Philosophy, Bioethics and Health

Check whether you meet the programme requirements and apply

• I have a Dutch university level (WO) Bachelor’s degree (VU Bachelor’s degree, VU pre-master or Bachelor’s degree at another university)

  To be admitted to the programme, you should:

  • have a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine, Health Sciences, Psychology, or related disciplines.
  • be eligible to one of the three Health-related Master's programmes: Medicine, Psychology, or Health Sciences. Most of our students aim at obtaining two Master's degrees, that is to say Philosophy, Bioethics and Health as well as a Master’s degree in Medicine, Health Sciences, or Psychology (another health-related Master's degree may also lead to admissibility, this is up to the Admission Board).

  Part of the PBH-programme consists of courses that are offered by the Departments of Medicine, Psychology, and Health Sciences. Therefore it is a requirement that PBH-students are admissible to one of these three Master's programmes, too. It is recommended to enroll in two Master's programmes (PBH and: Medicine, Psychology, or Health sciences).

  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.

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

  Students with a higher vocational education qualification (hbo) cannot proceed directly to the Master’s programme in Philosophy, Bioethics and Health.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  Dutch students and international candidates with a Dutch degree can apply via Studielink under the label Filosofie 2 jaar/Philosophy 2 years.  

   If you haven't obtained 30 ECTS in a health-related discipline at a Masters level yet, then make sure you apply for one of the three Health- related Masters; Medicine, Psychology, or Health Sciences or another health- related discipline before the required application deadline.

  How to apply

  1. Apply for the Master’s programme in Studielink by 1 June. After applying in Studielink you will receive login information for your VU Dashboard. See also Additional information on the enrolment procedure.
  2. Add the requested Application File to your VU Dashboard and complete your application.
     Please note: students of the School of Humanities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam do NOT need to upload the application file. However, students need to complete the application. Choose the option to upload the documents at a later time
  3. Upon receipt of your application, your admission request will be processed and you will be notified whether you have been admitted or whether you must first meet additional requirements.
  4. Ensure that your payment of tuition fees for the Master has been received by 31 August so that you can complete your registration by then.
  5. Please check if you have to take an English language test. See the English language requirement page for the steps you need to complete.

  The Committee might contact you for additional information.

• 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 

  To be admitted to the programme, you should: 

  • have a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine, Health Sciences, Psychology, or related disciplines. 
  • be eligible and admitted to a health-related Master’s programme at the Faculty of Science, VU Amsterdam. 

  Part of the PBH-programme consists of courses (30EC in total) that are offered by a health-related Master's programme from our Faculty of Science. This means that it is mandatory to be admitted to one of the health-related Master programmes at the Faculty of Science (*alternatively, students who have already finished a health-related Master programme can also apply to the programme). 

  This means that you should take the following steps: 

  • check whether you satisfy the admission requirements of one of our health-related programmes 
  • apply for a health-related Master programme and receive admission 
  • apply for the programme in Philosophy, Bioethics and Health 
  • complete your enrolment for both Master programmes: 1. Philosophy, Bioethics and Health and 2. a health-related Master programme. If you are not admitted and enrolled to a health-related Master programme at VU Amsterdam, you will not be able to successfully finish and graduate from Philosophy, Bioethics and Health. 

  Note: Academic year 2025-2026 will be the final year the Master's programme in Health Sciences is offered in English. From academic year 2026-2027 onwards the programme will be taught in Dutch. 

  Please be aware that EU students pay the tuition fee once for both programmes. Non-EU students, however, have to pay two tuition fees as long as they are enrolled in two Master programmes. More information about the tuition fees. 

  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.  

• 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.