Philosophy of Neuroscience

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 considered for admission to the Master’s programme Philosophy of Neuroscience, you must meet the following requirements:

  • hold an academic Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Psychology with a Biological Psychology or Neuropsychology profile. If you hold a BSc degree in a closely related discipline (e.g. Movement Sciences, Artificial Intelligence or Medicine), you are also eligible to apply.
  • be eligible to a Neuroscience Master’s or a related programme in which you can obtain 30 ECTS in neuroscience courses at a Master’s level. Since Philosophy of Neuroscience applies philosophy on neuroscience, 30 ECTS must be obtained in this discipline at a Master’s level. Most of our students aim at obtaining two Master’s degrees, that is to say in Philosophy of Neuroscience and in Neuroscience. There are no additional criteria beyond the admission criteria for the Master’s programme Neuroscience that is followed.

  Proficient in English

  All lectures and student presentations are in English, all written assignments as well. Therefore all prospective students must be proficient in English. The VU Amsterdam courses Academic English: Grammar and Academic English: Writing (or similar courses at another university) are strongly recommended in your Bachelor's programme.

  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;
    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

  Applicants 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 are exempted from the above requirements.

• 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 of Neuroscience.

• 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 Philosophy of Neuroscience under the label Filosofie 2 jaar/Philosophy 2 years. 

  If you haven't obtained 30 ECTS in neuroscience courses at a Master’s level yet, then make sure you apply for a Neuroscience Master’s or a related programme in which you can obtain 30 ECTS in neuroscience courses at a Master’s level before the required application deadline. 

  If you have a Dutch diploma, follow this application procedure. 

  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 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 Admission Board of Faculty of Humanities. 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. To be considered for admission to the Master’s programme Philosophy of Neuroscience (PNS) you must meet the following requirements:

  1. Hold an academic Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Psychology with a Biological Psychology or Neuropsychology profile. If you hold a Bachelor's degree in a closely related discipline (e.g. Movement Sciences, Artificial Intelligence or Medicine), you are also eligible to apply.
  2. Be eligible to a Neuroscience Master’s or a related programme in which you can obtain 30 ECTS in neuroscience courses at a Master’s level. Since PNS applies philosophy on neuroscience, 30 ECTS must be obtained in this discipline at a Master’s level. Most of our students aim at obtaining two Master’s degrees, that is to say in PNS and in Neuroscience. There are no additional criteria beyond the admission criteria for the Master’s programme Neuroscience that is followed.

  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.