Study in Netherlands: Eligibility Requirement and Admission Process for UG & PG Courses in Dutch Universities

The Netherlands offers good educational and professional opportunities to Indian students. The country has quickly gained popularity worldwide amongst students planning to study abroad and seeking quality education. Though there has only been a modest number of students (about 1000) applying to various Universities in the Netherlands in the last academic year, the country has been a hub for International Students for quite a while. Furthermore, the robust economy, a steady job sector, and the impetus to technical education have made the Netherlands a very agreeable location for students looking at Europe for their higher education. In this article, we attempt to clarify the various eligibility requirements for applying to bachelor’s and master’s programs in Universities in the Netherlands as well as the admission process.

Study in the Netherlands: Eligibility Requirements

Before starting the application process, students must ensure they fulfill all the admission requirements. The Dutch Education system is similar to the many in Europe and though the basic qualifications are listed, there are some variances from course to course.

Most of the Netherlands universities accept the above-mentioned criterion. However, the eligibility* mentioned above is not mandatory and may vary from one course to another. Some universities may not accept your 12th score for a particular bachelor’s course. Similarly, some may also accept a 3-year graduate degree for their master’s course. The above-mentioned are ideally suited for a majority of courses. Also, many universities would necessarily have a subject requirement. For instance, TU Delft University (one of the top universities in the Netherlands) accepts CBSE and ICSE scores for the admission process into the Bachelor of Engineering course.

The university would require English and a High Level of Mathematics and Physics for students with IB Board. Similar subject requirements might be mandatory for master's programs as well. Usually, the bachelor's program requires a minimum of 55 percent score. Similarly, the master’s programs in good universities require a minimum of 70 percent (subject to variations if the profile includes good work experience and a good GRE score.) Also, in most master's programs, Aptitude tests** are not mandatory but highly recommended. For Management, more weightage is given to work experience.

Sometimes the university might ask you to take up the Preparatory course and give you a conditional offer of admission. This is a yearlong course that is offered by special institutes with tie-ups with the universities. You would be required to take up special classes for the required subjects. At the end of the year, the students must clear an exam to get admission into the preferred course. There is no set rule for this and is only applicable if the University you have applied to offers you the same. Also, you would be granted the Student Visa for the Netherlands on basis of the conditional letter and not if you independently enroll in a preparatory course.

Applying to Universities in the Netherlands

When to apply?

Like other European countries (France, Germany, Sweden, etc.) admissions at top universities in the Netherlands are open for the fall semester (starting anywhere from July to September) and a spring semester which starts in the month of January or February. However, not all courses are offered in both terms; mostly the Fall Semester is the more popular one. Students are often advised to apply before April of the year for admission into the course starting in September to ensure enough time for admission and visa processing.

How to apply?

There are two ways to apply to universities in the Netherlands

• Online Application directly through University’s portal
• Through the centralized portal – Studielink

There is no clear list and students would have to independently search for the relevant courses and follow the guidelines as shared by the university. The same university might accept direct admissions for one course and through Studielink for another course. Furthermore, there might be instances wherein the university welcomes applications via both mediums. Alternatively, the university might require you to apply through Studielink and submit a few additional documents directly through the application portal.

Essentially, the universities would also require you to submit a statement of purpose, a couple of letters of recommendation, and your academic transcripts and financial documents. Most universities do not require financial documents at the onset. They are generally asked after you have been offered admission to process your student visa applications for the Netherlands.

To sum up, studying in the Netherlands offers Indian Students an easy admission process and a promise of excellent and quality education. The excellent post-study work permits in the Netherlands and the laws assist the transition of highly qualified professionals to add merit to higher education in the Netherlands.