literature

Period 2

6
Literary Worlds: World Literature and Globalisation

Period 4

6
Contemporary World Literature

Period 4

6

UvA Course Catalogue - Pre-Master's Literary Studies Literature, Culture and Society

Application deadlines

Please check the deadlines below very carefully, because they are strict. Missing one of the deadlines means that your application cannot be processed.

I have a Dutch nationality
I have an EU/EEA-nationality

If you wish to apply for housing

Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
23 February 2025, 23:59 CET

Submit complete application (see step 2)
1 March 2025, 23:59 CET

If you do NOT wish to apply for housing

Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
8 May 2025, 23:59 CET

Submit complete application (see step 2)
15 May 2025, 23:59 CET
I have a non-EU/EEA nationality

Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
23 February 2025, 23:59 CET

Submit complete application (see step 2)
1 March 2025, 23:59 CET

Important information regarding visa

If you need a visa for your stay in the Netherlands, please note that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) only issues visas to pre-Master's students for the duration of one year. If you do not complete the programme in one year, you cannot continue your studies anywhere in the Netherlands.

Application procedure

Your application to the Graduate School of Humanities always starts by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink and MyInfo application for the Master's programme you wish to pursue, even if you think you are eligible for the pre-Master’s programme.

An enrolment request in Studielink for the pre-Master’s programme alone is not sufficient and will not be taken into consideration.

1. Submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the Master's Literary Studies

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 the pre-Master's in Literary Studies need to submit an enrolment request in Studielink for the Master's in Literary Studies. Please note: even if you think you are eligible for the pre-Master’s programme, you must start your application by submitting an enrolment request for the Master's in Literary Studies.

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 step 3).

Register via Studielink Enrol in the Master's in Literary Studies
2. Pay the application fee (international prior education only)
All students applying for a (pre-)Master’s programme with a non-Dutch degree must pay a non-refundable application fee of €100. The UvA cannot start processing your application until this fee has been paid. You can pay the application fee by credit card (Master or Visacard) or iDEAL.

Please note that after paying the application, it may still take up to 24 hours to gain access to the MyInfo application portal. We recommend you to pay the application fee well before the application deadline (see above), so you will be able to submit your application before this deadline.
You do not have to pay the application fee:

If you have obtained or will obtain a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences (HBO);

If you have already applied and paid the application fee for another Master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2024-2025;

If you have already applied and paid the application fee for a Master's programme at the Graduate School of Humanities for the academic year 2023-2024;

If you have started a UvA Master’s programme in 2021, 2022 or 2023.
3. Submit a complete application in MyInfo
4. Wait for the admission decision
5. After admission decision

If you are admissible to the pre-Master’s programme, you will receive a letter of conditional admission with the steps you need to take to become fully enrolled.

Please be aware that all pre-Master’s programmes offered by the Graduate School of Humanities must be completed within one academic year. Extensions are not possible.

Tuition fee for pre-Master's programmes

The tuition fee rate for a pre-Master’s programme in the academic year 2025-2026 is €43.35 per ECTS, with a maximum of €2,601. This means that for a 42 ECTS pre-Master’s programme, the fee is €1,820.70; for a 30 ECTS programme, the fee is €1,300.50.

More information

Dr M. (Marija) Cetinic

Faculty of Humanities

Literatuurwetenschap

m.cetinic@uva.nl

Dr. K.A. (Kristine) Johanson

Faculty of Humanities

Capaciteitsgroep Engelse taal en cultuur

k.a.johanson@uva.nl +31 (0)20 525 8148

Prof. dr. S. (Shelley) Godsland

Faculty of Humanities

Capaciteitsgroep Romaanse talen en culturen

S.Godsland@uva.nl +31 (0)20 525 2043

Facts & Figures

Mode: Full-time
Credits: 30/42 ECTS, 12 months
Language of instruction: English
Conditions for admission: University of applied sciences degree (HBO); Academic/research university degree (WO)
Starts in: September

Literary Studies

Programme

Recommended for Comparative Literature

Recommended for English Literature and Culture

Recommended for Literature, Culture and Society

Application deadlines

If you wish to apply for housing

If you do NOT wish to apply for housing

Important information regarding visa

Application procedure

Tuition fee for pre-Master's programmes

More information

Comparative Literature (Literary Studies)

English Literature and Culture (Literary Studies)