Classics and Ancient Civilizations: Research

Check whether you meet the programme requirements and apply

• I have a Dutch university level (WO) Bachelor’s degree (VU Bachelor’s degree, VU pre-master's or Bachelor’s degree at another university)

  You can be admitted to the Research Master’s programme if you have obtained an academic (WO) Bachelor’s degree in:  

  • Classics (Griekse en Latijnse Taal en Cultuur)
  • Ancient Studies (Oudheidwetenschappen)
  • History with Ancient History as specialization;
  • Philosophy with Ancient Philosophy as specialization
  • Archaeology
  • Assyriology
  • Religious Studies
  • A similar degree programme with a relevant specialization.

  You must demonstrate the following knowledge, understanding and skills:

  • Knowledge: knowledge of current research methods and theories within the field of Classics and Ancient Civilizations
  • Understanding: the ability to interpret linguistic, literary or historical texts and/or archaeological data from an interdisciplinary perspective
  • Skills: the ability to translate, interpret and analyse Greek and Latin texts of average difficulty with the help of the scholarly apparatus (grammar, dictionary, commentary, secondary literature) (Classics); the ability to carry out a survey of primary sources (literary or material) and secondary literature and to derive from this a ‘status quaestionis’ (Ancient Studies)

  Selection criteria

  Your average mark for your Bachelor's programme was 7.5 (or equivalent) or higher. Your Bachelor’s thesis must have been graded with a score of 7.5 or higher.

  Proof of sufficient proficiency in English

  All lectures and student presentations are in English, as are all written assignments. Therefore all prospective students must be proficient in English. 

  You must always present official test results proving your proficiency in English. You can apply online without having the test results, but in case you haven’t taken a test yet we advise you to plan a test date as soon as possible. The qualification or test result must have been awarded no more than two years prior to the proposed date of enrolment. Below you will find the minimum English test scores for the English taught programmes at the Faculty of Humanities

  An applicant should demonstrate that he or she has sufficient level of proficiency in English by meeting at least one of the following standards, no more than two (2) years before the start of the programme at the VU:

  • (academic) IELTS: 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 on each item;
  • TOEFL paper based test: 600, with a minimum of 55 on each component and 4.0 in TWE;
  • TOEFL internet based test: 100, with a minimum of 20-23 on each component.

  Exemptions from providing the English test scores are applicable to students, who:

  • completed an English-taught secondary or higher education degree in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia or - have earned a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an English-taught programme accredited by NVAO in the Netherlands, or
  • have earned a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an accredited English-taught programme in another member state of the European Union, or
  • have a Dutch VWO diploma, or
  • have obtained a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) or a Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) with a score of A, B, C

  It is strongly recommended that you take the VU courses Academic English: Grammar and Academic English: Writing (or similar courses at another university) in your Bachelor's programme.

• I have a Dutch higher vocational education (HBO) Bachelor’s degree (pre-master's)

  Students with a higher vocational education qualification (HBO) cannot proceed directly to the Research Master’s programme in Classics and Ancient Civilizations. They will have to complete a Bachelor’s degree programme (or a short-track Bachelor’s programme) first.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  You must register for the programme via Studielink before June 1st. After you have applied for the master in Studielink, you will receive your login details for your personal dashboard on vu.nl by email within two days. Please complete your application in your personal dashboard.

  Your application should consist of the following documents:

  • your CV
  • a motivation letter (no more than one A4 sheet)
  • a research proposal as part of the motivation letter (brief indication of your research interest, 200-300 words)
  • an overview of the results of any relevant courses you have taken besides your previous higher education degrees (diplomas and transcripts of records)

  It is advisable to discuss your research proposal with a member of the teaching staff for this degree programme, in order to make sure that you submit a good research proposal.

  In addition to the application procedure above, you must also register for the programme via Studielink before June 1st. 

  After you have applied for the master in Studielink, you will receive your login details for your personal dashboard on vu.nl by email within two days. Please complete your application in your personal dashboard. Don’t forget to fill in your specialization in your dashboard.

  Are you not a student of the Faculty of Humanities at VU Amsterdam? When completing your registration in your personal dashboard, you will be asked to upload also the following additional documents:

  • transcript of records of your previous higher education degrees (scan from original)
  • a description of the relevant courses you have taken during your previous higher education studies, including a list of the main literature read for those courses

  Please prepare these documents before you're going to complete your application in your dashboard.

  Your application will be reviewed by the Admission Board of the Faculty of Humanities. You will be informed whether you have been admitted via Studielink.

• I have an international degree

  You can be admitted to the Research Master’s programme if you have obtained an academic (WO) Bachelor’s degree in:  

  • Classics (Griekse en Latijnse Taal en Cultuur)
  • Ancient Studies (Oudheidwetenschappen)
  • History with Ancient History as specialization;
  • Philosophy with Ancient Philosophy as specialization
  • Archaeology
  • Assyriology
  • Religious Studies
  • A similar degree programme with a relevant specialization.

  As a student in the Research Master’s programme in Classics and Ancient Civilizations you are expected to have the following knowledge, insight and skills:

  • knowledge of current research methods and theories within the field of Classics and Ancient Civilizations
  • the ability to interpret linguistic, literary or historical texts and/or archaeological data from an interdisciplinary perspective
  • the ability to translate, interpret and analyse Greek and Latin texts of average difficulty with the help of the scholarly     apparatus (grammar, dictionary, commentary, secondary literature) (Classics)
  • the ability to carry out a survey of primary sources (literary or material) and secondary literature and to derive from this a ‘status quaestionis’ (Ancient Studies)

  Selection criteria

  Your average mark for your Bachelor's programme was 7.5 (or equivalent) or higher

  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 which test types and scores are accepted, the deadlines for submitting test results and all other relevant information on our application page under the Language Proficiency Requirements tab. There you can also find an overview of exceptions to the English Language Proficiency requirement. 

• Application with an international degree

  Required format and required documents
  
  Please note: you will need to upload all required documents in one PDF file, using this template. Please download the template to check which documents are required for this programme.   
  
  If you have read the admission criteria and feel you are eligible for admission, please take the following steps to submit your application. Note that the initial application procedure is fully online and that scans of your original documents are required.

  The application deadlines are:

  • 1 June for non-Dutch EU/EEA students
  • 1 June for holders of a Dutch Bachelor’s degree (with a Dutch or EU/EEA nationality)
  • 1 April for non-EU/EEA students*

  *non-EU/EEA students who do not need a study visa and/or a residence permit can still apply until 1 June

  Step 1: Review the admission criteria

  Step 2: Prepare your documents and apply online  
  Please prepare the required documents and arrange the payment of the application fee, a non-refundable €100 application fee applies. You can find an explanation of each document on the application page. All documents should be provided in English.

  More information about the required documents. After you have completed the application, our international student advisors will contact you via email.

  Step 3: Await the decision on admission
  The admission board will review your application as soon as it is complete. Normally this takes about four weeks, but it might take longer in busy periods so be sure to apply as soon as possible. If you are admitted to the programme, you will receive a letter of conditional admission by email. 

  Step 4: Finalise your registration!
  Make sure to finalise your registration as a student before the start of the programme. Here you will find an explanation on what to do after you are admitted. When all of the conditions are met, you will be ready to start your programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!

  Application fee & deadlines

  All students seeking admission to an international Bachelor’s or 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.
  For more information, international students may also contact the International Student Advisor: masters.hum@vu.nl.

  Grants and scholarships

  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 Study in NL.

  International Student and Alumni Ambassadors

  Our International Student and Alumni Ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU Amsterdam and living in Amsterdam.

  • Our Student Ambassadors are current students at VU Amsterdam that represent a wide variety of programmes and countries.
  • Our International Alumni Ambassadors are VU Amsterdam graduates who are currently either working in the Netherlands or abroad, or doing a PhD or (second) Master's.

  You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.

• National relgulation (zachte knip)

  Afgelopen jaren was het mogelijk om op basis van de zachte knip regeling te starten met een masteropleiding zonder een volledig afgeronde bachelor. Deze regeling is niet meer van toepassing vanaf academisch jaar 2023-2024.