Admission

Admission requirements 

To be considered for our Neuroscience research master program you must meet the following requirements: 

• An academic bachelor’s degree (with a minimum of 180 ECs) in a Life Sciences discipline (see list here) including Nanobiology, Bio-engineering; 

or 

• A bachelor’s degree in psychology with a biological psychology profile, or a bachelor’s degree in sciences and substantial knowledge of biology*; 

or 

• An applied bachelor’s degree (HLO) in Biology or in Life Sciences, with a minimum GPA of 8 (Dutch EC-system). 

*) Biology at least at pre-university (VWO) level. 

English proficiency 

Proof of sufficient command of the English language. This requirement is satisfied if you:  

1. Hold a diploma from pre-university secondary education (VWO) and the subject English language was part of the examination to obtain that diploma; or  
2. Hold a diploma from secondary education, obtained from an English-language institution of secondary education within or outside the Netherlands; or  
3. Hold a final diploma from a four-year English-language higher vocational education programme; or  
4. Hold a final diploma from a three-year English-language university degree programme; or   
5. Have taken one of the following tests:   
   1. computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 232 or higher with partial scores of minimally 23;   
   2. internet-based TOEFL with a score of 90 or higher with partial scores of minimally 22;  
   3. paper-based TOEFL with a score of 575 or higher with partial scores of minimally 57; 
   4. international English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of 6.5 or higher with partial scores of minimally 6.0;  

Required documents 

Below you see a list of all the required documents that you need to upload when applying for the RM Neuroscience Program:

1. Letter of motivation (max. 500 words) to demonstrate your specific interest in experimental and applied neuroscience research by describing your academic interest and stating your reasons to apply for our program
2. Extensive curriculum vitae (résumé), including work, research and computer experience 
3. Official transcript of diplomas and reports (list of grades)
4. Translated transcript of diplomas and reports
5. One letter of recommendation
6. Language scores (IELTS or TOEFL score)
7. Photograph

Selection of applicants 

An admissions committee will rank all applicants based on their performance in their bachelor’s program (60%, their curriculum vitae (30%) and motivation (10%). There will be a parallel ranking for non-EU students. (Financial statement of non-EU students will be part of their ranking.) 

Eligible applicants will be invited for an interview. This interview will be added to the student's overall competence chart and will be part of the final decision for admission to our research master program. The top 25 applicants of the selection committee will be admitted to our research master program. A number of students may be added to a waiting list. Invited applicants must make a commitment decision before June 1. Open/newly available positions will be filled by the applicants on the waiting list in order of ranking. 

Within six weeks, the candidate can formally appeal against the selection committee's decision with the Examinations Appeals Board (CBE). 

Self-assessment of prior knowledge

The Neuroscience research master program will assume that applicants possess the entry level of knowledge of essential biology, biophysics and mathematics. A self-assessment is designed to help you decide if you meet these essential requirements. We invite you to do our anonymous self-test below and check whether your prior knowledge matches the required level of our program. Your test results are linked to an advice from us, which we hope you will take seriously.