Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)

We aim to attract the world’s brightest students to our international classrooms. Students with a Non-EU nationality can apply for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship. The value of the scholarship is equal to the tuition fee + €5,000 additional allowance for the duration of the programme (1 year, without prolongation). A limited number of scholarships are available each year. Last academic year we awarded 12 scholarships and received 150 applications.

Deadlines:

• 1 November for February intake (MSc Business Administration Tracks International Business, Digital- or Consumer -Marketing).
• 15 January for September intake all other programmes

General Criteria

To be considered for the AMS scholarship applicants need to meet the following general criteria:

• hold non-EU nationality only
• have excellent academic results in the top percentile
• not be entitled to receive a Dutch study grant or loan ("Studiefinanciering")
• not receive a full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the AMS scholarship
• have submitted a complete application to one of the Master's programmes of UvA Economics and Business before 15 January.
• be able to comply with Dutch visa regulations as indicated by the Dutch Immigration Service (IND).
• submit a complete application before 15 January, including the documents mentioned under Selection criteria and Application Process.

Selection criteria

The best candidates are selected for a scholarship on the basis of their academic excellence and promise in the field. This means that your application will be compared with other applicaions for the available scholarships. You need to provide:

1. Proof of an outstanding GPA at least (Magna) Cum Laude (Dutch system), a first-class honours (UK) or 3.7 (USA)
2. Motivation letter (use no more than 300 words to tell us why you deserve this scholarship).
3. Proof of English proficiency (if applicable)*:
   • TOEFL IBT: overall score of 100 (minimum score of 22 in each component, higher subscores give you an advantage);
   • IELTS (Academic test): overall score of 7.0 (minimum score of 7.0 in each component, you can apply with a subscore of 6.5 but higher subscores give you an advantage);
   • Cambridge Assessment English: Certificate in Advanced English: 190 points overall and in each skill or Certificate of Proficiency in English: 190 points overall and in each skill.
4. GMAT/GRE** test (if applicable) with at least the expected scores for the programme, see admission and application info for the programme. A high score gives you an advantage.

*You are exempted from taking the English test if you have a secondary school diploma from a school located in and accredited by the respective authorities in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, or the US. See all exemptions on the programme website.

** You might be exempted from the GMAT/GRE based on mutual agreements from these universities or the test is not necessary for the Master's programme application (UvA Economics and Business students, MPQ etc).

Application process

Apply for the MSc programme via Studielink and the online application form (Embark).

In addition, please upload the following documents under the scholarship section in Embark:

1. Recommendation letter by a dean, teacher, or academic supervisor that also confirms that you belong to the top 10% of your class or year
2. Motivation letter explaining why you deserve this scholarship (300 words):

• Why would you need a Scholarship?
• Why would you deserve a Scholarship? Include a description of academic excellence and if applicable other merits.

Please note: We will only take your application for the scholarship into consideration if it is complete before the deadline.

For OnCampus students, students from UvA Economics and Business, and rMSc (Tinbergen, Business Data Science) students:

You can apply via this form in Embark. The deadline for applying for the scholarship is 15 January.

The best candidates will be placed for selection. If a specific test is not required for the programme application (UvA Economics and Business, OnCampus), it is not required for the scholarship application.

Payment of the scholarship

Please note that the scholarship works on a reimbursement basis and is not a tuition fee waiver. You will therefore have to arrange the payment of your tuition fee yourself. The scholarship will be paid out in 12 equal instalments.

Limited number of scholarships

We provide a limited number of scholarships for excellent students. The total amount for the AMS, dedicated to UvA Economics and Business, is established annually. As the actual number of scholarships is derived from this amount, no fixed number is in place.