Lead the way in digitalisation for a smart, sustainable society
And do you have a Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences or a related field like Computer Science, Informatics, Business Analytics or Artificial Intelligence? Then the Master’s in Information Sciences could be the programme for you.
IMPORTANT: CORONA VIRUS UPDATE
Generally speaking, students must complete their Bachelor’s or pre-Master’s before starting on their Master’s programme. This is known as the ‘BSc-before-MSc rule’. Due to the corona crisis, however, some students have had to partially stop their studies, resulting in an unfortunate delay.
There has been examined how an exception to this BSc-before-MSc rule can be made possible for Master’s programmes at VU Amsterdam. This means that, under certain conditions, students who are lacking credits for no more than a few courses including their bachelor project, will still be able to start their Master’s at VU Amsterdam next year. This is a one-off measure. The missing credits must be completed during the 2022-2023 academic year, in other words no later than August 31, 2023. Please read carefully below which rules apply for admission into this Master’s programme.
The following rules apply this year for admission into this Master’s programme:
| Target group | Number of EC at least achieved / % EC achieved |
| Bachelor students at a Dutch University (incl. VU) | 150 EC |
| Current premaster students | 24 EC |
| HBO bachelor students | 210 EC |
Please note that, apart from the rules above, the following passages are still applicable and must be met to be considered for admission into the Master’s programme:
Do you want to start a Master’s programme in September? Then complete the form for exceptional admission to a Master’s programme.
The Master’s programme Information Sciences is open to students with an academic Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences or in a related field like Computer Science, Informatics, Business Analytics or Artificial Intelligence. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, you may conditionally enrol for the Master’s programme Information Sciences. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:
Specific requirements for the Information Sciences Master’s programme
The Master’s programme Information Sciences is open to students with an academic Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences or in related fields like Computer Science, Informatics, Business Analytics or Artificial Intelligence. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, you may conditionally enrol for the Master’s programme in Information Sciences. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:
Holders of diplomas from selected Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO) programmes may be granted admission after following a pre-Master’s programme. The pre-Master’s programme Information Sciences is worth 30 ECTS credits. Applicable HBO programmes include:
If you have a diploma that is not listed above but is closely related to those mentioned, please contact the Master's programme director Patricia Lago, p.lago@vu.nl.
pre-Master's programme Information Sciences
For further information regarding procedures on composing the pre-Masters' programme for Dutch University of Applied Sciences graduates see also this page (Dutch). We do not require a pre-Master's assessment. You have to complete the Pre-Master's programme (30 ECTS) within 1 year. After you have finished the pre-Master's programme you can be admitted to the Master's programme Information Sciences.
Enthusiastic about this programme? And do you meet the admission requirements? Find out how to apply.
If you want to apply for a Master's programme at VU Amsterdam, the application procedure depends on your previous degree(s) and whether you obtained your diploma in the Netherlands or abroad. You find all information about the application procedure with a Dutch degree on the application page.
The application deadlines are:
*non-EU/EEA students who do not need a study visa and/or a residence permit can still apply until 15 July.
The Information Sciences 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 Information Sciences 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.
Specific requirements for the Information Sciences Master’s programme
The Master’s programme Information Sciences is open to students with an academic Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences or in related fields like Computer Science, Informatics, Business Analytics or Artificial Intelligence. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, you may conditionally enrol for the Master’s programme in Information Sciences. In general, we expect the following subjects to be part of your Bachelor's programme:
English language requirements
VU Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can, however, begin your application without having the test results. Exceptions are made for students who have completed their education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
The minimum English language proficiency requirements for admission to this Master's programme are:
• IELTS: 6.5 overall
• TOEFL Internet-based test: 92 overall
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): A, B, C
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B, C
Please note that students who need a study visa must submit their English test results before 1 June. All other students have to submit the test certificate before 31 August (preferably sooner).
TOEFL and IELTS tests must have been completed no more than two years before 1 September of the year in which your course starts. Note that TOEFL MyBestScore is not accepted. Our institution code is 7947.
Your English test results can be included in your application file or sent to the following email address (for non-Dutch degree holders): masters.fs@vu.nl
The general requirements regarding language proficiency are found here.
Required format and required documents
Please note: you will need to upload all required documents in one PDF file, using this Application Form Template.
Please check here which documents you need to submit for this specific Master's programme.
After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure.
For more information, international students may also contact the International Student Advisors: masters.fs@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.
You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.
Master students Information Sciences will have to spend approximately 200 euro per year for buying books. Students are expected to possess a laptop computer, running either Windows 10 or mac OSX, for participating in educational activities (which comes down to approx. 300 euro per academic year).
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