Social and Cultural Anthropology

Check whether you meet the admission requirements and apply

• I have a Dutch university level (WO) Bachelor’s degree

  Directly admissible

  You are directly admissible to the Master’s programme in Social and Cultural Anthropology (SCA) with one of the following Bachelor’s degrees:

  • Culturele antropologie en ontwikkelingssociologie / Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology
  • Sociologie

  You are also admissible to the Master’s programme in SCA with any Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree including a minor programme in Anthropology, such as the VU FSS Minor Anthropology (30 EC).

  Conditionally admissible

  If you have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a field other than anthropology or sociology, you may be asked to complete a bridging programme of max. 30 EC before applying to the Master's in Social and Cultural Anthropology (SCA).
  Depending on the discipline of your degree, this bridging programme consists of academic courses in the field of qualitative and quantitative methods and techniques of social science research with a minimum of 12 EC, and/or academic courses in the field of (social and cultural) anthropology with a minimum of 6/12 EC.

  The Admissions Committee of the Master's programme in SCA will determine which additional courses you will have to take. These courses can be taken at any Dutch university, but you can also choose to take them at FSS-VU.

  At FSS-VU the following relevant courses are offered in the field of methods and techniques of social scientific research:

  • Social Research Methodology (S_SRM). Introduction into the the process of social scientific research, including its key methods (qualitative and quantitative) and approaches (interpretative vs positivist).
  • Ethnographic Research Methodology (S_ERM)
  • Methoden en technieken van kwalitatief onderzoek (S_PMMTKOZ) to acquire knowledge and skills in the field of qualitative methodology.

  FSS-VU offers the following relevant subjects in the field of anthropology:

  • Core Themes in Anthropology (S_CTA)
  • Development and Globalization (S_DG)
  • Identity, Diversity and Inclusion (S_IDI)
  • Nation and Migration (S_NM)
  • History and Theory of Anthropology (S_HTA)
  • Urban Studies (S_UBS)
  • Challenges of the 21st Century (S_C21C)
  • Global Religion (S_GR)

  In some cases, the Admissions Committee might refer you to the pre-master’s programme in Social and Cultural Anthropology or a certain selection of the courses.

  English language requirements

  To be admitted to the English-taught Master’s programme, all students must meet the following results in the English language test (no older than 2 years):

  • IELTS score with a minimum of 6.5
  • TOEFL score internet based test: 92
  • VU TOEFL-ITP: 580 (only valid for VU Amsterdam)
  • CAMBRIDGE CERTIFICATE in Advanced English (CAE): A or B
  • CAMBRIDGE CERTIFICATE of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B or C

  Exemptions from the language test requirements are granted in the following cases:

  • Your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma was obtained in an English-language university programme in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA.
  • Your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma was obtained in an English-taught programme at a Dutch university.
  • Your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma was obtained in an English-taught programme in a different EU-country.
  • You have a Dutch vwo-diploma (level 6 vwo-nieuw)
  • You passed the pre-master's assessment before entering your pre-master's programme.

  Make sure to register on time at Taalloket for the VU TOEFL-ITP, as the possibilities are limited, especially during the busy summer period. If you have a Dutch Bachelor's degree obtained at a Dutch university, the first take of the VU TOEFL-ITP is free of charge.

  Please upload a scan of the result of your test to your application in your VU Dashboard before 31 August at the latest.

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

  Admission to the Master’s programmes is open to students holding any Bachelor’s degree in higher vocational education (hbo), providing they successfully completed the pre-master's programme. 

  In order to enter the pre-master’s course with a hbo Bachelor’s degree, you have to pass a pre-master’s assessment. The assessment is designed to ensure that students admitted to the pre-master's (with the intention of subsequently completing the Master's programme) are able to meet the required academic level.

  Admission procedure
  1. Register for the pre-master's programme in Studielink before 15 June at the latest.
     After registering in Studielink you’ll receive login data for your VU Dashboard.
  2. Finish your application in your VU Dashboard, incl. registration for the pre-masters' assessment.
  3. Pre-masters' assessment and hbo-bachelor's degree must be obtained before 31 August at the latest.
  4. Arrange payment of the tuition fee and complete your registration before 31 August at the latest. 

  Before the beginning of the programme you’ll receive practical information about starting your studies.

  Doorstroomminor SWO at Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA)

  If you have a Bachelor's degree of applied sciences (hbo) including the doorstroomminor Sociaalwetenschappelijk Onderzoek at HvA, you are admissible to the Master’s programme after successfully completing one of the following courses, part of the Bachelor's programme in Cultural Anthropology:

  • Core Themes in Anthropology (S_CTA)
  • History and Theory of Anthropology (S_HTA or S_PMHTA) + reading assignment*
  • Challenges of the 21st Century (S_C21C) + reading assignment*

  *Reading assignment: 
  Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Small Places, Large Issues - An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology, 4th edition. 

  In order to follow one of these courses, you have to register as bijvakstudent.
  You don't have to follow the pre-master's programme nor take the assessment.
  
  Before starting with the Master's programme you have to meet the English language requirements listed below.

  English language requirements

  To be admitted to the English-taught Master’s programme, all students must meet the following results in the English language test (no older than 2 years):

  • IELTS score with a minimum of 6.5
  • TOEFL score internet based test: 92
  • VU TOEFL-ITP: 580 (only valid for VU Amsterdam)
  • CAMBRIDGE CERTIFICATE in Advanced English (CAE): A or B
  • CAMBRIDGE CERTIFICATE of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B or C

  Exemptions from the language test requirements are granted in the following cases:

  • Your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma was obtained in an English-language university programme in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA.
  • Your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma was obtained in an English-taught programme at a Dutch university.
  • Your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma was obtained in an English-taught programme in a different EU-country.
  • You have a Dutch vwo-diploma (level 6 vwo-nieuw)
  • You passed the pre-master's assessment before entering your pre-master's programme.

  Make sure to register on time at Taalloket for the VU TOEFL-ITP, as the possibilities are limited, especially during the busy summer period. If you have a Dutch Bachelor's degree obtained at a Dutch university, the first take of the VU TOEFL-ITP is free of charge.

  Please upload a scan of the result of your test to your VU Dashboard before 31 August at the latest.

• Application procedure with a Dutch degree

  How to apply

  Directly admissible

  1. Registration for the Master’s programme in Studielink is open until 31 May at the latest
     After registering in Studielink you’ll receive login data for your VU Dashboard.
  2. Finish your VU Dashboard. As your admissibility doesn’t have to be assessed, you don’t need to add any documents (just tick the box “I upload this later”).
  3. Arrange payment of the tuition fee and complete your registration before 31 August at the latest.
  4. Upload a scan of the result of your English language test to your VU Dashboard before 31 August at the latest.

  Before the beginning of the programme you’ll receive practical information about starting your studies.

  An application is not the same as enrolment. If you register for a programme in Studielink (before 31 May), you will not immediately be enrolled. You will only be enrolled once you have been notified by Studielink. To this end, you must have submitted all the required documents a.s.a.p. after registering (preferably before 1 June) and have arranged for payment of the tuition fees before 31 August.
  An application does not commit you to anything and can be cancelled free of charge until 31 August.

  More information about the registration procedure.

  Conditionally admissible

  To apply for the programme, you need to register in Studielink (before 31 May). After completing your registration in Studielink, you will receive log in details for your VU Dashboard.
  Please complete your application a.s.a.p. at the latest by uploading the following required documents (in English):

  • a curriculum vitae (résumé), listing your previous education and relevant work experience;
  • a certified transcript of the grades you obtained in your Bachelor’s programme in English or translated into English by your university or a sworn translator. If you have followed or are following a master’s programme and/or more than one bachelor’s programme, please include transcripts of all these programmes;
  • a description of the relevant courses/modules followed and literature used during your previous higher education, that were part of your Bachelor's (and Master's, if applicable) programme, with a short description of the contents of these courses and the literature used (bibliography) to assess the theoretical background of the programme. You can either copy this from a study guide or type a 5-10 line description for each relevant course, if a study guide is not readily available. For the literature please mention the most relevant academic textbooks or articles used during your previous education.

  In order to determine whether your choice for the Master’s programme is a good match, please add the following documents (in English):

  • a (short) letter motivating your choice and explaining how you meet the entry requirements;
  • a proof of academic writing, such as (parts of) a thesis, paper or essay, that includes a clear research question, an explicit research methodology, a theoretical framework and academic literature references;

  The Admissions Committee will determine whether you are directly admissible to the Master’s programme or whether you first have to follow a bridging programme and if so, which courses you should take.

  The Committee might contact you for additional information and/or explain content and level of the Master’s in Social and Cultural Anthropology.

  Please upload a scan with the result of your English language test to your VU Dashboard before 31 August at the latest.

  Registration procedure

  1. Registration for the Master’s programme in Studielink is open until 31 May at the latest.
     After registering in Studielink you’ll receive login data for your VU Dashboard.
  2. Finish your application by adding the required documents to your VU Dashboard a.s.a.p.
  3. After your application has been processed and assessed you’ll receive notice about your admissibility.
  4. Arrange payment of the tuition fee and complete your registration before 31 August at the latest.
  5. Upload a scan of the result of your English language test to your VU Dashboard before 31 August at the latest.

  Before the beginning of the programme you’ll receive practical information about starting your studies.

  An application is not the same as enrolment. If you register for a programme in Studielink (before 31 May), you will not immediately be enrolled. You will only be enrolled once you have been notified by Studielink. To this end, you must have submitted all the required documents a.s.a.p. after registering (preferably before 1 June) and have arranged for payment of the tuition fees before 31 August.
  An application does not commit you to anything and can be cancelled free of charge until 31 August.

  More information about the registration procedure.

• I have an international degree

  Directly admissible

  You are admissible to the Master’s programme in Social and Cultural Anthropology (SCA) with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Sociology, or a related field, or if you have completed a minor in Anthropology, with a curriculum including social science methods. Your bachelor must be equivalent to a Dutch academic (WO) bachelor and therefore must be completed at a research university.

  NUFFIC, the Dutch organization for internationalization in education, provides information on the academic level of universities abroad in relation to the required level of academic master programmes in the Netherlands. The Admission Board uses this information provided by NUFFIC in order to assess whether your level of academic writing and methodological training is expected to be sufficient. If your level of academic writing and/or methodological training is deemed insufficient, you must complete a bridging programme which consists of courses in academic writing and/or methods and techniques. You may decide to take this course at any university. The Faculty of Social Sciences at VU Amsterdam offers courses in academic writing in the pre-master’s programme in Social and Cultural Anthropology (PM Tutorial Academic Writing SCA and PM Research Project SCA) and in methods and techniques (see below).

  Conditionally admissible

  If you have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a field other than anthropology or sociology, you may be asked to complete a bridging programme of max. 30 EC before applying to the Master's in Social and Cultural Anthropology (SCA).
  Depending on the discipline of your degree, this bridging programme consists of academic courses in the field of qualitative and quantitative methods and techniques of social science research with a minimum of 12 EC, and/or academic courses in the field of anthropology with a minimum of 6/12 EC.

  The Admissions Committee of the Master's programme in SCA will determine which additional courses you will have to take. These courses can be taken at any university, but you can also choose to take them at FSS-VU.

  At FSS-VU the following relevant courses are offered in the field of methods and techniques of social scientific research:

  • Social Research Methodology (S_SRM). Introduction into the the process of social scientific research, including its key methods (qualitative and quantitative) and approaches (interpretative vs positivist).
  • Ethnographic Research Methodology (S_ERM)
  • Methoden en technieken van kwalitatief onderzoek (S_PMMTKOZ) to acquire knowledge and skills in the field of qualitative methodology.

  FSS-VU offers the following relevant subjects in the field of anthropology:

  • Core Themes in Anthropology (S_CTA)
  • Development and Globalization (S_DG)
  • Identity, Diversity and Inclusion (S_IDI)
  • Nation and Migration (S_NM)
  • History and Theory of Anthropology (S_HTA)
  • Urban Studies (S_UBS)
  • Challenges of the 21st Century (S_C21C)
  • Global Religion (S_GR)

  *Please be aware that international students should not apply for the pre-master’s programme directly.
  In case you are not directly eligible for the Master’s programme, the Admissions Committee will refer you to the pre-master’s programme in Social and Cultural Anthropology or a certain selection of the courses.

  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 procedure 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.