Prior education Students who have successfully completed one of the Bachelor's programmes listed below at a Dutch university (wo level) are directly eligible for admission to the Master's programme: Bestuurskunde Sociologie Politicologie Internationale betrekkingen Bestuurs- & Organisatiewetenschappen Gezondheidswetenschappen, Beleid & Management Gezondheidszorg Urban Management Liberal Arts & Sciences major in Political Science & International Relations, Culture & Society, International Law, Philosophy, Politics & Economics from EUC. Pre-master or instroomminor Bestuurskunde at EUR. Applicants with a Bachelor's in Economics, Business Administration, Sociology or other social sciences, as well as Law or History, may also be eligible to apply if they have an international orientation and affinity with the public sector, e.g., by having had courses in the bachelor curriculum related to public sector, international relations and/or European governance. Applicants who do not have sufficient knowledge of the mentioned topics might need to do a pre-module before entering the programme. Please note that applicants with a Bachelor's in Law or History must demonstrate that they are familiar with social science methodology. Your eligibility for a bachelor's degree can only be determined after you submit an application and after we receive all the requested documents. Prior inquiries will be purely hypothetical. English Language requirements A good command of English is essential. Therefore, you must submit proof of English proficiency when applying. You meet the requirements if: You have obtained a bachelor's diploma from a university in the Netherlands; or You have obtained a pre-university education (VWO) diploma, and English was one of the subjects included in the assessment, which conferred that diploma and you were graded a 7.0 or higher; or You have obtained a diploma of International Baccalaureate (valid for 5 years); or You are a native speaker of English (i.e. a national of one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States of America) and you have obtained a diploma of secondary education in English for at least 2,5 years in one of the above countries; or You have obtained your diploma of higher education in English (the entire programme) in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States of America. We usually consider the level of English bachelor's programmes at Western European or Scandinavian universities sufficient. Please note that if you meet one or more of the above-mentioned English language requirements, you must present proof of your compliance. For example, suppose you have obtained your higher education diploma in English. In that case, we need to see written evidence of it in either a passage in the certificate, grade list, or a letter from the university stating that the language of instruction was English for the entire programme. If you do not meet our requirements, you can demonstrate your English skills with a language test: Please note that the test may not be older than two years at the time of application. Also, note that it takes several weeks before the results of the tests are known. Language Test Minimum Score Minimum Sub-scores Internet-based (iBT) TOEFLOpens external (our TOEFL ID Code 5971) * 5 (100 in the old format) (internet based) 4.5 (20 in the old format) IELTSOpens external Academic** 7 6.0 Cambridge EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Examinations CAEOpens external level B CPEOpens external level C Language Cert Academic 75 65 Pearson Academic 75 66 * Please note that Institutional (ITP) TOEFL tests and the Home Edition are not accepted. ** Please note that we do not accept the IELTS Academic online test. Would you like to take a language test at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)? Based on CEF, the language test is organised by the Language & Training Centre of EUR and tailored specially for our applicants. More information can be found on the language centre's website. Are you an ESSB pre-master's student? If you do not meet our language requirements for the upcoming academic year, but already study at ESSB as a pre-master student, we offer a special arrangement: you can take the English assessment at the Language & Training Centre of EUR at our expense once. If you wish to do so, please email master@essb.eur.nl (subject “English assessment for pre-master students”) and mention your name, student number, the master's programme and specialisation you want to apply for. We will inform you on how to register for the English assessment. The English assessment test rounds will occur in late November & March, so please email us as soon as possible. Please note: This test is only valid for our master's programmes, and you will not receive a certificate for other purposes. Contributing aspects You may choose to provide the Admissions Board with additional information about yourself by uploading additional documents that you think might contribute to your profile. An example of such documents could be a reference letter. FAQ's Can my eligibility be assessed before I officially apply for admission? The eligibility of your prior education can only be determined after you have submitted an application and only after we have received all requested documents. Prior inquiries will be purely hypothetical. For this reason, we encourage you to officially apply for admission. You can also assess your eligibility yourself by taking a look at the detailed admissions criteria on this page. We have tried to make the criteria as transparent as possible. Is the programme taught part-time? No, it is a full-time programme. Can I start the programme in the second semester? No, the programme starts only once a year, in September. Can I transfer my grades from another university? A transfer of grades is not possible. Due to the special educational build-up of the curriculum, which mainly consists of obligatory as opposed to optional courses, we, unfortunately, cannot accept transfer students. Why do I have to submit proof of English proficiency? Our programme is an English-taught programme. All lectures and literature are in English. This requires that you can read, write, speak, and understand English at an academic level; thus, we need proof thereof from our applicants. This applies to our Dutch and non-Dutch applicants. Can I take an institutional TOEFL test? No, you cannot. You will need to do the official TOEFL test at a TOEFL-certified institute. In both cases please visit TOEFL.org for more information. Are there any exceptions to the language requirements? Yes, in some cases, you might be exempted from presenting the results of an English proficiency test. Please look at the admission page to determine your eligibility for exemption. Keep in mind that if you believe you qualify for an exemption, you need to present proof thereof. I have a hbo-bachelor degree (non-research-university higher education diploma) can I apply for the programme? No, you cannot apply directly to our programme, you will first need to do a transition year/ pre-master (Dutch: schakeljaar ). Passing the transition programme makes you eligible to apply but it is no guarantee for admission. Please keep in mind that the transition year/ pre-master is taught completely in Dutch.
We open for applications as of October 2026 and the application deadlines are as follows: Status applicant Deadline application Non-EU / EEA applicants May 1, 2027 EU / EEA applicants June 1, 2027 We advise you to apply as early as possible. How to apply? How to apply? Step-by-step application procedure Step 1: Register for the ‘International Public Administration’ in Studielink. Studielink is the national database for the registration for a study programme in the Netherlands. It is the first step of the application procedure. Make sure you choose the right programme (including the language of instruction, or (if there are several degrees offered) the resulting degree). Please note: You can select your track/specialisation during the second step in the EUR admission portal. It is not possible to apply for more than one Public Administration specialisation at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Double Public Administration applications cannot be processed. Studielink Step 2: Follow up to your application in the EUR Admissions Portal After your registration in Studielink: fill out an online application form through EUR Admissions Portal. In the Admissions Portal, you will have to choose the track/specialisation and upload the required documents (see below). After registration in Studielink, you will receive an e-mail with the subject “Follow up to your Studielink application”. This e-mail contains a link to the EUR Admissions Portal. You need to login to the Admissions Portal with your login details (the ERNA details). These details are sent to you by e-mail after registering in Studielink . Please mind that you will receive a number of automated messages during application. They often get spammed, so be sure to check your spam/ junk mailbox folders. Required documents The following documents (in pdf) will be requested from you during the application process. 1. A scan (photocopy) of your personal data page This is not mandatory if you hold a Dutch passport or are/have been a student of a Dutch university. If you upload a scan of your ID card please note that the information in this card should contain your first name, surname, date of birth, country of birth and nationality, as well as be internationally recognized form of identification. If this is not the case, a scan of your passport is required. Both sides of your ID card needs to be uploaded. 2. A scan (photocopy) of your university diploma(-s) Please note that if the original documents are in a language other than English, Dutch, French or German you need to provide both the copies of originals as well as official (certified) translations. Self-made translations will not be accepted. If you have not yet obtained your bachelor’s/ undergraduate/ pre-master degree, please include an official copy of your academic record(-s) at the moment of application. In case your official transcript does not contain enrolment data (date of enrolment, name of the programme/ degree you are studying for, number of credits obtained/ to be obtained), a statement from your university with the missing information and a date you expect to fulfil all requirements necessary for graduation (most of the time it is a letter from your programme administration) must be provided. The current students of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam may upload their student copy of grade list (studievoortgangsoverzicht). 3. A scan (photocopy) of an official academic transcript(-s) of records A scan (photocopy) of an official academic transcript(-s) of records (stamped and signed by the university) , including the reverse side if it contains information; Please note that if the original documents are in a language other than English, Dutch, French or German you need to provide both the copies of originals as well as official (certified) translations. Self-made translations will not be accepted. (The current students of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam may upload an unofficial copy of their transcript instead.) 4. Proof of proficiency in the English language Proof of proficiency in the English language. 5. Description of the courses taken in social science methodology Please upload an extensive description of the social science methodology courses you passed, include; the number of credits, aim of the course, content of the course, type of exam, bibliography of the required course material (textbooks), etc. For example: Osiris Not applicable to the current students or graduates of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam. 6. Additional documents Apart from the above documents that are mandatory in the course of application you may upload additional documents that you think might contribute to your profile (e.g., reference letter etc.) Make sure you do not overdo with these as their amount might overshadow the essentials. What happens after application? After you submit your application, the process of assessing it starts. This process consists of several steps, and you might want to know what to prepare for. Application complete? We will let you know if your application is complete within a week of you submitting it (assuming that there are no holidays in between). We will also contact you should we need additional information. Assessment Once your application is complete, you will not be contacted until your application is assessed to determine your eligibility for the programme. The Admissions Board carefully reviews each file for admission. You will be contacted as soon as the assessment outcome is known. It may take up to two months, starting when your application is deemed complete. Decision Due to the many factors involved in the admissions decision-making process, the Admission Board does not elaborate on its motivation for the outcome of the decision. We kindly ask you to respect this. Thank you for your consideration! Change of contacts If your personal or contact details (email address, home address, etc.) should change, please adjust them in Studielink . Finalise your admission and enrolment After we have assessed your application and decided to select you for the programme, the process of completing your admission and enrolment starts. In addition to sending the original copies of your documents, several other matters must be considered during this process. For more information about finalising your admission and enrolment, visit the pages for admitted students. FAQ's Application Procedure When can I apply? The application for the academic year starting in September opens in October of the previous calendar year. Can I apply without having obtained my diploma before the application deadline? If you have not completed your bachelor's degree yet but expect to do so before mid-August, please upload a most recent copy of your academic record(s) (grade list) to the application and provide a statement of your school with the date you expect to fulfil all requirements necessary for graduation. The statement by your school should include the name of your diploma in the original language and be written in English, German, Dutch or be accompanied by a certified translation in one of these languages. Until we have your documents, you might receive a conditional offer, which might become unconditional if we receive the missing documents (diploma and final transcript of academic record(s)) before the beginning of the academic year. How can I get an official translation of my documents? A registered sworn translator usually does an official translation, generally associated with a notary. Alternatively, an institution issuing the respective document may be entitled to issue official translations. Please note that you must send a copy of the documents in the original language and also the translation. Can I submit the proof of English proficiency later, after I submit the application? You may submit the proof of English proficiency later, but until then your application will be viewed as "incomplete" and will not be assessed. Please mind that it can take up to a month to receive the results of most English language exams. We therefore strongly advise to schedule the exam well in advance of the application deadlines. You can submit the missing proof of language proficiency no later than the application deadline. Do I have to submit a reference letter? No, it is not mandatory. You may add the letter as an additional evidence if you believe it might contribute to your profile. How do I get certified copies of documents? A certified copy is a copy of a filed document, legal or otherwise, that contains a seal and a signature that establishes that the document is genuine, a true copy. A document may be certified by an official authorised person (e.g., a university, a notary, a sworn translator, etc.). Applicants with Dutch prior education do not have to send us certified copies; we can verify your previous education online. Who needs to apply for a residence permit and/or entry visa? Please consult this page to learn more about immigration procedures and rules. FAQs Selection What happens after I apply? Please read more on the procedure after application on the application page. Are there interviews for applicants? An interview is not a part of our standard admissions process. I meet the minimum eligibility criteria. Is my admission guaranteed? Please know that we receive more applications than we have places available. Therefore, all applications are subject to our selection process, and every application is assessed against the pool of applicants. Based on the documents in your application, the Admission Board decides if you are a good match for our programme. Admission is therefore not guaranteed. After the Admission Board has assessed your application, you can be accepted, denied or placed on the waiting list. I do not meet all the eligibility criteria but I have relevant work experience, can I be admitted? No, work experience cannot be used to compensate for the missing admission requirements.
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