Classics and Ancient Civilizations

Check whether you meet the programme requirements and apply

• Coronavirus: additional information admission

  Generally speaking, students* must complete their Bachelor’s or pre-Master’s before starting their Master’s programme. This is known as the ‘Ba-before-Ma rule’. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, some students have had to partially stop their studies, resulting in an unfortunate delay.

  Under certain conditions exceptions to this Ba-before-Ma rule can be made for Master’s programmes at VU Amsterdam. This means that students who meet these conditions and are lacking credits for no more than a few courses, will still be able to start their Master’s at VU Amsterdam next year. The missing credits must be completed during the 2021-2022 academic year, in other words no later than August 31st 2022. Please read carefully below which rules apply for admission into this Master’s programme.

  The following rules apply this year for admission into this Master’s programme:

  • You have earned at least 162 EC of the wo Bachelor’s programme that confers entitlement to admission. You must have completed your bachelor thesis or other final work in order to qualify for this scheme.
  • You must complete all educational components of your current programme before 1 September 2022 or before you obtain the Master’s degree certificate, whichever comes first. If you fail to meet this condition, you will not be able to continue or complete the Master’s programme.
  • At the start of the master's programme, the grade average for all the bachelor’s educational components obtained must be at least 7.5.

  *The above supplements do not apply to non-EEA students who must complete a Bachelor’s programme outside of the Netherlands.

  All conditions can be found in the Addendum Pertaining to the 2021-2022 Teaching and Examination Regulations

  Request exceptional admission

  Do you meet these conditions or do you expect to meet these conditions by 31 August at the latest? If so, you can request exceptional admission no later than 1 August using this form.

  Do you not yet meet all of the criteria, but do you expect to meet them by August 31^st at the latest? Please apply for exceptional admission already.

  This scheme is meant for students that were faced with unavoidable study delay as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please note that you are expected to obtain all missing credits in the academic year 2021-2022 (before 1 September 2022), and will therefore have a higher study load.

• I have a Dutch university level (WO) Bachelor’s degree (VU Bachelor’s degree, VU premaster or Bachelor’s degree at another university)

  Student profile

  The admission requirements are:

  • For the specialization Classics, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in Classics from an accredited university;
  • For the specialization Ancient Studies, you must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and must have taken academic courses equivalent to at least one full-time semester of academic studies (30 EC) in Classics, Ancient Studies, Archaeology or History (with demonstrable relationship to Ancient Studies).

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

  • You are able to conduct research independently and know how to formulate consistent and functional research questions, collect data, apply theory, and write a thesis;
  • You are familiar with the interpretation of literary and historical texts as well as material culture from an interdisciplinary perspective;
  • You are deeply interested in the languages, history and material culture of the ancient world;
  • You wish to participate in and contribute to a vibrant teaching and research community.

  Proof of sufficient proficiency in English
  New Master's students should be able to speak, read, write and understand English at an advanced academic level. Please check carefully whether you already meet the English language requirements or whether you need to arrange to take an official English language test.

  If you are unsure whether you meet the entry requirements, you are advised to get in touch with the programme coordinators before applying (see: Contact).

• I have a Dutch higher vocational education (HBO) Bachelor’s degree (premaster)

  It is not possible to apply to this programme with a degree from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hbo). We do not offer a pre-Master’s programme for this Master's programme.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  You can apply for the Master's programme under the label Oudheidstudies (Classics and Ancient Civilizations) via Studielink and select the correct specialization. The application deadline is: June 1st.

  If you have a Dutch diploma, follow this application procedure.

  What happens after I have applied?
  After you have applied for the Master’s programme in Studielink, you will receive two emails with your login details for VUnet (VU Amsterdam’s student portal). Please complete your application in VUnet. Don’t forget to fill in the Master’s programme specialization: Ancient Studies or Classics.

  In addition to this, the following required documents should be send to: toelating.fgw@vu.nl

  • transcript of records (scan of original)
  • curriculum vitae

  Please note: students of the Faculty of Humanities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam do NOT need to upload these documents.

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

• I have an international degree

  Student profile

  The admission requirements are:

  • For the specialization Classics, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in Classics from an accredited university;
  • For the specialization Ancient Studies, you must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and must have taken academic courses equivalent to at least one full-time semester of academic studies (30 EC) in Classics, Ancient Studies, Archaeology or History (with demonstrable relationship to Ancient Studies).

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

  • You are able to conduct research independently and know how to formulate consistent and functional research questions, collect data, apply theory, and write a thesis;
  • You are familiar with the interpretation of literary and historical texts as well as material culture from an interdisciplinary perspective;
  • You are deeply interested in the languages, history and material culture of the ancient world;
  • You wish to participate in and contribute to a vibrant teaching and research community.

  English language requirements

  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:

  • TOEFL score 100 internet based with a minimum of 20-23 (in each of the subtests).
  • IELTS score of 7.0 overall band score (with none of the separate section scores dropping below a minimum score of 6.5).
  • Cambridge English: Cambridge Proficiency Exam with score A, B, or C; or Cambridge Advanced Exam with score A, B, or C.

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

  • have 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

  The required evidence should, if possible, be included with the complete application. If either unsatisfactory or no evidence of English language proficiency has been provided with the application, admission will be conditional upon the provision of such evidence. This condition will be clearly indicated on the offer letter and must be fulfilled before enrolment at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
  
  See the Admission and language requirements page for further information on the general requirements.

• Application with an international degree

  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 following documents. You can find an explanation of each document on the application page. All documents should be provided in English.

  • Copy of your valid passport or ID (ID only for EU residents)
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Motivation Letter
  • Two Letters of Recommendation
  • Transcript of records
  • Thesis (or another sample of academic writing, at least 5 pages plus a list of used literature)
  • A description of the relevant courses you have taken during your previous higher education and a list of all the main literature. You can use this format.   

  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 theprogramme, 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 www.grantfinder.nl.

  Student Ambassadors

  Some International students are happy to tell you about their experience with living and studying in Amsterdam. These Student Ambassadors come from all over the world and have attended various Bachelor's and Master's programmes.
  
  Our Student Ambassadors are listed here on this webpage: vu.nl/ambassadors. Reach out to them and get their stories about being a student at VU Amsterdam.