Degree from a Dutch research university

To be eligible for the Master’s programme International Development Studies, you must satisfy the following admission requirements:

1. An (inter)national academic Bachelor’s degree in Human Geography and Planning or a related subject such as Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, International Politics, International Relations, Liberal Arts and Sciences and Environmental Sciences.
     

2. Specific academic knowledge and skills required to participate in this programme. You can find these requirements in this document. In order to meet these requirements your Bachelor’s degree has to include at least 20 EC in courses related to international development. Alternatively, you need to make up for this with relevant work experience. In addition, you need to have knowledge of, and experience with, research design and quantitative and qualitative methods for research in Social Sciences. Please consult this document above for the specified criteria.

In principle, students with a Bachelor’s degree from a university must have a GPA of at least 2.4 (on a scale of 1-4) or at least 6.5 under the Dutch system to qualify for admission. In addition,  the Admissions Committee will look at the student’s marks for courses in international development, performance development throughout the Bachelor’s programme, study duration, relevant work experience and the letter of motivation. 

You may still be eligible for admission if you don’t meet all the requirements. In such cases, the admission committee may propose a tailor-made Pre-Master’s programme.

If you have a Bachelor's degree from a Dutch research university and do not fully meet the entry requirements, the Admissions Committee may propose a tailor-made Pre-Master’s programme to compensate for these deficiencies in your previous education, particularly related to research methods and techniques.

In order to qualify for admission with the Pre-Master’s programme, you should be able to show that your courses (and/or related work experience) have equipped you with sufficient conceptual and empirical knowledge of international development and how globalized processes take shape on the ground.

The Pre-Master's programme generally comprises 15-30 EC. After successful completion of the Pre-Master’s programme, you will be admitted to the Master’s programme.

You cannot specifically apply for a Pre-Master’s programme. Please follow the regular application procedure for the Master’s programme. The Admissions Committee will then decide whether you will be admitted with a Pre-Master’s programme, and if so, which courses you must take. Only then may you register for the Pre-Master’s programme in Studielink. 

Please note:

• A Pre-Master's programme is only available for students with a Dutch educational background who do not need housing, and who do not have or require a residence permit for study purposes. When in doubt about your residence permit, you can send an email to Utrecht University's Admissions Office, including a copy of both sides of the permit. Do not forget to state clearly that you are referring to a Pre-Master’s programme.
• The Pre-Master’s programme consists of courses from the Dutch language Bachelor’s ‘Sociale Geografie en Planning’. Therefore, you must master the Dutch language at an academic level.
• There is no guarantee that a Pre-Master’s programme will be offered. Making up for any insufficiencies before applying is always recommended.