Ecology and Evolution

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)

  Admission is based on a strict selection procedure. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide on your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. In order to gain admission to one of our Master’s programmes, 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.

  Dutch Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Health and Life Sciences, Earth Sciences or another beta-sciences

  You can be admitted to the master’s programme Ecology and Evolution if you have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Biology in The Netherlands.

  Furthermore, admission is provided to -students with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Health and Life Sciences, Earth Sciences or one of the beta-sciences who successfully completed the minor Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (30 ECTS) at the VU.

  Dutch university-level Bachelor’s degree in another subject 
  If you have a Bachelor’s degree in another subject, you will need to motivate that you have obtained sufficient knowledge, understanding and skills at Bachelor's degree level, at an institution of academic higher education. For a universities Bachelor’s degree you are assumed to have acquired 90 EC in academic skills and will have to show proof of having acquired 90 EC in relevant content regarding biology, ecology and evolution, of which 30 EC in the minor Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (VU).

  
  a. Knowledge and understanding. At least 36 ECTS in:
  • Basic biological knowledge in the fields of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (insight into molecular and cellular processes in living organisms),
  • Genetics (both at the organismal and population level)
  • Evolutionary biology (origin and development of life, processes of speciation, relationship between and within taxa, body plans of the most important groups),
  • Ecology (understanding of ecosystems, the ecological processes that play a role within them and the interrelationship of those processes, behavioural ecology)
  • Physiology (the function at supra-cellular level, insight into the construction and function of the main tissues, organs and organ systems and the regulation of their operation)
  • Knowledge and understanding of basic statistics (e.g. t-test, regression and correlation analysis, analysis of variance, non-parametric tests) and mathematical principles and techniques (e.g. differentiation and integration, ordinary differential equations).
  
  b. Skills:
  • The ability to clearly define a biological question, along with accompanying assumptions and to determine a strategy for answering the question (under guidance),
  •The ability to collect data in a systematic way by means of observations during (laboratory) research and fieldwork, using literature review or internet sources,
   •  The ability to analyse research on main lines, both with regard to the design and conduct of research and to the interpretation of results.

  • The ability to manage the collected data and observations in relation to each other, save, process, interpret them and write a scientific report that meets the bachelor level,
  • proficiency in methods and techniques; i.e. the ability to work with computer programs in the field of: word processing, spreadsheets, modelling, statistical processing, graphics, presentations, management of databases and consultation of scientific literature. 

  In all cases, the final decision for admission will be based on the evaluation of these requirements in combination with a judgment of the scientific quality of the applicant’s Bachelor’s programme.

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

  A degree from a university of applied biological sciences (HBO) does not meet the minimum criteria for admission to the master's programme Ecology and Evolution. However, HBO students with a degree in Toegepaste Biologie who completed the premaster Ecology and Evolution at the VU can be admitted.

  Please visit the pre-master's programme page Ecology and Evolution for more information. You have to complete the pre-master's (30 EC) within 1 year. After you have finished the pre-master's programme you can be admitted to the master's programme of Ecology and Evolution.

  Dutch vocational education Bachelor’s degree in different subject  

  HBO students with a BSc on a different subject than applied biological sciences, or if a period of more than 5 years has elapsed since you received your Bachelor’s diploma, are strongly advised to contact the coordinator of the Master Ecology and Evolution programme before you start the online application in order to evaluate your chances of being admitted to the master programme by the Admission Board. In principle, you need to have the same level of academic skill as outlined for the BSc students from a research university and an equivalent number of ECs (180) in basic biology, ecology and evolutionary biology.

  In short, applicants with a HBO Bachelor’s degree outside of applied biology (Toegepaste Biologie), are assumed to have acquired 60 EC in academic skills and need to show proof of having acquired 120 EC in relevant content in biology, ecology and evolution of which 30 EC in the minor Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (at VU Amsterdam).

  Note that no rights can be derived from the reply given by the coordinator regarding your admission. Only with the “admission email” you will be officially notified about your conditional or unconditional admission.

  Language Requirements
  Students with an HBO degree (in Dutch) must take an English Language Test. Check the requirements and exemptions on the webpage.

  You can also submit the result of the English language test after you have been conditionally accepted, the deadline for submitting the test result is August 31st. Please send a scan of your test result to toelating.beta@vu.nl.  For more information see under the heading ‘Application with a Dutch degree’ below.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  The master's programme Ecology and Evolution 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 1^st. Applications and documents submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

  Required documents (deadline June 1^st)

  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.

  • Letter of Motivation.
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • Bachelor's transcript, including your GPA.
  • Course descriptions focused on the four topics mentioned above (ecology, evolution, genetics and statistics)* You can use this format (please submit as part of your CV or motivation letter, or upload as a new document under 'transcript' (both documents will stay visible for us).

  Your online dashboard gives you an overview of the submitted and missing documents. Check your dashboard regularly.

  Additional required document (only for HBO students, deadline August 31^st)

  • HBO students need to send in a sufficient English language test result (check the requirements and exemptions on the webpage).

  You can also submit the result of the English language test after you have been conditionally accepted, the deadline for submitting the test result is August 31^st. Please send a scan of your test result to toelating.beta@vu.nl.

• I have an international degree

  The Ecology and Evolution 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 Ecology and Evolution 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 for the Ecology and Evolution Master’s programme
  a. Knowledge and understanding:

  • Basic biological knowledge in the fields of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (insight into molecular and cellular processes in living organisms),  
  • Genetics (both at the organismal and population level)  
  • Evolutionary biology (origin and development of life, processes of speciation, relationship between and within taxa, body plans of the most important groups),  
  • Ecology (understanding of ecosystems, the ecological processes that play a role within them and the interrelationship of those processes, behavioral ecology)  
  • Physiology (the function at supra-cellular level, insight into the construction and function of the main tissues, organs and organ systems and the regulation of their operation)  
  • Knowledge and understanding of basic statistical (e.g. t-test, regression and correlation analysis, analysis of variance, non-parametric tests) and mathematical principles and techniques (e.g. differentiation and integration, ordinary differential equations).

  b. Skills:

  • The ability to collect data in a systematic way by means of observations during (laboratory) research and fieldwork, using literature review or internet sources,  
  • The ability to manage the collected data and observations in relation to each other, save, process, interpret them and write a scientific report that meets the bachelor level,  
  • The ability to clearly define a biological question, along with accompanying assumptions and to determine a strategy for answering the question (under guidance),  
  • The ability to analyse research on main lines, both with regard to the design and conduct of research and to the interpretation of results. 

  In addition to the mentioned requirements above, the Admission Board will also assess requests for admission in terms of the following criteria: 

  • a. talent and motivation;
  • b. proficiency in methods and techniques; i.e. the ability to work with computer programs in the field of: word processing, spreadsheets,modelling, statistical processing, graphics, presentations,management of databases and consultation of scientific literature. 

  In all cases, the final decision for admission will be based on the evaluation of these requirements in combination with a judgment of the scientific quality of the applicant’s Bachelor’s programme. 

  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.
  

• Application with an international degree

  Application documents

  To apply you are required to provide the following documents:

  • Scan of your passport or national ID card (ID for EEA students only) valid at the start date of the programme
  • Master Application File please download the correct file from this page. In this file you can see which documents are required to apply for your programme.
  • Proof of English language proficiency (if already obtained): upload your proof of English language proficiency or English language test results. Please find the English language requirements here.

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

  Application fee & deadlines

  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. 

  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.