History: Religion and Society

Check if 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)

  You will be directly admitted to the master’s programme if you have a bachelor’s degree in History from a Dutch research (WO) university.

  If you have a bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g. European Studies, Anthropology, Religion), your application must be assessed by the Board of Admissions.

  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.

  An applicant should demonstrate that he or she has sufficient level of proficiency in English by meeting at least one of the following standards, no more than two (2) years before the start of the programme at the VU:

  • (academic) IELTS: 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 on each item;
  • TOEFL paper based test: 600, with a minimum of 55 on each component and 4.0 in TWE;
  • TOEFL internet based test: 100, with a minimum of 20-23 on each component.

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

  • 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, or
  • have a Dutch VWO diploma, or
  • have obtained a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) or a Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) with a score of A, B, C

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

  If you have an HBO diploma from a Dutch university of applied sciences in a related field, such as the second-degree teacher training course in History, you may be able to qualify for the programme by following the pre-master’s programme. You can only start this programme in September.

  It is obligated to participate in an assessment before you can start your pre-master’s programme. If you have a first-degree certificate (MO-B) in History, you could qualify for direct admission to the programme upon approval by the Board of Admissions.

  English language requirements

  This pre-master’s programme prepares students for an English specialisation of the MA History. It is required to present official test results proving your proficiency in English before the start of the pre-master’s programme. 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.

  Prospective students of the pre-master’s programmes will need to prove their English is sufficient by satisfying at least one of the following criteria, no more than two years before the start of the pre-master's programme:

  a. (academic) IELTS: 6.5

  b. TOEFL paper-based test: 580

  c. TOEFL internet-based test 92

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

  a. have completed their secondary or tertiary education in English in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.

  b. hold an English-language degree from a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme in the  Netherlands that has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).

  c. hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from an accredited English-language degree programme in an EU country.

  d. have a Dutch VWO diploma

  e. have passed the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) or the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) and have achieved a score of A, B or C.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  If you have a Dutch diploma, follow this application procedure. If you wish to be admitted to the Master’s programme in History (60 ECTS credits), you must apply via Studielink before 1 June.

  What happens after I have applied?

  After you have applied for the master in Studielink, you will receive your login details for your personal dashboard on vu.nl by email within two days. Please complete your application in your personal dashboard.. Don’t forget to fill in your specialization in your dashboard.

  During this step you will be asked to upload the following documents:

  • Transcript of records (scan from original)
  • Course descriptions (i.e. for courses related to the discipline of the Master, and for courses on general academic skills)
  • List of literature (the most important literature used for the courses)
  • CV

  Please prepare these documents before you're going to complete your application in your dashboard!

  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.

• I have an international degree

  Admission is based on a strict selection procedure. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. 

  To qualify for the Master’s programme, you must have a Bachelor's degree from an officially recognised research university, including a minimum of three years of full-time academic studies with at least 180 ECTS or the equivalent.

  The Master’s programme in History is for students with an academic Bachelor’s degree in History. You may also qualify if you have an academic Bachelor’s degree in another discipline of the Humanities (e.g. Theology, Philosophy) or in Anthropology or Sociology, if you have a major or specialisation equal to a minimum of 30 ECTS in History courses.

  For international students, the level of studied academic theory needs to be based on the course description, literature list and sample of academic writing, due to a lack of distinction between applied and academic universities abroad.

  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 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 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 template.
  
  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 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 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.

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

  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.

• National relgulation (zachte knip)

  During the past [couple of] years it was possible for EEA students to start a Master's programme without a fully completed previous education. This national regulation is no longer in force as per the 2023-2024 academic year.