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Secondary subjects (or a minor) at VU Amsterdam

Are you a student from another Dutch educational institution wanting to take a secondary subject at VU Amsterdam? Or are you a VU student interested in taking courses from other faculties?

How do I apply?

Please do read the following information carefully before you apply for a course at VU Amsterdam. At the bottom of this page you will find a step-by-step plan with instructions regarding how to apply.

Courses and minors offered

In the course overview in the Study guide you can check whether a course is offered as a secondary subject. You can filter by secondary subject and faculty. Before you apply for a course, please read the course description, which lists any additional entry requirements. It may happen that participation in a course is not possible due to a lack of available spots.

Would you like to apply for a entire minor? Check out our minors offer and more information about following a minor as a VU Amsterdam student or non VU Amsterdam student.

Entry Requirements

In case a course has certain entry requirements or there is room for a limited number of participants, this will be mentioned in the Study guide. For a number of courses, the prerequisites are indicated. Check with your university if you need permission to take your preferred course at VU Amsterdam.
Please note: Master's courses can only be taken by Master's students.

Course registration deadlines

Is your secondary subject registration complete? Then you can register for the course. For all courses offered at VU Amsterdam there are registration deadlines, please keep this in mind!

Contact

For questions about your application for a secondary subject, please contact the Student Desk. If you have a question about the content of a course/minor, you can contact the coordinator of the course. You will find these details in the Study guide.

How do I apply?

Application procedure for secondary subject students

  • Step 1: check the admission requirements

    Before you apply, please note the following:

    • Check the admission requirements of the course(s) you want to take.
    • See for minors the minors overview. Some minors have an application deadline.
    • The starting date of the course(s) and minors can be found in the Study guide.
  • Step 2: register as a secondary subject student

    Follow the steps below to register as a secondary subject student:

    • Go to the registration page and choose Registration for secondary subjects.
    • Select the correct academic year.
    • Insert your personal details. After this you will receive an email with your login details.
    • If you have applied at VU Amsterdam before, you already have a VU username (the so-called VUnetID). Is your VUnetID no longer active? It will become active again after signing in on the registration page.
    • Please only submit 1 application!
      If you submit multiple applications, you cannot become enrolled in our system.
  • Step 3: complete your application

    Follow the steps below to complete your application:

    • Log in on your personal dashboard using your VUnetID, go to the Application module and select the app Complete application.
    • Complete your application by going through the entire form.
    • Upload the required documents, in this case a grade transcript. When uploading your transcript, the following information must be included:
      - your name
      - the name of your institution
      - the programme you are enrolled in
    • Submit the application form.

    Transcripts without mention of your institution or programme will be rejected. This will disable you from completing your secondary subject course application. It is therefore advised to obtain a transcript from your student administration. This does not need to be certified.

    Please note: in case you would like to register for a master level course, but you do not yet have a transcript that indicates you being a Master's student, you are expected to upload a Bachelor's degree instead of a transcript.

    Your request will be sent digitally to the faculty after your application has been completed. If you qualify, the faculty will grant you permission to follow the secondary subject courses. You can check the status of your application in the status overview in the Application module.

  • Step 4: hand in a Proof of Paid Tuition Fees (BBC)

    In order to definitively enroll at VU Amsterdam as a secondary subject student you must hand in a Proof of Paid Tuition Fees (known in Dutch as Bewijs Betaald Collegegeld or BBC). If you have already paid tuition fees at another Dutch educational institution you can request a BBC at your institution, addressed to VU Amsterdam. Your institution should digitally send the BBC to VU Amsterdam. Do this as soon as possible before the registration deadline, so you can register for your approved subjects in time.

  • Step 5: check your application

    Check whether you receive a confirmation of your application through email. There may be more students interested than places available.

    Please note: your enrolment request will only be processed after all the documents are received and approval is given by the faculty.

  • Step 6: register for the approved subjects

    You need to register in time for all courses, internships/projects and (re)examinations. When you apply, you indicate which courses you want to take. After approval, the courses will automatically be planned in the registration module, after which you can register for courses per period. You will receive a reminder when a new registration period starts. For an up-to-date overview consult the registration and deregistration deadlines.

    You can register for planned courses yourself via the registration module. There may be exceptions for specific courses. For example: the faculty sometimes registers you for a work group. You can always check this in the Study guide.

    Unable to find the course
    Are you unable to find certain courses in the registration module? Then try the following:

    • Check whether you have selected the study course ‘Optional course' and the correct study year: at the top of the home screen for registration it shows for which study programme and which year you are viewing the academic plan. Make sure the correct data is selected here.

    You will only find the courses listed that have been approved by the faculty.

    Unable to register
    Students taking courses at VU Amsterdam as secondary subject students cannot add courses in the registration module. Are you having problems registering for courses? Please contact the Student Desk.

    Additional forms

More information for secondary subject students

  • Checking results

    Check whether your results are complete and correct. Please send a request for correction to the faculty if any results are incorrect or missing. You can send the request through this form. A certified overview of results can be requested through this form.

  • Taking an extra course

    Within the academic year
    If you wish to take an additional course within the academic year for which you have applied, go to your personal page on secondary subjects to add the desired course. If a previous request for an additional course has not yet been approved, you also have the option to remove the request.

    Outside the academic year
    If you want to take an extra/optional course in a future academic year, apply again via the application page and go through the application process.

  • Academic advisor

    For any questions about personal academic student counselling and study advice, please go to the academic advisor. Also consult the academic advisor in case of any problems that affect your study progress such as personal issues, study-proficiency problems, study delay, illness, or caring for or worrying about a sick family member.

    Scheduling an appointment
    Students taking courses at VU Amsterdam as a secondary subject student can contact the academic advisor through this contact form. You are also welcome to visit us during the open office consultation hours to see how we can offer guidance.

  • Examination Board

    If there is a serious study delay it is advisable to discuss this with your academic advisor before submitting a request to the Examination Board. The academic advisor can discuss the options with you and advise you when writing your request.

    Submitting a request
    You can submit your request through this form. The response time of the Examination Board is 30 working days from the moment your request is received. Please make sure that you receive a confirmation of receipt after you have submitted a request!

Do you have any questions?

Please contact the Student Desk.

If you have questions about the tuition fee, Studielink or your personal dashboard on VU.nl, please contact the Student Desk: studentdesk@vu.nl, stating your student number.

Send a message via online chat (Mon – Fri: 10:30 – 12:30 and 14:00 – 16:00). 

Call +31 (0)20 59 85020 (Mon – Fri: 10:30 – 12:30 and 14:00 – 16:00). 

Are you currently a VU student? Ask your question via the question form (log in with your VUnetID)

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