Study and thesis awards

VU study and thesis awards

• VU Master's thesis Award - 2025/2026

  The VU Master's Thesis Award is awarded to the master student who can best argue the (potential) social impact of his or her thesis research. The winner of the Master's Thesis Award receives € 2,000 and is paired by Alumni Relations with a VU alumnus of interest to the student.

  Conditions

  • Eligible theses are those that conclude a (research) master's programme at VU Amsterdam.
  • The final papers are nominated by the faculty board; students cannot nominate their final papers themselves. It is left to the faculty board how they select this thesis, e.g. on the basis of the grading of the thesis.
  • The submitted thesis should be accompanied by a social impact summary written by the student in Dutch or English.
  • A thesis written by several students is also eligible for awarding. Any prize amount to be awarded will be divided. It is an advantage if the group of students is diverse.
  • Co-productions by students and staff are not eligible.
  • Only final works from the previous academic year are eligible for the VU-wide awards of the current academic year. To give an example, only final works from 24-25 are eligible for the 25-26 awards.
  • Note: the grade with which the master's thesis was assessed does not constitute a criterion.

  Criteria

  The Academic Committee evaluates submissions based on the social impact summary. This summary motivates the student to tell a lay audience why the thesis contributes to society.

  The social impact summary can be divided into the following sub-criteria:

  • What makes the thesis relevant to the field and society?
  • What recommendations would you give to society based on your thesis?
  • How has the thesis contributed to your own learning curve?
  • How might students align the thesis research with VU values of 'open, personal and accountable' in future further elaboration of the research?

  The Reading Committee Masters Thesis Prize will assess the entries based on the following criteria:

  • Scientific quality and originality, with sub-criteria:
    - Internal logic of the text
    - Originality
    - Readability
  • Social relevance;
  • Relevance to the field of study;
  • Potential for alignment with VU values: open, personal and responsible

• VU Student Talent Award - 2025/2026

  The Student Talent Award was established to appreciate students who have made a big impact within society and/or on the VU campus. These students are role models for other students, showing that you can contribute to society with small and big things. In doing so, they take on the role of bridge-builder and show connection to the VU community. When they receive the award, they are connected to VU as student ambassador for one year.

  Conditions

  To be eligible for the StudenTalent Award, the nominated student meets at least the following conditions:

  • final-year undergraduate or graduate student;
  • enrolled as a full-time VU student
  • not older than thirty years*;
  • not more than one year study delay.
  • Note: A student's grade point average does not constitute a criterion.

  *An exception may be made to this condition, if properly justified by the faculty.

  Criteria

  To be considered for the Student Talent Award, the nominated student is assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

  • The student makes an outstanding social or cultural contribution;
  • The student has organisational talent, administrative talent, creative talent and/or sports talent;
  • The student is boundary-pushing, entrepreneurial, intrinsically motivated, resilient and wants to use all her/his talents;
  • The student possesses qualities that enable her/him to act as a role model for (VU) students;
  • The student is a bridge builder and committed to VU.