You need to submit your enrolment request via Studielink, activate your UvAnetID, pay the application fee (if applicable) AND submit your complete application request via MyInfo  before the deadline stated below. It may take several days to complete all these steps. We recommend you register in Studielink at least one week before the deadline of your programme.

Please see below for the most important deadlines you must consider when applying to one of our Master’s programmes for the academic year 2025-2026

Enrolment September 2025

Application deadlines for applicants with a non-EEA nationality who have completed or about to complete an academic Bachelor's degree and/or are applying for an UvA scholarship:

• Register in Studielink: Monday 6 January 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
• Submit your application in MyInfo: Wednesday 15 January 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
• Notification period: Monday 3 March 2025 – Friday 14 March 2025 (if possible)

Application deadlines for applicants with an EEA nationality (including Dutch) and who have completed or are about to complete a non-Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree:

• Apply for DigiD (Dutch students only): Recommended before Friday 7 February 2025
• Register in Studielink: Monday 24 February 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
• Submit your application in MyInfo: Monday 3 March 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
• Notification period: Monday 5 May 2025 – Friday 30 May 2025 (if possible)

Application deadline for all nationalities who have completed or are about to complete a Dutch (academic) Bachelor’s degree *):

• Apply for DigiD (Dutch students only): Recommended before Friday 7 March 2025
• Register in Studielink: Friday 21 March 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
• Submit your application in MyInfo: Monday 31 March 2025, 23.59 hrs (CET)
• Notification period: Monday 5 May 2025 – Friday 30 May 2025 (if possible)

*) In case you are in need of a visa or residence permit, this deadline only applies to you when you are studying in the Netherlands (Bachelor's/Master's) at the time of applying.

Applications will be carefully evaluated by the admissions committee. The committee determines whether all entry requirements as specified below are met and assesses the quality of each application in comparison with the other applications received.

Limited capacity and selection

The number of available places is limited to 25 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:

• Clear affinity with scientific research
• Previous study results
• The relevance of their previous studies
• Previous knowledge of social sciences research methodology
• Motivation
• Relevance of employment, internships or extra-curricular experiences
• 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 development studies or in another closely related discipline (such as human geography, sociology, social/cultural anthropology, political science 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 three years of Dutch university education.

Development studies

Applicants are expected to have a solid basis in the field of development studies of at least (an equivalent of) 30 ECTS credits earned during previous study.

Research methodology

Applicants should have a solid basis in both qualitative and quantitative social sciences research methodology as demonstrated by the completion of (the equivalent of) at least 24 ECTS during previous study. Upon entry to the Master's programme, students are expected to be able to:

• Understand advantages and disadvantages of different research methods (both qualitative and quantitative)
• Develop and carry out (simple) surveys
• Interpret the results of surveys
• Carry out statistical analysis with SPSS or similar software
• Conduct interviews
• Analyse the results of interviews

Grade average

Study results obtained in previous education should demonstrate that a student is able to attain and maintain an excellent standard, especially in the fields of social sciences / international development studies and research methodology. Applicants must show an overall grade average at the time of applying of at least a B+/A­ /3.5 (American system), second class, upper division Honours degree (British system), B (ECTS system), 7.5 (Dutch system) or equivalent.

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:

All students who would like to apply to a programme at the University of Amsterdam must start their application process by registering in 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 registration 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 overview (in Things You Need to Know Before Applying) in programmes and Studielink names.

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 specialization/track?

If you wish to apply for a specialization/track, please choose the study programme name first. After confirming the study programme and starting date you will be asked to indicate the specialization/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 specialization/track of the same programme, please register in Studielink for one specialization/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.
   

Registration 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.

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 required 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.

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.

Paying the application fee at the Graduate School of Social Sciences

If you apply for a master’s programme offered by the Graduate School of Social Sciences, you first need to pay your application fee in SIS. You can pay your €100 application fee by credit card (Master or Visa),  PayPal, Bancontact or iDEAL.

Only after paying the fee, you can start your application in MyInfo. It is not possible to start your application without first paying your non-refundable application fee.

Note that 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. Make sure to pay your application fee in time and at least 24 hours before the application deadline of your programme.

You don't have to pay the application fee:

• If you have of will obtain a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences (HBO).
• If you have already applied and have paid the application fee for another master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2025-2026.
• If you are an exchange student.
• If your tuition fees for the academic year 2025-2026 will be paid by the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF). If so, your application fee will be refunded; 
• If you have deferred your conditional admission last year**) and wish to start for the same programme in 2025-2026. 

*) The application fee is non-refundable. You are not entitled to a refund even if you do not submit your application form, or if you submit an application form after the deadline (which will not be taken into consideration) or if you submit an incomplete application

**) Deferring is only possible for M Sociology (all tracks), M Human Geography (all tracks), M Urban & Regional Planning (all tracks), M Cultural & Social Anthropology (all tracks except for Visual Anthropology).

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. Please make sure that your application is complete since incomplete application files will not be taken into consideration by the Admissions Committee and will be closed within 14 days. The application fee is also non-refundable in case of a closed (incomplete) application file.

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:

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. The documents can be submitted by e-mail sent by your university directly to apply-gsss@uva.nl or through an online verification system.

If you completed your Bachelor’s programme in the Netherlands, we can check your Bachelor graduation in SIS. You do not have to send any certified documents.

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 and in the link below.

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 July.

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 adviser 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.