Social Psychology (Research)

Admission Requirements

• 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)

  Entry requirements

  The general requirements for admission to the Research Master's programme are:

  • An academic Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Bioinformatics, Educational Science or a closely related subject area
  • An active interest in research as demonstrated in research oriented courses, internships and/or thesis
  • Education must have included research oriented courses (methods, statistics) (12 EC)
  • Good average grades. Your average grade for your academic bachelor's is preferably 7.5 or higher (or the international equivalent, e.g. a B+ or a GPA of 3.3). Students with a lower average grade may still be admitted as the grades obtained for courses on statistics, research methods, courses related to more biologically orientated courses (biological psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, genetics) and thesis. Please note: Exceptions are possible for students who demonstrate a great motivation for the Research Master Genes in Behaviour and Health.
  • Highly motivated as demonstrated by motivation letter
  • Proficiency in English. English language skills for those who did not follow earlier English-language education will need to be demonstrated, as reaching an IELTS score of 6.5, TOEFL paper-based test score of 580, a TOEFL Internet-based test score of 92-93 or Cambridge Advanced English classification of A , B or C.

• Application with a Dutch degree

  Step 1: Register in Studielink
  Apply for the Research Master’s programme in Social Psychology. You will receive login details with which you can complete your registration in your dashboard on VU.nl. A registration does not commit you to anything and can be cancelled free of charge until 1 September.
  
  Step 2: submit a request to evaluate your eligibility

  To determine whether you are eligible , submit the following documents in your dashboard on VU.nl:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Motivation letter
  • Transcript of records, including grades and credits (ECTS)
  • Thesis (if available)
  • A description of the relevant courses you have taken during your previous higher education

  Upload all the necessary documents in one joint PDF file.

  Selection assignment    
  Soon after we have received your request for admission you will be sent the selection assignment. This involves the study of an empirical scientific article and the discussion of research ideas related to it. You will have two weeks to complete the assignment and return it to toelatingscommissie.fgb@vu.nl. The Admissions Committee will then evaluate your assignment, as well as the information you provided with your request of admission.

  Step 3: Await decision on admission
  The admission board will review your application as soon as it is complete. Normally this takes about four weeks, but it might take longer in busy periods so be sure to apply as soon as possible. If you gain admission, you will receive a letter of conditional admission by email.

  Step 4: Complete your registration
  Make sure you have met the prior education requirements, specific entry requirements and paid your tuition fees by 31 August 2023.

   Deadlines for application: 

  The deadlines for application:

  • Deadline for submitting application in Studielink and at VU.nl: 31 May.
  • Deadline for completing your enrolment (including payment of tuition fees): 31 August.
    

• I have an international degree

  The Research Master’s programme in Social Psychology 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.

  Admission requirements

  • An academic bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology or a related discipline, preferably with an emphasis on social psychology, biological psychology, cognitive psychology, economics, neurosciences or cognitive sciences and a focus on methodology, statistics and research. Applications from students with a background in other disciplines will be considered, but these candidates must have completed courses in statistics and methodology and have experience of conducting and reporting on experimental research. 
  • Preferably you have an average grade for your academic bachelor of 7.5 or higher (or international equivalent, e.g. a B or a GPA of 3.3). It is possible to be admitted if your average grade is lower; however, in such cases you will need to complete the entry assignment in a highly satisfactory manner.
  • A satisfactory result in the entrance assignment (see below).
  • The Admissions Committee will take into account recommendations from universities and other relevant information.

  English language proficiency

  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 which test types and scores are accepted, the deadlines for submitting test results and all other relevant information on our application page under the Language Proficiency Requirements tab. There you can also find an overview of exceptions to the English Language Proficiency requirement.

• Application with an international degree

  Applying with an international degree

  Please note: you will need to upload all required documents in one PDF file, using this template. Please download the template to check which documents are required for this programme. 

  If you have read the admission criteria and feel you are eligible for admission, please take the following steps to submit your application. Note that the initial application procedure is fully online and that scans of your original documents are required.

  Step 1: Review the admission criteria

  Step 2: Prepare your documents and apply online  
  Please prepare the required documents and arrange the payment of the application fee, a non-refundable €100 application fee applies. You can find an explanation of each document on the application page. All documents should be provided in English. 

  After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure. Here you can find all relevant application information, including deadlines, a step-by-step explanation of the procedure and the English language requirements.

  Selection assignment    
  Soon after we have received your request for admission you will be sent the selection assignment. This involves the study of an empirical scientific article and the discussion of research ideas related to it. You will have two weeks to complete the assignment and return it to masters.fbms@vu.nl. The Admissions Committee will then evaluate your assignment, as well as the information you provided with your request of admission.

  Step 3: Await the decision on admission
  The admission board will review your application as soon as it is complete. Normally this takes about four weeks, but it might take longer in busy periods so be sure to apply as soon as possible. If you are admitted to the programme, you will receive an admission notification via email.

  Step 4: Finalise your registration!
  Make sure to finalise your registration as a student before the start of the programme. Here you will find an explanation on what to do after you are admitted. When all of the conditions are met, you will be ready to start your programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam! 

  Grants and scholarships

  International students can apply to several scholarships. For all VU scholarships, please see www.vu.nl/scholarships. Any available external grant or scholarship can be found through Study in 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.