Genes in Behaviour and Health (research master)

Check whether you meet the admission requirements and apply

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

  Entry requirements

  The general requirements for admission to the Research Master's programme are:

  • An academic Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Bioinformatics, Educational Science, Biology, Sociology or a closely related subject area
  • An active interest in research as demonstrated in research oriented courses, internships and/or thesis
  • Education must have included research oriented courses (methods, statistics) (12 EC)
  • Good average grades. Your average grade for your academic bachelor's is preferably 7.5 or higher (or the international equivalent, e.g. a B+ or a GPA of 3.3). Students with a  lower average grade may still be admitted. In its assessment, the admission board focuses at the grades obtained for courses on statistics, research methods, courses related to more biologically orientated courses (biological psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, genetics) and thesis. Please note: Exceptions are possible for students who demonstrate a great motivation for the Research Master Genes in Behaviour and Health.
  • Highly motivated as demonstrated by motivation letter
  • Proficiency in English. English language skills for those who did not follow earlier English-language education will need to be demonstrated, as reaching an IELTS score of 6.5, TOEFL paper-based test score of 580, a TOEFL Internet-based test score of 92-93 or Cambridge Advanced English classification of A , B or C.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  Step 1: Register in Studielink
  Apply for the Research Master’s programme in Genes, Behaviour and Health. You will receive login details with which you can complete your registration in your dashboard on VU.nl. A registration does not commit you to anything and can be cancelled free of charge until 1 September.
  
  Step 2: submit a request to evaluate your eligibility

  To determine whether you are eligible, submit your application file in your dashboard on VU.nl. In this file you can see which documents are required for this programme.

  Step 3: Interview by Admissions Board 

  Before we approve an application, there will be a 20-minute interview with the Genes in Behavior and Health Admissions Board, to get to know you as a student and to make sure that our study program fits your expectations. We advise you to prepare all questions that you have about the master and take a careful look at the study program beforehand.

  The interview dates are: 

   October 31st. Window from 13:00 to 15:00 

  November 28th. Window from 13:00 to 15:00 

  December 18th. Window from 9:30 to 11:30 

  January 27th. Window from 13:00 to 15:00 

  February: To be determined 

  March: To be determined 

  April: To be determined 

  May: To be determined 

  June: To be determined 

  July: To be determined 

  [If an upcoming date is already full with interviews, your interview will be booked in the next available date. You will receive an email.] 

  Step 4: Await decision on admission
  The Admissions 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 gain admission, you will receive a letter of conditional admission by email.

  Step 5: Complete your registration
  Make sure you have met the prior education requirements, specific entry requirements and paid your tuition fees by 31 August 2026.

  Deadlines for application: 

  The deadlines for application:

  • Deadline for submitting application in Studielink and at VU.nl: 1 June.
  • Deadline for completing your enrolment (including payment of tuition fees): 31 August.

• I have an international degree

  Students must meet the following admission requirements:

  1. Academic requirements

  Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years). Please find more information about your admissibility with a non-Dutch degree here.

  2. Programme specific requirements

  • An academic Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Bioinformatics, Educational Science, Biology, Sociology or a closely related subject area.
  • GPA of 7.5 (Dutch grading system) or international equivalent thereof (B or a GPA of 3.6). Students with a lower average grade may still be admitted. In its assessment, the admission board focuses at the grades obtained for courses on statistics, research methods, courses related to more biologically orientated courses and thesis. Please note: Exceptions are possible for students who demonstrate a great motivation for the Research Master Genes in Behaviour and Health.
  • 12 ECTS in more biologically oriented courses (biological psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, genetics)
  • 12 ECTS in research methods/statistics
  • Before we approve an application, there will be a 20-minute interview with the Genes in Behavior and Health admission committee, to get to know you as a student and to make sure that our study program fits your expectations. We advise you to prepare all questions that you have about the master and take a careful look at the study program beforehand.

  How to demonstrate that you meet the above requirements

  You are required to indicate in the course description section of the Application Form how you meet the programme specific admission requirements.

  Whether you meet the admission requirements, is determined by the Admission Board based on your complete application.

  3. English-language proficiency requirements

  You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page. 

  Although complete applications are preferred, you can begin your application before you have completed the English Language Proficiency test and then submit your passing score once you have been conditionally admitted.

• Application with an international degree

  Application documents

  Please download your Master application file to check which documents are required for this programme. 

  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 form here. 
  • 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.