Application process, requirements and cancellation policy

More information

• Application process

  Our application deadline has passed. We are still accepting late applications for certain course. Please reach out to graduatewinterschool@vu.nl to inquire about the course of your interest.

  How to apply?
  First of all, we’re thrilled that you want to apply for one of our courses! 

  To go ahead with your application, it’s as simple as filling out our online application form (link no longer valid). When completing the form, please make sure that you: 

  1. Write briefly about your motivations for taking the course. 
  2. Upload your Curriculum Vitae/Résumé in English (the file size mustn’t exceed 1 MB).

  Your CV and motivation will be shared with the lecturers before the start of the course.

  Before applying, please make sure that you read through the General Terms and Conditions.

  Payment
  After filling out the application form, you will be transferred to a payment page to complete the process. Your admission will be confirmed once we have reviewed your application according to the following factors: entry requirements, availability in the course, and whether or not your payment has been received. 

  Invoice request
  If you or your department wish to pay via an invoice, please request the invoice by contacting us at: graduatewinterschool@vu.nl.

  Student discount
  Are you currently a student? 

  If so, we kindly ask that you use your university email address when submitting your application so that we can apply your student discount. 

  Application deadline:

  • Extended application deadline: 14 December 23:59 CET (extended application deadline)

  Do you have any questions or concerns? If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to reach out using the following email address: graduatewinterschool@vu.nl.

• Entry requirements

  Courses are taught at the Master's and PhD levels and are suitable for students as well as staff and working professionals. There are some courses on Bachelor level as well. The entry requirements are as follows:

  • Master's: at least enrolled in the 1st year of Master studies - professionals need to have a Bachelor diploma
  • PhD: at least enrolled in 1st year of PhD studies 

  Individual courses may have their own entry requirements, so please check the course descriptions.

  If doubts remain about the student’s academic level based on the documents provided, VU Graduate Winter School reserves the right to ask for additional documents and/or a telephone/video interview. If you are not eligible for the course, you will receive a full refund.

  Apply now via our online application form (link no longer valid)!

• Certified versus Auditor participation

  • Certified participant: As a certified participant, you will have access to all the lectures and workshops of you winter course. In addition, you will also complete assignments which are graded, so that you can get a certificate for participating in the winter course. Available for all winter school courses. 
    
  • Auditor participant: As an auditor participant, you will have access to all the lectures and workshops of your winter course for a discounted price (-€100). You will, however, not participate in assignments and will therefore not receive a transcript of records or study credits after completing the course. The courses that are offered on Auditor level will be announced in this page soon.
    

• English language requirements

  At VU Graduate Winter School, we don’t require proof of your proficiency in English.

  However, we do expect you to understand enough of the language to follow classes taught in English. As such, you should have at least a B2 level of English, as developed within the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). This is comparable to a TOEFL internet test with a score of 92 or an IELTS score of 6.5.

• Cancellation policy

  If you have been accepted to VU Graduate Winter School and have paid the tuition fee, but due to unforeseen circumstances, need to cancel, the following refunds will be given:

  • Cancellation before 1 December: 100% of the total fee will be refunded
  • Cancellation between 1 December and 15 December: 50% of the total fee will be refunded
  • Cancellation after 15 December: no refund will be given

  *If VU Amsterdam cancels the course because the minimum course participants have not been reached or due to other circumstances, a full refund will be given.