Linguistics

Check whether you meet the admission 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)

  Admission requirements track Language Description and Comparative Linguistics

  Direct admission to the Master's programme is possible for students with a Dutch Bachelor's degree in Linguistics. If you have a Dutch Bachelor degree in a modern language, communication- and information science or classics with a minimum of 60 ECTS in linguistic courses, you might also be admissible. Whether you are admitted is up to the Admissions Board: their decision is based on assessment of the courses of your previous education. For information or questions on how to meet the requirements, please contact the coordinator of  Language Desription and Comparative Linguistics: Antoinette Schapper (a.c.j.schapper@vu.nl)

  Admission requirements track Text Mining

  The track Text Mining is an interdisciplinary Master’s programme and open for application to students with an academic Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Linguistics, AI or Computer Science, but also for students from other academic Bachelor's programmes.

  Students who do not have a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, AI or Computer Science and wish to enrol, should have either knowledge and skills on the level of an introductory Bachelor’s course in Linguistics or have solid skills in programming in Python. The linguistic knowledge, skills and insights can be acquired in, for instance, a course Introduction to Linguistics of an academic Bachelor's programme.

  For information or questions on how to meet the requirements, please contact the coordinator of Text Mining: Hennie van der Vliet (h.d.vander.vliet@vu.nl).

  The Faculty’s Admissions Board will review whether you meet the admission requirements. If you have an academic Bachelor’s degree other than Linguistics, Computer Science or AI, the Admission Board will bring you into contact with the coordinator of the Master's programme Text Mining.

  English language requirements for English tracks

  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;
    Note: the IELTS Online Academic and the online IELTS Indicator tests are not accepted.
  • TOEFL paper based test: 600, with a minimum of 55 on each component and 4.0 in TWE;
    Note: TOEFL ITP tests are accepted
  • TOEFL internet based test: 100, with a minimum of 20-23 on each component.
    Note: TOEFL Essentials and TOEFL iBT Home Edition are not accepted. MyBestScore is also not accepted.

  The TOEFL ITP will not be accepted

  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)

  There are pre-master's programmes for the tracks Text Mining and Language Description and Comparative Linguistics. You will find more information about the pre-master's programme Taalwetenschappen (Dutch) on our page.

  English language requirements for English tracks

  This pre-master’s programme prepares students for an English specialisation of the MA Linguistics. 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:

  • (academic) IELTS: 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 on each item;
    Note: the IELTS Online Academic and the online IELTS Indicator tests are not accepted.
  • TOEFL paper based test: 600, with a minimum of 55 on each component and 4.0 in TWE;
    Note: TOEFL ITP tests are accepted
  • TOEFL internet based test: 100, with a minimum of 20-23 on each component.
    Note: TOEFL Essentials and TOEFL iBT Home Edition are not accepted. MyBestScore is also not accepted.

  The TOEFL ITP will not be accepted

  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

  Dutch students and international candidates with a Dutch degree can apply via Studielink before 1 June for the Master's programme under the label Taalwetenschappen (Linguistics). If you have a Dutch diploma, follow this application procedure.

  What happens after I have applied?
  After you have applied for the Master's programme in Studielink, you will receive two emails with your login details for your personal dashboard. Please complete your application in your dashboard. Don’t forget to fill in your specialization.

  In your personal dashboard you are required to upload an Application File. Please download the correct file from this page. In this file you can see which documents are required to apply for your programme.

  Your application will be reviewed by the Faculty’s Admissions Board. You will be informed whether you have been admitted via Studielink.

• 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. In order to gain admission to one of our Master’s programmes, 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.

  Additional admission requirements track Language Description and Comparative Linguistics

  Students are eligible for admission to the Language Description and Comparative Linguistics programme with a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics after assessment by the Examination Board of your previous education. Students with a Bachelor's in a modern language, a Bachelor's in classics or in communication- and information science with a minimum of 60 ECTS in linguistic courses are also admissible. We will assess your previous education at course level to decide whether you have completed a sufficient number of linguistics courses. For information or questions on how to meet the requirements, please contact the coordinator of Language Description and Comparative Linguistics: Antoinette Schapper (a.c.j.schapper@vu.nl).
  
  Your suitability will be assessed on not only the basis of your previous education but also on your motivation for this specific programme. Be sure to elaborate on your interest in comparative linguistics and or language description in particular.

  Additional admission requirements track Text Mining

  The track Text Mining is an interdisciplinary Master’s programme and open for application to students with an academic Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Linguistics, AI or Computer Science, but also for students from other academic Bachelor's programmes.
  
  Students who do not have a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, AI or Computer Science and wish to enrol, should have either knowledge and skills on the level of an introductory Bachelor’s course in Linguistics or have solid skills in programming in Python. The linguistic knowledge, skills and insights can be acquired in, for instance, a course Introduction to Linguistics of an academic Bachelor's programme. For information or questions on how to meet the requirements, please contact the coordinator of Text Mining: Hennie van der Vliet (h.d.vander.vliet@vu.nl).
  
  The Faculty’s Admissions Board will review whether you meet the admission requirements. If you have an academic Bachelor’s degree other than Linguistics, Computer Science or AI, the Admission Board will bring you into contact with the coordinator of the Master's programme Text Mining.

  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 an overview of all accepted tests and scores that can be used to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.

• Application with an international degree

  Application documents

  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 file from this page. In this file you can see which documents are required to apply for your programme.
  • 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.