Computer Science

Check whether you meet the programme requirements and apply

• Coronavirus: additional information admission

  IMPORTANT: CORONA VIRUS UPDATE

  Generally speaking, students must complete their Bachelor’s or pre-Master’s before starting on their Master’s programme. This is known as the ‘BSc-before-MSc rule’. Due to the corona crisis, however, some students have had to partially stop their studies, resulting in an unfortunate delay.

  There has been examined how an exception to this BSc-before-MSc rule can be made possible for Master’s programmes at VU Amsterdam. This means that, under certain conditions, students who are lacking credits for no more than a few courses including their bachelor project, will still be able to start their Master’s at VU Amsterdam next year. This is a one-off measure. The missing credits must be completed during the 2022-2023 academic year, in other words no later than August 31, 2023. 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:

  Target group	Number of EC at least achieved / % EC achieved
  Bachelor students at a Dutch University (incl. VU)	150 EC
  Current premaster students	24 EC
  HBO bachelor students	210 EC

  Please note that, apart from the rules above, the following passages are still applicable and must be met to be considered for admission into the Master’s programme:

  • Admission criteria / requirements that are not EC related
  • English language proficiency requirements

  Click here to apply for the exceptional admission to a Master’s programme.

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

  The Computer Science Master's programme is open to students with an academic degree in Computer Science or a closely related field. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. 

  In order to gain admission to the Computer Science 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. Academic writing skill is to be demonstrated by submitting a thesis. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score.

  Specific requirements for the Master’s programme Computer Science
  For admission to the Master's programme Computer Science, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a closely related programme is required. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:  

  • Programming 
  • Algorithms 
  • Computer Systems 
  • Computer Networks 
  • Software Engineering 
  • Logic 

  Any one of the following subjects will increase your chances of admission:  

  • Databases 
  • Automata 
  • Graph Theory 
  • Compilers 
  • Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence 
  • Mathematics (Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Statistics)

  This list is not exhaustive and having these courses on your diploma does not guarantee admission. However they are a strong indication of your admissibility.

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

  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) are are advised first to contact the Master’s coordinator before applying. An individual programme will be designed for the student in consultation with the coordinator. For further information regarding procedures on composing the premasters' programme for Dutch University of Applied Sciences graduates see also this page (Dutch).

  The premaster's programme
  The premaster's programme Computer Science enables you to gain admission to the Master's programme Computer Science (if the deficiency can be addressed in a programme of at most 30 ECTS). You'll follow a customized individual programme that is mainly composed of Computer Science Bachelor's courses. 

  You have to complete the premaster's programme (30 ECTS) within 1 year. After you have finished the programme you can be admitted to the Master's programme Computer Science. For further content questions contact the study advisor of the Master's programme Computer Science, dr. N. Silvis-Cividjan: n.silvis-cividjian@vu.nl. 

  English language proficiency requirements
  Students with a Dutch bachelor's degree do not need to pass a English Language proficiency test. 

• Application with a Dutch degree

  Enthusiastic about this programme? And do you meet the admission requirements? Find out how to apply.

  If you want to apply for a Master's programme at VU Amsterdam, the application procedure depends on your previous degree and whether you obtained your degree in the Netherlands or abroad. You find all information about the application procedure with a Dutch degree on the application page. 

  The application deadlines are:

  To start in September

  • 1 February for international students applying for one of the VU scholarships 
  • 1 April for non-EU/EEA students
  • 1 June for Dutch and EU/EEA students

  To start in February 

  • 1 November for non-EU/EEA students
  • 1 December for Dutch and EU/EEA students.

  Required documents 

  This Master’s programme requires students with a Dutch bachelor's degree to upload the following documents on VUweb (preferably in English). 

  • Bachelor's transcript (including your GPA)

  This document needs to be uploaded before the application deadline mentioned above. If not submitted on time, the application cannot be assessed by the Admission Board. Documents submitted after the application deadline will not be accepted.

• I have an international degree

  The Computer Science 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 Computer Science 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. A Bachelor's degree obtained at an applied university or higher vocational education (HBO in Dutch) in most cases does not grant direct access to the programme (only exceptionally high ranking students stand a chance of admission).

  Specific requirements Computer Science Master's programme
  For admission to the Master's programme Computer Science, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a closely related programme is required. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:  

  • Programming 
  • Algorithms 
  • Computer Systems 
  • Computer Networks 
  • Software Engineering 
  • Logic 

  Any one of the following subjects will increase your chances of admission:  

  • Databases 
  • Automata 
  • Graph Theory 
  • Compilers 
  • Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence 
  • Mathematics (Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Statistics)

  This list is not exhaustive and having these courses on your diploma does not guarantee admission. However they are a strong indication of your admissibility.

  English language requirements
  VU Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can, however, begin your application without having the test results. Exceptions are made for students who have completed a Bachelor's or Master's in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.

  The minimum English language proficiency requirements for admission to this Master's programme are:

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall

  • TOEFL Internet-based test: 92 overall

  • Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): A, B, C

  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B, C

  Please note that students who need a study visa must submit their English test results before 1 June. All other students have to submit the test certificate before 31 August (preferably sooner).

  TOEFL and IELTS tests must have been completed no more than two years before 1 September of the year in which your course starts. Note that TOEFL MyBestScore is not accepted. Our institution code is 7947.

  Your English test results can be included in your application file or sent to the following email (for non-Dutch degree holders): masters.fs@vu.nl
  The general requirements regarding language proficiency are found here.

• 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 Application Form Template.
  Please check here which documents you need to submit for this specific Master's programme.

  After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure.

  For more information, international students may also contact the International Student Advisors: masters.fs@vu.nl.

  Deadlines for February intake
  The application deadlines for the February 2022 intake are November 1^st 2021 for non-EEA students, and December 1^st 2021 for EEA students. The visa application deadline is December 1^st 2021, full details on this procedure can be found at www.vu.nl/visa.

  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. 

  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.

• Additional costs

  Master students Computer Science will have to spend approximately 200 euro per year for buying books. Students are expected to possess a laptop computer, running either Windows 10 or mac OSX, for participating in educational activities (which comes down to approx. 300 euro per academic year).