Solve today's complex business problems: from data to answers
Do you have excellent quantitative skills that you want to hone further? And do you have a Bachelor's degree in Business Analytics, Mathematics, Econometrics, Computer Science or a related discipline?
Then the Master’s in Business Analytics may be the programme for you.
The Business Analytics programme is open to both Dutch and international students with a Bachelor’s degree in the same or an equivalent field and who are in possession of sufficient mathematical and computer skills. Those who have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Mathematics, Mathematics or Econometrics from a university or an institute of higher education will be admitted if approval of the Admission Board is obtained. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application.
In order to gain admission to the Business Analytics Master’s programme, you will need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 ECTS or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score.
Specific requirements for the Business Analytics master’s programme
For admission to the Business Analytics programme, a Bachelor's degree in Business Analytics or a closely related Bachelor is required. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:
A Dutch 3-year Bachelor of Science contains a total of 180 ECTS (3 x 60 ECTS). This means that in order for a student to meet the first requirement you need to have at least ~1.5 year’s worth of Mathematics/Econometrics/ Computer Science courses at the Bachelor's level.
Having 45 ECTS of Mathematics is the minimum. If you apply with less than 45 ECTS or equivalent of Mathematics, please explain in your motivation letter why you may still be eligible. In order to have a better insight into the level of mathematics in this master’s programme, please see these sample exams.
It is mandatory for all Business Analytics applicants to use this format for the Course Description. When naming courses, please specify clearly what the workload was per course (in ECTS credits or hours). Other formats, such as complete course syllabi, will be rejected.
Please be advised this programme is fundamentally mathematical and not suitable for students from a business or management background. If your previous degree was in (a field related to) business or management and you do not meet the above requirements, your chances of admission will be very small. Please be aware that in these cases the pre-master's option will most likely not be available either. We would thus encourage these applicants to have a close look at the programmes offered by our School of Business and Economics.
Admission to the dual programme
Admission to the dual Master's programme is granted to those who have a Business Analytics Bachelor's degree. For those with another university level Bachelor's degree, such as Mathematics, Econometrics, Computer Science, or a Bachelor's degree from a University of Applied Sciences (HBO), admission may be granted on an individual basis. Those seeking admission to the dual Master's programme should realise that admission also depends on obtaining suitable employment. Business Analytics has contacts with a number of companies that are interested in participating in this programme.
Please note, that courses in the dual programme are to be followed in the standard course schedule (and hence, during the day): a special schedule for dual students does not exist. It is usually necessary to visit the university several days per week to follow the programme. For more information, contact the master’s coordinator.
Due to visa restrictions and limits to issue work permits to students from abroad by the Dutch immigration authorities, the dual programme is only open for EU students.
For more information concerning the dual Master's programme, contact the coordinator for the external Master's project: Annemieke van Goor, h.j.m.van.goor-balk@vu.nl. Or contact the programme coordinator: Joost Berkhout: joost.berkhout@vu.nl.
A Bachelor's degree obtained at a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO) in most cases does not grant direct access to the programme (only exceptionally high ranking students stand a chance of admission).
Holders of a University of Applied Sciences Bachelor's degree (HBO) that is closely related to Business Analytics (i.e., with a strong focus on applied mathematics and computer science such as Business Mathematics (HBO) and Applied Mathematics (HBO)) are admitted first to the one-year pre-master’s programme. For further information regarding procedures on composing the pre-master's programme for Dutch University of Applied Sciences graduates see also this page.
The pre-master's programme
The pre-master's programme Business Analytics enables you to gain admission to the Master's programme Business Analytics (if the deficiency can be addressed in a program of at most 30 ECTS). You'll follow a customized individual programme that is mainly composed of Business Analytics Bachelor's courses. You have to complete the pre-master's (30 ECTS) within 1 year. After you have finished the pre-master's programme you can be admitted to the Master's programme Business Analytics.
The Business Analytics programme is open to both Dutch and International Students. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. You find all information about the general application procedure with a Dutch degree on the application page.
The application deadline is:
1 June for holders of a Dutch bachelor’s degree (with a Dutch or EU/EEA nationality).
Your application will be rejected in case you didn’t upload the required documents in ‘your dashboard’ within 6 weeks after your enrolment in Studielink, OR in case you’ve uploaded (one or more) of the required documents after June 1st. Applications and documents submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
Required documents (deadline June 1st)
This (pre)master’s programme requires students with a Dutch bachelor's degree to upload the following documents as soon as possible and in any case 6 weeks after your enrolment and before 1 June.
Your online dashboard gives you an overview of the submitted and eventual missing documents. Check your dashboard regularly.
The Business Analytics programme is open to both Dutch and international students. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application.
In order to gain admission to the Business Analytics Master’s programme, you will need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 ECTS or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score.
Specific requirements for the Business Analytics Master’s programme
For admission to the Business Analytics programme, a Bachelor's degree in Business Analytics or a closely related Bachelor is required. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:
A Dutch 3-year Bachelor of Science contains a total of 180 ECTS (3 x 60 ECTS). This means that in order for a student to meet the first requirement you need to have at least ~1.5 year’s worth of Mathematics/Econometrics/ Computer Science courses at the Bachelor's level.
Having 45 ECTS of Mathematics is the minimum. If you apply with less than 45 ECTS or equivalent of Mathematics, please explain in your motivation letter why you may still be eligible. In order to have a better insight into the level of mathematics in this master’s programme, please see these sample exams.
It is mandatory for all Business Analytics applicants to use this format for the Course Description. When naming courses, please specify clearly what the workload was per course (in ECTS credits or hours). Other formats, such as complete course syllabi, will be rejected.
Please be advised this programme is fundamentally mathematical and not suitable for students from a business or management background. If your previous degree was in (a field related to) business or management and you do not meet the above requirements, your chances of admission will be very small. Please be aware that in these cases the pre-master's option will most likely not be available either. We would thus encourage these applicants to have a close look at the programmes offered by our School of Business and Economics.
Are you applying with an international degree?
You can find more information about the required documents on the application page (see Required documents). Once you have completed the application, our International Student Advisors will contact you via email.
English language requirements
If you are applying for one of our English-taught Master's degree programmes you will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency by submitting English test results.
Although complete applications are preferred, you can begin your application before you have completed the test and then submit your passing score once you have been conditionally admitted.
You can find an overview of all accepted tests and scores that can be used to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.
To apply you are required to provide the following documents:
After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure.
All students seeking admission to an international Master’s programme with an international degree are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee. Only after you have paid this fee will we be able to start the evaluation of your application file. If you are applying for more than one programme, you will only need to pay the application fee once. Your application fee payment is valid for two years.
Information on how to apply with an international university degree and deadlines can be found here.
As an international student planning to study at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you can apply for a variety of grants and bursaries. Detailed information about scholarships and deadlines can be found on www.vu.nl/scholarships or www.grantfinder.nl.
Our International Student and Alumni Ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU Amsterdam and living in Amsterdam.
You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.
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