Make the connection between art, architecture, design and media
Then the Humanities Research Master’s might be the programme for you.
Check whether you meet the admission requirements and find out how to apply.
The Humanities Research Master programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities. To be admitted to the programme, you should have:
The two-year Research Master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their MA, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.
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. For further details regarding the admission requirements, see the Teaching and Examination Regulations.
To be admitted to the programme, the student should have a Bachelor’s degree in art history, architectural history, design studies, media studies, or a related academic degree.
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:
Exemptions from providing the English test scores are applicable to students, who:
Students with a higher professional education qualification cannot proceed directly to the Research Master’s programme. You will have to complete a Bachelor’s degree programme first.
Dutch students and international candidates with a Dutch degree can apply via Studielink before 1 June for the master programme Humanities (research).
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.
Next to this, you'll need to provide several documents based on which we can decide whether you are admissible. The following required documents should be uploaded in your personal dashboard:
In addition to the above listed documents, you must also upload the following documents in your personal dashboard:
Your application will be reviewed by the Admission Board of the Faculty of Humanities. You will be informed whether you have been admitted via Studielink. Admission may also depend on the results of a personal interview with the Admission Board about your motivation.
The Humanities Research Master's programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities.
To be admitted to the programme, you should have:
The two-year Research Master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their Master's, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.
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. For further details regarding the admission requirements, see the Teaching and Examination Regulations.
To be admitted to the programme, the student should have a Bachelor’s degree in art history, architectural history, design studies, media studies, or a related academic degree.
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.
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:
*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 preparing the required documents, please follow the online application procedure. Once 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!
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.
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.
Our International Student and Alumni Ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU Amsterdam and living in Amsterdam.
You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.
Please contact the programme coordinator