Organisations and People: how they work, what roles they play
To join the MSc Business Administration, you need to have completed:
Step 1:
Apply for the programme MSc Business Administration via Studielink before 1 June.
Step 2:
After application in Studielink, you will receive a VUnet-ID and password. Please complete your application in your VU dashboard by answering additional questions, selecting the specialization of your choice, and uploading the Master Application File. You can find the application file on the SBE master application webpage. In this file, you can see which documents are required to apply for this programme.
Please note: we can only process your application when you have uploaded a complete Master Application File.
Step 3:
The admission committee will assess whether you meet the admission criteria and inform you of the decision via email.
For the full description of the registration procedure, see the VU website.
The Master programme Business Administration is open to motivated students with a university bachelor's degree that provides relevant knowledge in Business Administration. Also, we take into account your motivation, prior relevant work experience, and any relevant volunteering experience and/or citizenship behaviors
Students with a BSc Bedrijfskunde or BSc International Business Administration have no additional requirements for all specializations of the Master Business Administration, but are recommended to take the third-year specialization in the field of interest. Students who have completed other SBE BSc programs are required to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the programme and/or specialization, with at least 10 EC in Research Methods (qualitative and/or quantitative) and 5 EC in Business Administration-relevant coursework.
Services for international (EBE, EDS, EOR, IBA) students / Residence permit:
If you are planning to continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam after your SBE Bachelor, please contact the Central Admission’s Support Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further information and specific questions about the offered services for international students like extending your residence permit. You will need to apply for extension of your residence permit if you continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
When you apply for this master's programme, you will need an application form. You can find it on the SBE master application webpage.
The Master programme Business Administration is open to motivated students with a university bachelor's degree that provides relevant knowledge in Business Administration. Also, we take into account your motivation, prior relevant work experience, and any relevant volunteering experience and/or citizenship behaviors.
For admission to the Master Business Administration, students are required to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the programme and/or specialization, with at least 10 EC in Research Methods (qualitative and/or quantitative) and 5 EC in Business Administration-relevant coursework.
Do you want to know if you’re directly admissible to the specialization of your choice? Please apply via Studielink and upload your application file to your VU Dashboard. The admission board will assess your request and send you an admission decision. If there’s a lack of previous knowledge, this admission decision also contains a tailor-made transfer programme or online course material for you.
Do you want to check your admissibility for more than one specialization? Please apply for one specialization via Studielink/VU.nl, then fill in the contact form and include your application file (one contact form per specialization).
With a bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics or Econometrics from a Dutch university other than VU Amsterdam, you will need to fulfill the criteria mentioned above, i.e., 10 EC in Research Methods and 5 EC in Business Administration-relevant coursework.
Please note: this information is only meant as an indication of your admissibility. No rights can be derived from this table. In order to obtain a personalized, official admission decision, students should apply for the Master via Studielink (without obligation) to find out if additional courses need to be completed. Every application will be reviewed individually by the Admission Board. The final admission decision may differ from the indication in this table. If your programme is not listed, feel free to apply.
When you apply for this master's programme, you will need an application form. You can find it on the SBE master application webpage.
You will gain direct admission after completing the premaster’s programme. This is a 30 EC full-time programme with courses on at least three days a week and runs from February to July.
You can find detailed information about the premaster here: Premaster Business Administration.
Applying for the pre-master's programme directly is not possible. All international students are required to apply for the Master's programme of their choice first. If you do not meet the admission requirements directly, the Admission Board might refer you to the pre-master's programme. After completing the pre-master's programme you are directly eligible for the Master's programme.
The pre-master's programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for this Master's programme. It is a programme of 30 ECTS that is offered in the second semester, from February through July. Content details of the offered pre-master's can be found here.
General information about the Pre-master’s programmes can be found here.
Where can I find the application file?
You can find all application files for students with a Dutch prior education on the SBE master application webpage.
Can I be admitted to an SBE Master with my Dutch university degree?
The admission board makes a decision regarding your admissibility based on several documents. Apply for the Master via Studielink and complete your application on the VU-Dashboard by uploading the required documents. For admission to the Msc in Business Admninistration, you must provide an English CV and a motivation letter, as well as your transcript of records. You will receive an admission decision within a couple of weeks after completing your application. Registration for the Master via Studielink is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet.
I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree. Do I need to complete the pre-master's before I can start with an SBE Master?
Yes, we require all students with an HBO higher vocational Bachelor degree to complete the corresponding pre-master's before they can start with the Master. More information on the pre-master's can be found here.
I do not want to start with a master in the next academic year, but the year after. How do I know if I am eligible?
You can still apply for the Master that starts in the next academic year via Studielink. Registration for the Master is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet. If you need to complete additional courses in order to be admissible, you can do so during the next academic year. Because the admission decisions are valid for one year, make sure to check in advance if the admission requirements have not changed.
I am already completing a Master at a Dutch university. Can I start one of the SBE Masters?
You are more than welcome to apply for a master at SBE in this case and the admission board will assess your admissibility.
To apply, you are required to provide the following documents:
After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure.
Do you want to check your admissibility for more than one specialization? Please apply for Business Administration and complete your application for one specialization in your personal VU dashboard. For the other specialization(s) you want to apply for please get in touch with us per specialization including Application Form via the online form.
Application fee & deadlines
All students seeking admission to an international Master’s programme with an international degree are required 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.
You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.
To apply, you are required to provide the following documents:
After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure.
Do you want to check your admissibility for more than one specialization? Please apply for Business Administration and complete your application for one specialization in your personal VU dashboard. For the other specialization(s) you want to apply for please get in touch with us per specialization including Application Form via the online form.
Application fee & deadlines
All students seeking admission to an international Master’s programme with an international degree are required 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.
You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.
Students must meet the following admission requirements:
1. Academic requirements
Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (with a typical duration of 3 years). Please find more information about your admissibility with a non-Dutch degree.
2. Programme specific requirements
The Master programme Business Administration is open to motivated students with a university bachelor's degree that provides relevant knowledge in Business Administration. Also, we take into account your motivation, prior relevant work experience, and any relevant volunteering experience and/or citizenship behaviors.
For admission to the Master Business Administration, students are required to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the programme and/or specialization, with at least 10 EC in Research Methods (qualitative and/or quantitative) and 5 EC in Business Administration-relevant coursework.
How to demonstrate that you meet the above requirements
You are required to indicate in the course description section of the Application Form how you meet the programme specific admission requirements.
Whether you meet the admission requirements, is determined by the Admission Board based on your complete application.
3. English-language proficiency requirements
You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.
Where can I find the application file?
You can find all application files for students with an international prior education on the SBE master application webpage.
Can I be admitted to an SBE Master with my international university degree?
The admission board makes a decision regarding your admissibility based on several documents. For admission to the Msc in Business Admninistration, you must provide an English CV and a motivation letter, as well as your transcript of records. You will receive an admission decision within a couple of weeks after completing your application.
I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree from an international university. Do I need to complete the pre-master's before I can start with an SBE Master?
Yes, we require all students with an HBO higher vocational Bachelor degree to complete the corresponding pre-master's before they can start with the Master. More information on the pre-master's can be found here.
I am already completing a Master at a Dutch university. Can I start one of the SBE Masters?
You are more than welcome to apply for a master at SBE in this case and the admission board will assess your admissibility.
Don't hesitate to contact us!
International diploma applicants
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