Pre-master's programmes & Transfer programmes SBE

A pre-master at the School of Business and Economics is English spoken (except Accounting in Control) and consists of 5 courses (total 30 EC). The program starts every year  in the second semester (around the first of February) and takes roughly 20 weeks. Following completion of the pre-master, you can start with your master programme in September.

• pre-master Accounting and Control (Dutch Only)
• pre-master Business Administration - all specialisation
• pre-master Digital Business and Innovation 
• pre-master Entrepreneurship 
• pre-master Finance - all specialisations 
• pre-master Marketing 
• pre-master Transport and Supply Chain Management

Not every master of the School of Business and Economics has a pre-master. For these masters are transfer programmes available. Which programme would be suitable for you, depends on the level of required background knowledge you’ve obtained. Your admission request will be assessed by the admission board of the master of your choice. If there’s a lack of required knowledge, you’ll receive within the admission decision a tailor-made transfer programme consisting out of one or multiple courses.

Please know that you cannot directly apply for the transfer programme. First you must apply to the Master's programme. If there’s a lack of required knowledge, the Admission Board might refer you to this tailor-made transfer programme consisting out of one or multiple courses.

• schakeltraject Econometrics & Operations Research
• schakeltraject Economics
• schakeltraject Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics

• Accounting and Control
• Business Administration - all specialisations
• Digital Business and Innovation
• Econometrics & Operations Research
• Economics
• Entrepreneurship 
• Finance - all specialisations 
• Marketing
• Transport and Supply Chain Management 
• Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics

In order to be admitted to the pre-master’s programme you must have:

• a bachelor’s degree from a business or economics faculty from an NVAO accredited institute of Higher Education

AND

• a GPA of the Dutch equivalent of 7.5 (7.50) or higher, calculated over the last three years (‘hoofdfase’)
   

If you do not meet these admission requirements you can remedy these deficiencies by submitting a recent GMAT test with a minimum score, or an equivalent GRE score. Do you want to know more about the GMAT and the minimum score? See GMAT ® - More about - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl)

The pre-master's and master's programme are in English. To successfully finish these programmes, our urgent recommendation is to make sure you have a sufficient level of English language skills. This should be at C1 level, comparable to 6 VWO in Dutch education.

Keep in mind! We only take in to consideration applications with all required documents submitted at the right cannels. Make sure that the documents meet all requirements, an incomplete file will be rejected without further judgement. 

Are you in the possession of a WO bachelor degree? First apply for the master of your choice via Studielink/ VU Dashboard. Did you already apply and receive an admission decision which states you have to follow a pre-master?  In order to be admitted to the pre-master’s programme you must have:

• a bachelor’s degree from a business or economics faculty from an NVAO accredited institute of Higher Education

AND

• a GPA of the Dutch equivalent of 7.5 (7.50) or higher
  

If you do not meet these admission requirements you can remedy these deficiencies by submitting a recent GMAT test with a minimum score, or an equivalent GRE score. Do you want to know more about the GMAT and the minimum score? See GMAT ® - More about - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl)

The pre-master's and master's programme are in English. To successfully finish these programmes, our urgent recommendation is to make sure you have a sufficient level of English language skills. This should be at C1 level, comparable to 6 VWO in Dutch education.

Keep in mind! We only take in to consideration applications with all required documents submitted at the right cannels. Make sure that the documents meet all requirements, an incomplete file will be rejected without further judgement.

Do you have a Non-Dutch degree? First apply for the Master of your choice. For more extensive information about the registration and admission to the Master's programme, check ‘How do I apply for a Master’s programme?’

Do you want to register for a pre-master's? Read the information carefully and follow the indicated steps. Make sure that all the required documents are uploaded. If the documents are not submitted correctly or incomplete, your admission won’t be assessed. Keep the deadlines in mind, late submissions won’t be taken into process.

Requirements documents

Take note of the given requirements. If the document(s) you upload do not meet these criteria, your admission request cannot be assessed.

Proof economic or business related bachelor degree

Your transcript of grades must show the name of the institute, the name of the faculty and the name of your study programme.

Proof of GPA 7.5 or above

You need to proof that you obtained at least a GPA of 7.5 (7.50) or above. For hbo bachelors the GPA of 7.5 or above must be obtained in the ‘hoofdfase’ (year 2 t/m 4). Your GPA must be noted on your transcript of grades. The admission board does not do and/or accept own calculations. The board also doesn’t round grades.

Deadlines

Keep a close eye on the indicated deadlines, late requests won’t be processed.

Deadline pre-masters Dutch students

Your admission request needs to be complete on 31 January. This means that all steps of the registration process are taken, the required documents (keep the criteria of these documents in mind) are uploaded and the pre-master's fee is paid. We urgently recommend you to not wait until the last week of January to submit your request. The admission and registration process will also take some time and you don’t want to miss the start of your pre-master's.

Deadline pre-masters international students

Keep in mind that as an international student, you first have to apply for a master (see ‘‘How do I apply for a Master’s programme?’). If you received an admission decision which states you’ll have to complete a pre-master's, the following information is relevant for you.

The programme starts in the second semester, around the first of February. Due to the deadline for VISA request, non-EU citizens need to apply before the first of November. EU-citizens of students with a valid VISA have till the 31^st of January to hand-in and complete there registration. To make sure everything is processed in time, we recommend to submit your request well before the deadline.

• 1 November 2023: Non-EU/ non-EAA students who need visa/residence permit. November 1 is the deadline to apply. Once you are conditionally admitted you have till December 1 to hand in an valid English Language test and GMAT (if applicable)
• 31 January 2024: EU/EAA students

Registration pre-master's NL Students

Step 1: register in Studielink

Register in Studielink. Is this the first time you apply? We advise you to consult the Studielink guide (Studielink stappenplan). To sign in, a DigiD is required. If you don’t have a DigiD, you should request one. I takes multiple working days before one will be assigned.

If you are signed in at Studielink, select for ‘Programme type’ for ‘bachelor- or other non-master programme’. The pre-masters will be recognizable from the word ‘(pre-master's)’ as last part of the name.  Pick the pre-master's of your choice.

After registration in Studielink, you’ll receive an e-mail within two working days with your credentials for your personal dashboard at VU.nl. If you didn’t receive the e-mail, please check your spam folder and/or reach out to the UCIT-servicedesk using ucit-servicedesk@vu.nl or call 020 – 598 0000.

Step 2: Complete your registration on your VU Dashboard

Go to vu.nl, select in the top right corner the option ‘Student – sign in’ and log in on your VU Dashboard. Make sure you complete all steps in the registration portal, upload all requested documents and confirm the registration. You’ll receive a notification from Studielink as soon as your application is processed.

Be aware, check your registration carefully! Only a complete registration will reach the admission board of the School of Business and Economics.

Step 3: Pay the pre-master's fee

Make sure you pay the fee for the pre-master's before the deadline. If the payment is not received, you will not be admitted and you can’t start the pre-master's. For more information about the payment of the pre-master's fee, you can check the tuition fees.

The tuition fees will only be refunded if you cancel your registration before the 31th of January of the relevant academic year.

Step 4: Check if you’re registered

As soon as you receive notice from Studielink and the VU notification that you’re registered for the pre-master's, the registration is completed. Until then, the admission is conditional and you’re not yet definitively registered. If you haven’t received any notification 20 days after completing the first three steps of the process, please contact the studentenbalie@vu.nl

Do you want to register for a pre-master's? Read the information carefully and follow the indicated steps. Make sure that all the required documents are uploaded. If the documents are not submitted correctly or incomplete, your admission won’t be assessed. Keep the deadlines in mind, late submissions won’t be taken into consideration?.

Requirements documents

Take note of the given requirements. The specific requirements for your pre-master's application are provided in the invitation email of the Admission Board to apply for this pre-master's programme. 

You will be required to hand in proof of English Language proficiency, unless you adhere to one of the exemption requirements as stipulated on the How do I apply for a Master’s programme page. The minimum English test score requirements of the pre-master’s programme are equal to that of the corresponding Master’s programme. More information on this can be found on the Master Application page here.

Deadlines

Keep in mind that as an international student, you first have to apply for a master (see ‘‘How do I apply for a Master’s programme?’). You cannot apply for a pre-master's directly. If you received an admission decision which states you’ll have to complete a pre-master's, the following information is relevant for you.

The programme starts in the second semester, around the first of February. To make sure everything is processed in time, we recommend to submit your request well before the deadline.

1 November 2023: Non-EU/ non-EAA students who need visa/residence permit. November 1 is the deadline to apply. Once you are conditionally admitted you have till December 1 to hand in an valid English Language test and GMAT (if applicable)

31 January 2024: EU/EAA students

How to apply

Step 1: register in Studielink

Go to Studielink and login to the account you used for your Master application.

If you are signed in at Studielink, select for ‘Programme type’ for ‘bachelor- or other non-master programme’. The pre-masters will be recognizable from the word ‘(pre-master's)’ as last part of the name.  Pick the pre-master's of your choice.

Step 2: Complete your registration on your VU Dashboard

Go to vu.nl, select in the top right corner the option ‘Student – sign in’ and log in on your VU Dashboard. Make sure you complete all steps in the registration portal, upload all requested documents and confirm the registration. You’ll receive a notification from Studielink as soon as your application is processed.

Be aware, check your registration carefully! Only a complete registration will reach the admission board of the School of Business and Economics.

Step 3: Apply for international services such as housing and visa

More information can be found on www.vu.nl/accommodation and www.vu.nl/visa. Please note that you will only be able to make use of our Student Accommodation services once, so either during your pre-master’s or during your Master’s programme. If you would like to apply for housing after you have completed the pre-master’s programme, then please let our student accommodation team know so we can manually create the option to apply in your Personal Dashboard.

Step 4: Pay the pre-master's fee

Make sure you pay the fee for the pre-master's before the deadline. If the payment is not received, you will not be admitted and you can’t start the pre-master's. For more information about the payment of the pre-master's fee, you can check the tuition fees.

The tuition fees will only be refunded if you cancel your registration before the 31th of January of the relevant academic year.

Step 5: Check if you’re enrolled

As soon as you receive notice from Studielink and the VU notification that you’re registered for the pre-master's, the registration is completed. Until then, the admission is conditional and you’re not yet definitively registered. If you haven’t received any notification 20 days after completing the first three steps of the process, please contact your International Student Advisors via masters.sbe@vu.nl

Fees

See for the current pre-master's fees: Tuition fee rates (pre-)master's programmes. As a Dutch pre-master's student, you are eligible for a study loan and/or public transport card from the Dutch government for the duration of the pre-master's. You may also qualify for student finance if you (your partner or one of your parents) have the nationality of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Please find more information about your eligibility here.

See for the current pre-master's fees: Tuition fee rates (pre-)master's programmes. As a Dutch pre-master's student, you are eligible for a study loan and/or public transport card from the Dutch government for the duration of the pre-master's. You may also qualify for student finance if you (your partner or one of your parents) have the nationality of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Please find more information about your eligibility here.

Below you can find the right place to ask your questions. Please read carefully who to contact.

Do you have general questions about applying, registering, payment or other practical matters? Please contact our Student Desk. Call +31 (0)20 59 85020 (mon-fri: 10.30h - 12.30h and 14.00h - 16.00h) or send an email to studentdesk@vu.nl

Do you have a Dutch degree? For questions about the admission requirements, admission procedure or admission decision? Please contact the SBE Admission Office via admissions.sbe@vu.nl or call  +31 (0)20 598 58 73 on Tuesday and Thursday (15.00h-16.00h).

Do you have a Non-Dutch degree? For questions about the admission requirements, admission procedure or admission decision please contact the International Student Advisors of the SBE via masters.sbe@vu.nl.

Do you have questions about the content of the pre-masters? Please contact pre-master's coordinator Dr. Sabrine El Baroudi via premastercoordinator.sbe@vu.nl

To be admitted to a transfer programme, you must have obtained:

• An hbo bachelor degree from a (NVAO) accredited institution for higher education.

OR

• A wo bachelor degree or studying for a WO bachelor degree on a (NVAO) accredited institution for higher education

It’s possible the admission board requests a recent GRE-score.

The transfer programme and master programme are English spoken. To successfully finish these programmes, our urgent recommendation is to make sure you have a sufficient level of English language skills. This should be at C1 level, comparable to 6 VWO in Dutch education.

Keep in mind! We only take in to consideration applications with all required documents submitted at the right cannels. Make sure that the documents meet all requirements, an incomplete file will be rejected without further judgement.

Transfer programme for VU students

You’ve received an admission decision with a transfer programme to eliminate deficiencies. VU students have the option to complete this as extracurricular courses. Visit this page for all information and registering. The Study Secretariat will process your request and sign you up for the courses. Please pay attention to the registration deadlines because they will be maintained without exception.

Transfer programme for students from another Dutch university

You’ve received an admission decision with a transfer programme to eliminate deficiencies. Students registered at a Dutch university can register at VU Amsterdam as a subsidiary student (bijvakstudent). Visit this page for all information and registering. Please pay attention to the registration deadlines because they will be maintained without exception.

Transfer programme for other students

You’ve received an admission decision with a transfer programme to eliminate deficiencies. If you have already graduated and are no longer registered at a Dutch university, you can only enrol for these courses via contract education. You can register as a contract student by filling out this online form.

Please note: since the Dutch government does not regard contract students as regular (Studielink) students, you are not eligible for a study loan and/or public transport card from the Dutch government for the duration of the transfer programme.

As a VU student or a student who is registered at another Dutch university, there are no additional costs. If you’ll follow the transfer programme via contract education, you can find more information on ‘Contract Education SBE’.  If you received an admission decision which states to follow a transfer programme, the costs per ECTS will be reduced. See your admission decision for the reduced rate per ECTS.  

Please note: since the Dutch government does not regard contract students as regular (Studielink) students, you are not eligible for a study loan and/or public transport card from the Dutch government for the duration of the transfer programme.

Below you can find the right place to ask your questions. Please read carefully who to contact.

Do you have general questions about applying, registering, payment or other practical matters? Please contact our Student Desk. Call +31 (0)20 59 85020 (mon-fri: 10.30h - 12.30h and 14.00h - 16.00h) or send an email to studentdesk@vu.nl

Do you have a Dutch degree? For questions about the admission requirements, admission procedure or admission decision? Please contact the SBE Admission Office via admissions.sbe@vu.nl or call  +31 (0)20 598 58 73 on Tuesday and Thursday (15.00h-16.00h).

Do you have a Non-Dutch degree? For questions about the admission requirements, admission procedure or admission decision please contact the International Student Advisors of the SBE via masters.sbe@vu.nl.