Law in Society

Law in Society is a selective programme

We are looking for talented and motivated students with first and foremost an affinity for law, and secondly for the multidisciplinary approaches to Law that are part of the programme. The Admission Board will determine if your motivation match the desired profile based on the selection criteria.

Under ‘Application’ you can find which documents you have to upload and the application link.      

Selection criteria

As part of the application procedure you are asked to complete the VU Application Form - Law in Society. Whether or not you will actually be offered a place in our programme will depend on your:

• eligibility for admission - if you do not meet our entry requirements at first you might have to take (an) additional entrance exam(s)
• motivation to join our multidisciplinary law programme
• added experience to our mixed classroom

The Admission Board will convene each month to discuss the completed admission requests. 

The below dates will be updated for the new admission round                                       

You will receive the outcome by email within 1-2 weeks after the meeting.

There are two possible outcomes:

1. Selected for a Zoom interview; you will be invited for a Zoom interview to discuss your motivation for and expectations of the programme. The basis for the interview will be your filled out assessment form - a webcam is required to participate. The interview would normally take place within 2 weeks after the Admission Board meeting.
2. Rejected; unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in the Bachelor’s programme Law in Society.

If the interview is successful you will receive a conditional or unconditional offer for the Bachelor’s programme.

Law in Society is a selective programme.

Applicants holding a non-Dutch pre-university diploma apply via the International Office. We check if your previous education meets a number of requirements*. If you do not yet meet the requirements but expect to do so in the future (such as obtaining your diploma), you can already apply. We will evaluate your application and inform you of the admission decision of the Admission Board. Admission to the programme will remain conditional until your certified diploma copy is received and the conditions in your admission decision letter have been met.

Requirements that apply:

1. A diploma equivalent to the Dutch pre-university VWO-diploma

See the Diploma Requirement List for examples of accepted diplomas per country.
Please note: this list is meant to give you an indication of admissibility; no rights can be derived from it.
Keep in mind that when your previous education does not meet our entry requirement you might be required to take additional entry tests for admission. If you suspect your previous education might not be equivalent to the Dutch pre-university diploma, we advise you to apply before 1 April to ensure that you can register for the necessary tests in time.

2. Proof of sufficient proficiency in English
You can find all accepted tests and scores on the language requirements page. We require an English language test for all applications, unless you qualify for an exemption. You can already begin your application before you have completed the test and then submit your passing score once you have been conditionally admitted. 

Law in Society English language requirements.

Deadline for submission of the English language test: 

•    1 June for students who require a study visa 
•    31 August for students with the EU/EEA nationality and other student who do not require a study visa 

3. Proof of sufficient proficiency in Mathematics
After you've applied for the programme and uploaded the required documents in your VU Dashboard, the International Office will determine whether your diploma is considered equivalent to the Dutch VWO-diploma and whether your mathematics level is sufficient.

These examples of diplomas demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the required level of mathematics:

• International Baccalaureate: all IB mathematics subjects
• British GCE A-Levels: A-levels or AS-level in Mathematics with a grade A, B or C.
• Germany: Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife.
• European Baccalaureate: Mathematics; written or oral examination, at least 3 hours during the Orientation Cycle.

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*Not directly eligible for admission?

If you do not meet the mathematics requirement but have an otherwise strong application, you could still be selected and accepted with a conditional offer. You would then be asked to participate in an entry test in mathematics (Dutch VWO mathematics C) and, in certain cases only, in History (find more information about the History test here). If participation in the exam(s) is necessary this will be communicated to you in the offer letter.

Mathematics Exams in the Netherlands

• Boswell-Bèta (English). Boswell-Bèta in Utrecht (the Netherlands) provides a Mathematics course in English with exams in December, May and July.
• Online Mathematics Placement Test. The Online Mathematics Placement Test-E (OMPT-E) is an online mathematics test that you can take from home by means of online proctoring.

A positive result for the mathematics examination (5,5/10 in the mathematics C exam or 60% in the OMPT-E online exam) is required for admission to the programme. If your OMPT test result was obtained more than 1 year ago, you may be asked to re-take the test to prove your mathematics proficiency. When this applies to you, it will be communicated in your admission decision if retaking the test is needed.

To ensure that your application is processed in time in order to study and register for the exams we ask applicants to apply for their bachelor's programme of choice before:

• 15 December if you are applying via the 21+ Entrance exam route
• 1 April for all other students

Note that in addition to these tests all applicants will need to submit proof of sufficient proficiency in English. You can find all accepted tests and scores on our Language Requirements webpage.

For a full overview of the admission requirements with a Dutch previous education, please visit our Dutch admissions page.

VWO diploma

• Natuur en Gezondheid, supplemented with English (minimum grade: 7)
• Natuur en Techniek, supplemented with English (minimum grade: 7)
• Economie en Maatschappij, supplemented with English (minimum grade: 7)
• Cultuur en Maatschappij, supplemented with English (minimum grade: 7)

Higher professional education (HBO) propaedeutic year
The following certificates must be obtained additionally:

• English at 6 VWO level minimum grade: rounded off 7
• Mathematics A or B or C at 6 VWO level

Higher professional education (HBO) completed programme
The following certificates must be obtained additionally:

• English at 6 VWO level minimum grade: rounded off 7
• Mathematics A or B or C at 6 VWO level

21+ applicants with a valid Dutch home address and residence permit
Do you not meet any of the above program requirements and are 21 years of age or older? Then there is the possibility of admission to the program based on the entrance examination. Please visit the "entrance examination" page for more information on the application deadline and fees.

The following certificates must be obtained at 6 VWO level:

• English minimum grade: rounded off 7
• Dutch
• History
• Mathematics A or B or C 

Deficiencies at 6 VWO level
You can obtain your certificates at various institutions.

Ready to apply?
Great! You can apply via Studielink, please keep in mind the application deadlines. Complete immediately your application until 100% in your personal dashboard on VU.nl.

Note that for diplomas obtained outside of the Netherlands an application fee of €100 applies.
Application fee payment options and possible exemptions

Application documents (non-Dutch previous education)

• Scan of your passport or national ID card (ID for EEA students only) valid at the start date of the programme
• VU Application Form - Law in Society; please download the correct format from this page. In the document you are asked to provide further details about your previous education level and motivation for the Law in Society programme.
• Proof of English language proficiency (if already obtained): upload your proof of English language proficiency or English language test results.
  Read more about the Law in Society English language requirements

Application documents (Dutch previous education)

Are you applying with a Dutch previous education? Please visit our Dutch admissions page.

If you don’t speak Dutch please contact admission.law@vu.nl

Application procedure

Application deadline
The final application deadline* for non-EU/EEA students is 1 April and for Dutch and EU students the final deadline* is 1 May. The earlier you apply, the earlier you will know if you are selected. Do you have a non-Dutch nationality? Then you may be eligible for housing  via the International Office Accommodation Services. An early application is then recommended.

Ready to apply?
Have you read the information above and are you ready to apply? Great! Click here for the application procedure.

Complete your application until 100% in your VU dashboard within six weeks and no later than one week after the application deadline closes.

*15 December if you are not directly eligible for admission and are applying via the 21+ Entrance exam route

The BSA is an advice given to all Bachelor’s students on four occasions during their first year of studies concerning their study progress. The fourth recommendation, issued at the end of the first year, is binding in nature. To continue to the second year you must have obtained a certain number of credits.

To receive a positive BSA for this study programme you must have obtained a minimum of 42 EC (credits) at the end of the first year of enrolment. Every student has access to an overview of the obtained study results and assessments are available for inspection after registration of the test result.

We’re looking for talented and motivated students with an affinity for an interdisciplinary approach to law – students who are eager to learn from each other’s diverse perspectives in a mixed classroom. We’d therefore like to find out whether studying in a mixed classroom suits you, why you want to pursue a law degree, and what appeals to you about this Bachelor’s programme.

Since all courses are taught in English, and you’ll attend lectures and conduct research in an international classroom, you must have a good command of the English language. Please check the admission requirements above.

To pursue a legal profession in the future, you must be admitted to the bar association of a specific country. Dutch-speaking students of Law in Society can follow the Voorbereidend Civiel Effect (VCE). It’s worth 60 credits, half of which can be completed during your minor, with an additional six months of study after your Bachelor’s. Alternatively, you can complete all 60 credits during an extra year. There are three different routes you can take to obtain your VCE. Having completed it, you’ll need to obtain your Master of Laws (LL.M) at a Dutch university.

Similar conversion programmes may also be available in other countries. For example, Law in Society alumni who wish to practise law in the United Kingdom can follow a conversion course to obtain a “Graduate Diploma in Law”. It’s important to note that each country has its own national requirements, and such conversion courses are not available in all countries.