If you want to apply for this Master’s programme, you should hold an academic Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Finance, or a degree in Business Economics, Economics or Business Administration with a specialisation in Finance or Real Estate Finance.

Eligible candidates must have at least 15 ECTS of coursework in finance. In addition, applicants should have completed:

• An intermediate-level course in Investments, covering topics such as portfolio optimisation and diversification, CAPM, and factor-based pricing models. 
• An intermediate-level course in Corporate Finance, covering topics such as capital structure theory and payout policy. 
• An intermediate-level course in Econometrics, which must cover multivariate linear regression, omitted variable bias, and non-linear Logit/Probit models 
• Some coursework on derivatives or risk management (this can be covered as part of a broader course on Investments or Corporate Finance) 

You must upload a course description of each of these courses in your online application. 

Additional to your Bachelor’s degree it is recommendable to have a strong knowledge for economics, math and statistics as you will have a better understanding of the Master’s programme. Therefore, it can be helpful to have additional coursework in microeconomics, macroeconomics, accounting, mathematics and statistics at foundation-year level.

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.

Please note that a Bachelor's degree from a University of applied sciences will not be taken into consideration. 

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 Finance 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).

To select students for this programme, we will look at the average GPA of your finance-related core courses (Corporate Finance, Investment, Derivatives e.g.), plus Econometrics. 

Only applicants with an average GPA of at least 7.0 or higher for these courses are 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. Please note that applications with a lower GPA can still be submitted and will be assessed.

Send your GPA calculation along with your application, 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. 

Test and required score 

GMAT Focus Edition: Minimum score: 585 and preferably 595 

GMAT test (old edition): Minimum score: 620 and preferably 640 

• 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: 155 and preferably 158 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.

One of the selection criteria is the motivation letter. The Master's Finance is an academically challenging programme with a strong emphasis on research methods. Applicants are expected to have a high level of intrinsic motivation for academic study in general, and finance and economics in particular. Your motivational letter should clearly state why you are interested in studying finance and pursuing a career in this field. It should also explain why your academic profile is a good fit for the programme. Furthermore, use the motivation letter to highlight any important aspects of your profile that are not documented elsewhere in your application, as well as extenuating circumstances that you have experienced. (Max.1 A4)

Please provide a letter of recommendation from a previous or current supervisor, professor, co-worker, or peer who can describe the knowledge, skills, or aptitudes that you possess.