International degree certificates

International degrees are evaluated by professional credential evaluators of the UvA. The minimum level of the degree should be equivalent to a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree. Education systems vary considerably across the world; some Bachelor's degrees are valued at three years of a Dutch university education, while others are valued at two years or less. During the application process we will ask you to upload the documents needed for the credential evaluation.

Proficiency in English

International candidates who are non-native English speakers* are required to submit official English proficiency test scores according to the criteria mentioned below.

^{*Native speakers of English who completed their undergraduate degree in another language than English have to demonstrate that they finished high school in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.}

Non-native English speakers have to submit one of the following tests. No other tests are accepted. Your test score may not be more than 2 years old with respect to the start date of your programme.

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  Required score: at least 7.0 on the academic module, with a minimum score of 6.5 for the separate components of the test. We don’t accept the IELTS Online.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  Required score: at least 100 (internet based test) with a minimum score for the separate components of the test:
  • Reading: 24
  • Listening: 22
  • Speaking: 25
  • Writing: 24
• We don’t accept the TOEFL Home Edition.
• Cambridge International Examination.
  Required score: at least 190 on C1 Advanced.

Exemption applies to candidates who obtained an academic Bachelor's diploma in the Netherlands, as well as to candidates who completed an entirely English-taught academic Bachelor’s or Master’s programme (in which case we ask for a proof that the language of instruction is English).

Hbo-bachelor / undergraduate degree programme with an applied emphasis

An undergraduate degree programme with an applied emphasis (Dutch: hbo-bachelor) is not equivalent to an academic Bachelor’s degree, and therefore gives no access to the Psychology Master’s nor to the pre-Master’s programmes (please note that no premaster is offered for the research master's programme in Psychology). This is because one not only needs knowledge of psychology to succeed in the master’s programme, but also skills/knowledge of scientific research methods and other scientific skills like critical thinking, academic writing, etc.

In premaster programmes* for students with an academic bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject we are able to correct deficiencies in specific knowledge needed for the master’s programme. However, students holding an undergraduate degree with an applied emphasis also need to correct their deficiencies in academic skills and this takes more than a year. Since a premaster’s programme legally cannot be longer than one year, we are unable to provide a premaster’s programme for these students.

We advise students holding an undergraduate degree with an applied emphasis to do the bachelor’s programme in Psychology at UvA, or elsewhere. Also, it is worthwhile to check other psychology master’s programmes since some do have premasters for students holding an undergraduate degree.

*No premaster’s is offered for the research master's programme in Psychology.