We open for applications in October 2024 and the application deadlines are as follows:
| Status applicant | Deadline application |
| Non-EU / EEA applicants | 15th of May 2025 |
| EU / EEA applicants | 17th of June 2025 |
We advise you to apply as early as possible.
First, you have to make a decision about the track of your choice, either:
- the Public Administration track at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR);
- the Sociology track at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR);
- the History track at Leiden University;
- the Development Studies track at the Institute for Social Studies (ISS).
Step-by-step application procedure for registration at EUR
- 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 Sociology specialisation at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Double Sociology applications cannot be processed.
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.
The following documents (in pdf) will be requested from you during the application process.
A scan (photocopy) of the personal data page of your passport/ ID card and (if applicable) residence permit (both sides). The document(s) must be valid.
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.
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).
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).
Proof of proficiency in the English language.
Your CV / resume must be written in English and should contain your basic personal data, as well as a clear overview of your educational and professional history to date.
Your letter of motivation / statement of purpose should be a personal statement explaining why you want to follow the programme, why you want to do so at Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and what makes you think you’ll be a good candidate. The letter must be written in English with a maximum of 2 A4 pages.
Please upload an extensive description of the specialisation 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: https://eur.osiris-student.nl/onderwijscatalogus/extern/indeling/ESSB_MPSY_KP
Not applicable to the current students or graduates of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
After you have submitted your application, the process of assessing your application starts. This process consists of several steps, and you might want to know what to prepare for.
Within a week’s time after you have submitted the application form (assuming that there are no holidays in between), we will let you know if your application is complete. We will contact you, should we be in need of additional information.
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 individual file for admission. You will be contacted as soon as the outcome of the assessment is known. Please note that it might take up to two months starting with the moment that your application is deemed complete.
Due to the many factors involved in the admissions decision-making process, the Admission Board does not elaborate on their motivation for the outcome of the decision. We kindly ask you to respect this. Thank you for your consideration!
If your personal or contact details (email address, home address etc.) should change please make sure to adjust them in Studielink.
After we have assessed your application and decided to select you for the programme, the process of completing your admission and enrolment starts. Besides sending the original copies of your documents there are several other matters to consider during this process. For more information about finalising your admission and enrolment visit the pages for admitted students.
Secondly, to follow the joint courses offered by the different universities, you need to register as a guest student at the other universities. Since ISS is part of the EUR, separate registration for ISS is unnecessary.
Keep in mind to finalize your guest enrollment before the start of the academic year.
It’s important to note that to complete your registration at the guest universities you need to have completed and finalized your registration and payment at your primary university.
- Students who enroll for the Sociology track at the EUR, need to register as a guest student at Leiden. Registering as a guest student at Delft is not necessary seeing that the GMD Sociology programme does not include the joint course at Delft.
To register as a guest student at Leiden University, fill out the guest student registration form.
Visit this link:
- Scroll down to the headline ‘Guest student’.
- Ignore step 1 (Statement issued by your Student advisor).
- Ignore step 2 (statement issued by Leiden University study advisor).
- Ignore step 3 (Proof of tuition fee payment ‘Bewijs Betaald Collegeld: BBC).
- Complete at step 4, the guest registration form
- At ‘Study programme’ fill in ‘History track - GMD program’
- At ‘Courses’ fill in ‘History of Migration and Diversity - GMD program’.
- At ‘Level’ fill in ‘Master’.
- At ‘Which university (of applied sciences) will issue the BBC?’ fill in your primary university.
- At ‘How will you submit the BBC?’ choose the option ‘I will ask my institution to send a digital BBC to Leiden University’.
- At ‘Study adviser statements’ upload a document that states: ‘not applicable to the GMD guest student’.
- Submit the form by clicking on ‘Send’.
Be aware that after filling out the form, you will receive no confirmation.
After submitting /completing the form you will receive your ULCN log-in via email /post shortly.
Your student card is digital and can be found in the Leiden University app which you will have to download here.
Dennis van Leeuwen is the contact at Leiden. If you have any questions or concerns about your guest registration at Leiden, you can contact him via mahistory@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Thirdly, the GMD Sociology programme allow students to have a choice between certain courses. In order to get everything sorted in a timely manner, you need to submit your choice and register for the course before September 1st via email to educational.office.dpas@essb.eur.nl.
You have a choice between the courses ‘Media, Governance & Politics’ or ‘Governing Social Inequalities’.
Information on registration for courses /exams /resit exams:
you will automatically be registered for the courses and the exams ‘Governance of Migration and Diversity’, ‘Politics of Migration and Diversity’ and ‘Sociology of Migration and Diversity’.
For your resit exams you will have to follow up on the instructions that are given, since you will have to register yourself.
FAQ's
Please consult this page to learn more about immigration procedures and rules.
The application for the academic year starting in September opens as of October of the previous calendar year.
If you have not completed your bachelor 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.
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.
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.
No, it is not mandatory. You may add the letter as an additional evidence if you believe it might contribute to your profile.
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.
Please read more on the procedure after application on the application page.
An interview is not a part of our standard admissions process.
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.
No, work experience cannot be used to compensate for the missing admission requirements.