Degree from a non-Dutch university

Please note that the admission requirements below apply to a February 2025 start. Final admission requirements for a September 2025 start will be published by Nov. 1.

The programme is open to students who meet the requirements below. Please note: additional requirements apply for the Teacher Degree track (see below) and the honours track U-TEAch.

1. You have an academic Bachelor’s degree with a major emphasis on one of the natural sciences, mathematics or computer science. In addition, a successful candidate will have a strong interest in both the theories and the practices of Science Education and Communication. Our International Students Admission’s office will verify whether a non-Dutch academic degree is equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree at a Dutch research university. All international Bachelor’s degrees are evaluated based on standards set by the NUFFIC. If your degree is assessed as less than equivalent to a 3-year Dutch research University degree, or as a Bachelor’s degree from a university of applied sciences, you are most likely not eligible for admission. 
2. You must have sufficient social and communicative competencies to grow into a Science Education and Communication professional throughout the programme. This will be assessed at the mandatory matching or intake meeting.  If you meet (or are expected to meet) the other requirements, you will receive an invitation one week in advance. Please mark the date below in your calendar:
   • February start 2025: Wednesday 13 November 2024, 17.00 - 20.00hrs, Utrecht Science Park.
   • September start 2025: To be determined.
   • If you are selected for the honours track U-TEAch you do not have to attend the matching or intake meeting
3. English language requirements: Please note: different requirements apply to the honours track U-TEAch. 
   • IELTS, Academic Module (IELTS Online is not accepted). Minimum score: 6.5 overall band, at least 6 for writing, speaking, listening and reading.
   • TOEFL, iBT. Minimum score 93 with at least a score of 24 reading, 22 listening, 20 speaking, 20 writing (internet-based test), institutional scores are not accepted
   • Cambridge Certificate (not available to students from China):
     • Cambridge English C1 Advanced (CAE). Minimum score: 176 total, 169 writing
     • Cambridge English C2 Proficiency (CPE). Minimum score: 180 total, 169 writing
   • You are exempt from the English language requirement if:
     • You obtained your previous degree from a Dutch Research University
       OR
     • You obtained your secondary school diploma or Bachelor's degree in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa
       OR
     • You obtained an English-taught International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or European Baccalaureate (EB) Diploma. 

Additional requirements Teacher Degree track

1. You meet the subject specific requirements for the school subject of your choice. Please consult this document.
2. Dutch language proficiency: If you have not completed a Dutch-language education (high school havo/vwo, university of applied sciences, or Dutch research university) you have to submit proof of your proficiency on level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). You can demonstrate this via the Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal ‘Educatief Professioneel' (formerly PAT). This requirement can further be met by holding a Dutch C1.1 Certificate obtained at Erasmus University Rotterdam. A minimum of 7.5 must be obtained for the speaking component. Successful completion of the following courses also counts as sufficient proof of this requirement:
   1) NT2 advanced 1 or NT2 advanced 2 at the University of Amsterdam;
   OR
   2) Professioneel Nederlands at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
   Please note: different requirements apply for the honours track U-TEAch. Is Dutch your native language but you obtained your degree at a foreign university? Then contact the Admissions Office.

Important information concerning your application for the Teacher Degree track:

• In-service or pre-service? When you apply, you must specify if you choose to do the in-service or pre-service variant. Please note: switching from pre-service to in-service (or vice versa) is possible in certain situations after the application deadline, but not after November (starting in February) and mid-May (starting in September).
• If you already have a Dutch first- or (limited) second-degree teacher qualification, you may be entitled to exemptions during the Master’s programme. Please submit proof of your qualification with your application. Your Master’s programme will then take about 1,5 years, because you will do one practical internship less due to the previously acquired competences.
• If you hold a (limited) Dutch second-degree teacher qualification in the school subject of your choice, you can only start the programme in September.

Unsure if you qualify for admission?
In order to properly assess whether your qualify for admission or not, it is important that we have the right information. It is therefore necessary that you apply through the regular admission procedure and submit the required documents. The Admissions Committee will look into your qualifications for admission and you will receive notification in the form of a letter of (non-, conditional or unconditional) acceptance.

If you have a Bachelor's degree from a Dutch research university and do not fully meet the entry requirements, you may be able to acquire missing knowledge and/or skills (your ‘deficiency’) via a tailor-made programme. This is for the Admissions Committee to decide.

This programme - usually called pre-Master’s programme - is only possible if your total deficiency is no more than 60 ECTS.  For the school subject Biology (Track Teacher Degree or honours track U-TEAch) the maximum is 30 ECTS.

If your deficiency is between 10 and 60 ECTS, you have to complete your pre-Master’s programme before you can start the Master’s programme. If your deficiency is 10 ECTS or less, you can do your pre-Master’s programme during your Master’s programme. The course(s) will then become a graduation requirement on top your exam programme.
We recommend to pass all courses before the start of the Master’s programme, because there is not much time for extra courses during the Master’s programme.

Determining your deficiency
Please always apply for the Master’s programme first. If the Admissions Committee determines that you do not meet all entry requirements, they will decide if you are eligible for a tailor made pre-Master’s programme and, if so, what your pre-Master’s programme will look like.

Registration
In most cases a pre-Master’s programme can be taken via Beta4all (free of charge), but in some cases it may be necessary that you have a pre-Master’s registration at Utrecht University. This depends on your exact deficiency. You will receive more information about this after your official application for the Master's programme

*Please note:

• Changing from job to internship variant is also no longer possible for the school subject biology.
• The extended application deadline only applies to students who do not need a visa/residence permit.
• Because you apply after the official application deadline of 1 April, our internship office can no longer guarantee a maximum travel time of 1:15 hours to your internship school.

Complete your application in time
Your application is complete when you have (1) fully submitted your Studielink and OSIRIS Online application, and (2) uploaded all required documents in OSIRIS Online Application. After the deadline has passed, incomplete applications will be cancelled.

The following documents must be uploaded before the deadline:

• Motivation statement
• Curriculum vitae / resume
• Certified copy of the Diploma Supplement of your Bachelor’s degree or a recent, signed and stamped transcript with your Grade Point Average (GPA) on it. (If you have a degree obtained at Utrecht University, a transcript from Osiris will suffice.)
• An overview of courses to be completed (when you have not yet obtained your diploma)
• If applicable:
  • Proof of a Dutch second degree teaching qualification (tweedegraads bevoegdheid) in the same or another school subject.
  • Proof of a Dutch first degree teaching qualification (eerstegraads bevoegdheid) in another school subject
  • Proof of participation in the course ‘Oriëntatie op de Onderwijspraktijk’
  • Additional proof of (work)experience in education

When applying for the Teacher Degree track or U-TEAch Honours track:

• Disciplinary knowledge assessment form (Please check the form here below to find out if submitting this form is mandatory for you, this depends on your previous education.)
• If applicable: certificate of your Dutch Language proficiency.

Disciplinary knowledge assessment forms (track Teacher Degree)

• Disciplinary knowledge assessment form: Biology
• Disciplinary knowledge assessment form: Computer Science
• Disciplinary knowledge assessment form: Physics
• Disciplinary knowledge assessment form: Chemistry
• Disciplinary knowledge assessment form: Mathematics
•  

After submitting your application in Studielink, you will receive an email with login details for OSIRIS Online Application. Here you can upload all required documents, submit your application, and check the status of your application.

After you upload all documents in OSIRIS Online Application, the Graduate School will send you a notification when your application file is complete. We strive to inform you of our decision within 20 working days after you receive this notification.

If you are admitted, you will be informed about the next steps towards enrollment. Your admission can be conditional, for instance if first you have to obtain your diploma, send proof of your English language proficiency, complete specific courses before you can start the Master’s programme, or if you have to participate in the matching/intake meeting. In some cases you might have to do a tailor made pre-Master’s programme. Always carefully read your conditions for admission.