Finance: Financial Management

Requirements Finance, specialisation Financial Management

• I have a School of Business and Economics degree from VU Amsterdam

  As a Master's student in Finance, you need to have a genuine interest in the area of finance, an inquiring mind, the capacity to cope with the rapid pace of work, an aptitude for picking out key points from large volumes of material, the ability to work accurately under pressure, good communication skills and a critical attitude towards your own results and those of others.
  
  Admission requirements

  BSc Bedrijfskunde:

  • Financial Modelling and Derivatives (E_IBK3_FMD, P4)
  • International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5)
  • Not a strict requirement but recommended: Financieel Management 2 (E_BK2_FINM2, P5), formerly known as Finance II (E_BK2_FIN2)

  Notes: Completion of the Minor Risk Management for Financial Institutions replaces the required course International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5). Upon consultation with the admission board: The course International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5) can be replaced with the course Financial Markets & Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4).

  BSc Economics and Business Economics:

  • Finance II (E_EBE2_FINA2)
  • Financial Markets and Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4)
  • Not a strict requirement but strongly recommended: Corporate Finance (E_EBE2_CF, P5)

  Notes: Completion of the Minor Risk Management for Financial Institutions replaces the required course Financial Markets & Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4). Upon consultation with the admission board: The course Financial Markets & Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4) can be replaced with the course International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5).

  BSc Econometrics and Operations Research / Econometrics and Data Science:

  • Finance II (E_EBE2_FINA2)
  • Not a strict requirement but recommended: - Corporate Finance (E_EBE2_CF, P5)
  • And choose between:
  • Financial Markets & Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4)
  • International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5)

  Notes: Completion of the Minor Risk Management for Financial Institutions replaces the required course Financial Markets & Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4) or International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5).

  BSc International Business Administration:

  • Financial Modelling and Derivatives (E_IBK3_FMD, P4)
  • International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5)
  • Not a strict requirement but recommended: Corporate Finance: A Sustainability Perspective (E_IBA2_CFSP; P5), formerly known as Corporate Finance in Emerging Economies (E_IBA2_CFEE)

  Notes: Completion of the Minor Risk Management for Financial Institutions replaces the required course International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5). Upon consultation with the admission board: The course International Financial Management (E_IBK3_IFM, P5) can be replaced with the course Financial Markets & Institutions (E_EBE3_FMI, P4).

  
  Check this document for a complete overview of all the requirements.
  
  Services for international (EBE, EOR, IBA) students / Residence permit:
  If you are planning to continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam after your SBE Bachelor, please contact the Central Admission’s Support Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further information and specific questions about the offered services for international students like extending your residence permit. You will need to apply for extension of your residence permit if you continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

• 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)

  The Master programme Finance, specialisation Financial Management is open to students with a strong motivation and a university Bachelor's degree that provides a thorough knowledge in Financial Management, Corporate Finance or Accounting.  You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, consisting of (or equivalents of):

  • Financial Management: Berk, J. and P. DeMarzo, Corporate Finance, Pearson. Latest edition. or Brealey, R.A. & Myers, S.C. and F. Allen, Principles of Corporate Finance, Mcgraw-Hill. Latest edition.
  • Financial Markets and Institutions:  Mishkin, F.S. and S.G. Eakins, Financial Markets and Institutions, Pearson. Latest edition.
  • Business Statistics: Berenson, M.L., Levine, D. M. & Krehbiel, T. C., Basic Business Statistics, Pearson. Latest edition.
  • Accounting Knowledge: Bhimani, Horngren, Datar and Rajan, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th edition. Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and D.E. Kieso, Financial Accounting: IFRS Edition, Wiley. Latest edition.

  Approval is in most cases given to students who hold an academic Bachelor’s degree with sufficient courses in Finance in:

  • (International / Technical) Business Administration
  • Economics and Business Economics
  • Econometrics and Operations Research
  • Industrial Engineering and Management

  Apply for your preferred master programme via Studielink and complete the application via VU.nl to receive an admission decision. This is completely without obligations. If you need to complete additional courses in order to become admissible, the admission decision will explain how you can do so.

  With a Bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research from a Dutch university you can review your admissibility here.

  Please note: this information is only meant as an indication of your admissibility. No rights can be derived from this table. This document is based on the obligatory courses and does not take electives into account. Students are recommended to apply for the Master via Studielink (without obligation) to find out if additional courses need to be completed. Every application will be reviewed individually by the Admission Board. The final admission decision may differ from the indication in this table. If your programme is not listed but contains enough relevant courses, please feel free to apply.

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

  You will gain direct admission after completing the pre-master's programme; this is a full-time programme with courses on at least three days per week.

  Pre-master's programme

  The pre-master's programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and prepares you for this master's programme. It is a 30 EC program that takes place in the second semester, from February through July. These courses involve both content as well as academic skills and knowledge, and research methods.

  Course details in the study guide

  Admission requirements

  In order to be admitted to the pre-master’s programme you must have:

  - a bachelor’s degree from a business or economics faculty from an NVAO accredited institute of Higher Education

  AND

  - a GPA of 7.5 or higher, calculated over the last three years.
  
  If you do not meet these admission requirements you can remedy / eliminate these deficiencies by submitting a recent GMAT with a score of 550 or higher, or an equivalent GRE test. 

  GMAT

  If you don’t meet the admission requirements of GPA and faculty, you can be admitted to the pre-master's programme by submitting a ‘Graduate Management Admission Test’ (GMAT) with a combined score of at least 550 for the parts Verbal and Quantitative.

  Also note the following:

  - The score may not be older than five years, counted from the date you start with the pre-master's

  - The Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment score do not count for admission

  Please fill in the test that 'Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam' may receive your score. The official score will be sent by GMAT to VU. Please note that it may take up to 20 calendar days for the VU to receive your GMAT score, so plan GMAT on time.

  You can also submit a ‘Graduate Record Examinations’ (GRE) score for the parts Verbal and Quantitative to satisfy the GMAT score requirement. To convert your GRE score to its GMAT equivalent, use the GRE Comparison Tool!

  Costs pre-master's

  Go to this page for more information about tuition fee rates for pre-master's.

  Deadlines and application

  The programme starts each year in February, you must have completed your application before 31 January.

  Apply now

• Application procedure with a Dutch degree

  Applying with a School of Business and Economics degree

  
  To enroll in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink.
  
  Step 1:
  Apply for the programme MSc Finance via Studielink before 1 June.
  
  Step 2:
  Please complete your application in your VU dashboard by answering additional questions and uploading the following document: a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA).
  
  Please note: we can only process your application when uploaded all documents. 
   
  More information regarding registration WO-bachelors, see the VU website (in Dutch).

  Applying with a Dutch university level (WO) bachelor's degree (VU bachelor's degree, VU pre-master's or bachelor's degree at another university
  

  To enroll in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink. 
  
  Step 1: 
  Apply for the programme MSc Finance via Studielink before 1 June. 
  
  Step 2: 
  After application in studielink you will receive a VUnet-ID and password via email. Please complete your application in your VU dashboard by answering additional questions and uploading the following document: a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA).

  Please note: we can only process your application when your transcript is uploaded. 
  
  Step 3: 
  The admission committee will assess if you meet the admission criteria and will inform you about the decision via email. 
  
  For the full description of the registration procedure see the VU website. 

  You will gain direct admission after completing the pre-master's programme; this is a full-time programme with courses on at least three days per week.

• I have an international degree

  Admission requirements

  As a Master's student in Finance: Fiancial Management, you need to have a genuine interest in the area of finance, an inquiring mind, the capacity to cope with the rapid pace of work, an aptitude for picking out key points from large volumes of material, the ability to work accurately under pressure, good communication skills and a critical attitude towards your own results and those of others.

  The Master programme Finance, specialisation Financial Management is open to students with a strong motivation and a university Bachelor's degree that provides a thorough knowledge in Financial Management, Corporate Finance or Accounting.  You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, consisting of (or equivalents of):

  • Financial Management: Berk, J. and P. DeMarzo, Corporate Finance, Pearson. Latest edition. or Brealey, R.A. & Myers, S.C. and F. Allen, Principles of Corporate Finance, Mcgraw-Hill. Latest edition.
  • Financial Markets and Institutions:  Mishkin, F.S. and S.G. Eakins, Financial Markets and Institutions, Pearson. Latest edition.
  • Business Statistics: Berenson, M.L., Levine, D. M. & Krehbiel, T. C., Basic Business Statistics, Pearson. Latest edition.
  • Accounting Knowledge: Bhimani, Horngren, Datar and Rajan, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th edition. Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and D.E. Kieso, Financial Accounting: IFRS Edition, Wiley. Latest edition.

  Approval is in most cases given to students who hold an academic Bachelor’s degree with sufficient courses in Finance in:

  • (International / Technical) Business Administration
  • Economics and Business Economics
  • Econometrics and Operations Research
  • Industrial Engineering and Management

  English language requirements

  The admission board wants to stress the intensity of the programme: reading scientific articles and writing papers will be a key part, all in a very high pace. Your English language skills, both oral and written, are extremely important in this programme. As you will have to communicate frequently with your fellow students and you will be working with and for international companies.
  
  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. 

• Application procedure with an international degree

  Applying with an international degree

  Please note: you will need to upload all required documents in one PDF file, using this Application Form 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.

  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.

  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 an admission notification via 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.sbe@vu.nl.

  Grants and scholarships
  International students can apply to several scholarships. For all VU scholarships, please see www.vu.nl/scholarships. Any available external grant or scholarship can be found through 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.

• Pre-master's programme for international students

  Applying for the pre-master's programme directly is not possible. All international students are required to apply for the Master's programme of their choice first. If you do not meet the admission requirements directly, the Admission Board might refer you to the pre-master's programme. After completing the pre-master's programme you are directly eligible for the Master's programme.
  
  The pre-master's programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for this Master's programme. It is a programme of 30 ECTS that is offered in the second semester, from February through July. Content details of the offered pre-masters can be found here.
  
  Admission requirements for the pre-master's programme

  • You have a Bachelor's degree from a non-Dutch university or from a non-Dutch university of applied science (which is equal to at least a Dutch HBO degree).
  • The Admission Board might request to hand in GMAT. This will be stated in the invitation to apply for the pre-master's programme you will receive from the Admission Board after you applied for the Master's programme. Do you want to know more about the GMAT? See GMAT ® - More about - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl)
     

  Deadlines and application
  The programme starts 1 February. Because of visa application deadlines, non-EU citizens must have submitted their application before 1 November. EU citizens or students with a valid residence permit for the Netherlands have until January 31^st to complete their application. However, to make sure everything is arranged before the enrolment deadline it is advised to submit your application well before this date.

  • 1 November 2023: Non-EU/ non-EAA students who need visa/residence permit. November 1 is the deadline to apply. Once you are conditionally admitted you have till December 1 to hand in a valid English Language test and GMAT (if applicable)
  • 31 January 2024: EU/EAA students

  Note: When applying, you can find the pre-master's programme in Studielink after selecting Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and by entering ‘pre-master's’ in the search bar.

• FAQ for students with a Dutch degree

  Can I be admitted into an SBE Master with my Dutch university degree?

  The admission board can make a decision regarding your admissibility based on several documents. Apply for the Master via Studielink and complete your application on VU.nl by uploading the required documents. Some Master programmes require additional documents such as an English CV and motivation letter, as well as your transcript of records. You will receive an admission decision within a couple of weeks after completing your application. Registration for the Master via Studielink is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet.

  I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree. Do I need to complete the pre-master's before I can start with an SBE Master?

  Yes, we require all students with an HBO higher vocational Bachelor degree to complete the corresponding pre-master's before they can start with the Master. More information on the pre-master's can be found here.

  I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree and wish to start with an SBE Master that does not have a specific pre-master's (MSc Econometrics & Operations Research, MSc Economics, MSc Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics). How do I apply?

  Please send your transcript of records directly to admissions.sbe@vu.nl/ toelating.sbe@vu.nl. Make sure the name of your education and institution are visible.

  I do not want to start with a master in the next academic year, but the year after. How do I know if I am eligible?

  You can still apply for the Master that starts in the next academic year via Studielink. Registration for the Master is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet. If you need to complete additional courses in order to be admissible, you can do so during the next academic year. Because the admission decisions are valid for one year, make sure to check in advance if the admission requirements have not changed.

  I am already completing a Master at a Dutch university. Can I be directly admitted into one of the SBE Masters?

  You cannot be automatically admitted into one of the SBE Masters. First, your application needs to be reviewed by the admission board of the Master in the same way as all Bachelor students. Please apply for the Master via Studielink and upload all required documents. You can use an online PDF merger to upload both your Bachelor grades and (preliminary) Master grades.