To be eligible for this Master’s programme, your academic Bachelor’s degree requires:

• An academic Bachelor's or Master's degree (BSc or BA) in (International) Business Administration or an academic Bachelor’s degree in an Economics or Businesses related field.
• 15 ECTS in academic research with a minimum of 10 ECTS on quantitative research oriented courses (intermediate/advance).
• Business courses (intermediate/advance), up to an equivalent of a minimum of 15 ECTS, in at least 2 of the following fields: 
  • strategy,
  • international management,
  • organisation,
  • marketing,
  • leadership,
  • entrepreneurship or
  • organisational psychology

Educational systems differ around the world. International degrees are evaluated based on the guidelines provided by the NUFFIC.  Are you unsure whether your academic background is considered equivalent to a Dutch Bachelor's degree? Find a list of equivalent degrees here. 

If your previous education does not fulfill this programme’s requirements:

• Students with previous EU academic/applied science education and an EU/EEA nationality might be eligible to apply for a pre-master’s programme.
• Students with previous non-EU education and a non-EU nationality may wish to consider applying for a Master’s-qualifying programme at the Cambridge Education Group.  

Our Master’s programmes are in English. Good English skills are essential for successful class participation and understanding. To ensure this, we'll assess your English skills through specific proficiency tests listed below.

Tests and required scores 

• TOEFL iBT Test: minimum total score of 92 with a minimum of 22 per subscore. You can use the institution code 9011 to have your score report sent to us. 
• IELTS Academic: overall band score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 per subscore. Please note that the IELTS Indicator test is not allowed. 
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: overall score of 180 and a minimum of 180 per skill. 

Other test versions or modules are not accepted. Examples of this include but are not limited to: IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL Home Edition, TOEFL MyBest Scores, etc.

Validity of scores 

• Test scores may not be older than two years, counting back from the start of the programme. For example, if you are applying for the September 2025 intake, we do not accept English proficiency tests taken before September 2023.
• Scores older than 2 years are only valid in combination with certain study programmes (check the exemptions). 
• Sufficient test scores received after the application deadline are accepted, as long as your English proficiency test was taken before the application deadline. 

Exemptions  

Did you obtain your previous education in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America? Or did you participate in an exchange programme in one of these countries, while your English proficienct test results are older than 2 years?

Since the Master’s in Business Administration is a popular programme and we want to guarantee an interactive programme, we apply a selection procedure. One of the selection criteria is the Grade Point Average (GPA). 

Applicants with a sufficient background are required to have an overall GPA equivalent to at least a Dutch grade of 7.0 or higher, to be eligible for selection. Check this list to see which grade is equivalent to a Dutch 7.0 in your degree. 

This means that you are not automatically admitted when you have a 7.0 GPA, but that you will be considered for the selection round where places are offered to the applicants with the highest GPA until all places are filled.  

Calculate your GPA over: 

• All Bachelor's degree results (year 1-3). Also include any additional Bachelor’s courses. 
• If you also have a Master's degree, you have to add a second GPA calculation (also minimum 7.0) from all Master's degree results as well.

You do not have to update your GPA calculation after the application deadline. 

Good analytical writing and quantitative reasoning skills are crucial for starting in this Master’s programme. To ensure this, you need to provide a sufficient Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score. And in some cases a Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test result is accepted. The GMAT test will be replaced by the GMAT Focus test. If you have a valid score report of the old GMAT test, we still accept this. 

Tests and required score 

GMAT Focus Edition: Minimum score: 535 and preferably 565

GMAT test (old edition): Minimum score: 560 and preferably 600  

• Please note that completion of all sections of the exam is required. 
• You can use the institution code 0500 to have your score report sent to us. 

• The GMAT (Focus) Online Exam is allowed for the  September 2025 intake. 

Instead of a GMAT, a GRE test score may be accepted if you have already obtained a GRE score or it is difficult to take the GMAT test on short notice in your country.  

• Minimum score: 152 and preferably 155 in the Quantitative Reasoning section
• Please note that completion of all sections of the exam is required. 
• You can use the institution code 7878 U Amsterdam School of Economics to have your score report sent to us. 
• The GRE at home test is allowed for the September 2025 intake.  

Deadline of handing in test scores 

Your test scores should be submitted before your application deadline. Please keep in mind that receiving these results can take up to two weeks. 

Exemptions 

Based on mutual agreements with certain universities, you might be exempted from taking a GMAT or GRE test. Check the list of universities to see whether this applies to you.

The motivation letter (max. one A4)  allows you to explain why you would be a good fit for the Master’s programme and which experiences have led you to this decision.