The International bachelor in Psychology is a numerus fixus programme. This means that we have a limited number of places available (600), that a Selections Assessment is part of the application procedure and that you have to be selected for the programme.
On this page, you will find more information about the entry requirements for our bachelor programme. You can find more information about the application and selection procedure here.
Diploma requirements
As a rule, you are eligible to apply for our bachelor programme if you have obtained or will obtain a secondary school diploma such as the Dutch vwo-diploma, a hbo-propedeuse or a foreign equivalent.
If you have doubts about your eligibility, please refer to the list of most common diplomas granting you access to studies at a research university. Whether or not your diploma is at the required level, will be determined upon receipt of your application and documents. We cannot guarantee your eligibility via email.
If you have not graduated yet on the day of application, you can apply with a diploma statement in your application.
Language requirements
To be able to participate in the small-scale education, a good command of English is essential. You therefore have to prove your proficiency in English in your application.
You meet our English language requirements when:
- You went to secondary/ high school with English as the language of instruction for at least 2,5 years in one of the following countries: USA, UK, Canada (with the exception of Quebec), Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. (Please note that possessing a passport from an English-speaking country without attending school in one of the above-mentioned countries does not grant exemption);
- You hold an International Baccalaureate Diploma, English A (HL or SL 4 or higher), English B (HL 4 or higher);
- You hold an European Baccalaureate and took English as L1 or L2 with a minimum of 7.0 (not with L3);
- English was part of your final exam of the following diplomas and you have obtained an average of at least 70% of the maximum score: Dutch vwo, Belgian ASO (in the Flemish and German-speaking part of Belgium), German Abitur (at least 11 points), Norwegian Vitnemal, Swedish Slutbetyg, Finnish Ylioppilastuskintotodistus, Icelandic Studentprof, Danish Studentereksamen, Swiss Maturität (in the German speaking part of Switzerland), Austrian Maturazeugnis, French Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (Anglo-American section);
- You have obtained an hbo diploma at a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands where the language of instruction of the complete programme was English. Please submit proof thereof by uploading a statement by the university confirming this. (Not applicable when you have only completed the first year/propedeuse);
- The GCSE O-level English first language is only accepted for those students who apply on the basis of British GCSE O-levels + GCE A-levels;
- You have obtained a diploma of higher education in English in of one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, the United States of America and South Africa (the entire programme lasted for at least 2,5 years) and will submit proof or a statement by the university that your degree was taught fully in English.
If you do not meet these requirements, you will have to demonstrate your English skills with an English proficiency test and submit the results along with your application.
We accept the following language tests and results:
| Test | Minimum score | Minimum sub-scores |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT (code: 5971) | 95 | 20 |
| IELTS (we do not accept IELTS online) | 7.0 | 6.0 |
| Cambridge Exam | CAE:C / CPE:C |
If you are a Dutch applicant and you do not meet the language requirements, we offer a special arrangement: you can take the English assessment at the Language & Training Centre of EUR at our expense. If you wish to do so, please send an e-mail to bachelor@essb.eur.nl (subject “English assessment for Dutch applicants”) and mention your name, student number and the bachelor programme you have applied for. We will inform you on how to register for the assessment. The test will take place early in November and it is your own responsibility to contact us in time. *This test is only valid for our bachelor programmes and you will therefore not receive a certificate for other purposes.
IMPORTANT
- Test score reports must be in along with your application. Without the results, we will not be able to assess your application. It is not possible to upload the test results after the application deadline.
- Only the Internet-Based TOEFL is accepted (not the Institutional TOEFL test).
- We do not accept TOEFL iBT home edition and IELTS online.
- Test results may not be older than two years at the time of application.
- We do not accept any other language proficiency tests.
Participating in the selection procedure
You can participate in the selection procedure for this programme a maximum of three times. There is one selection procedure per year.
A selection attempt is listed when:
- You have (had) an active application in Studielink after 15 January.
- You have not completed the selection procedure, but you have (had) an active application after 15 January.
- You withdraw your application after 15 January.
If you fail a required examination between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025, you may ask the university to cancel your selection attempt. You must include evidence to prove that you failed your exam.
Please note! You may submit a request from 1 July to 31 August 2025 at the very latest. You can submit your request via bachelor@essb.eur.nl
Yes, you are eligible when you have completed an Associate Degree or if you have obtained a Dutch HBO Propedeuse.
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.
Our programme is an English-taught programme. All lectures and all literature are in English. This requires that you can read, write, speak and understand English at an academic level and thus we need proof thereof from our applicants. This applies to our Dutch and non-Dutch applicants.
Yes, in some cases you might be exempted from presenting the results of an English proficiency test. Please have a look on the admission page to find out if you are eligible for exemption. Keep in mind that in case you believe that you qualify for exemption you need to present a proof thereof.
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.
No, the bachelor programmes from ESSB do not have any math requirements. However, please note that statistics is an important subject in this programme.
The programme is only offered on campus. Unfortunately, we do not offer any distance, or online courses. Due to the teaching method of the programme, active participation in class, and therefore, active preparation, and mandatory class attendance, are required.
We do our utmost best to inform you about your application within two weeks. Please note this might take longer during holiday season.
Yes, you can still get selected for the programme, even though you are not one of the first 600 candidates. Last year, all candidates up to number 924 got offered a place. Please note you can receive an offer until half August; this is an automatic (daily) process via Studielink.
An official translation is normally done by a registered sworn translator normally associated with a notary. Alternatively, an institution issuing the respective document may be rightful to issue official translations. Please note that you must send a copy of the documents in the original language along with the translation.
A certified copy is a copy of a filed document, legal or other, which 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 (a university, a notary, a sworn translator etc.). Applicants with Dutch prior education do not have to send us certified copies, we are able to verify your previous education online.
The new German Law (PsychThG §, 01.09.2020) requires students to have an „approbationskonformer“ (licensed) Bachelor in order to be eligible to enter the Master’s program of psychotherapy in Germany.
This licensed (German) Bachelor’s degree has a different focus and build-up of the curriculum compared to our International Bachelor in Psychology, which means it is possible you are not eligible for a German Master with the International Bachelor in Psychology. We would therefore advise you to check the admission requirements of the Master of your preference very carefully, before you decide to apply for the International Bachelor in Psychology.