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© Universiteit van Amsterdam

Universiteit van Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam (Dutch: Universiteit van Amsterdam, UvA) is the largest university in Amsterdam, with over 30,000 students. Its origins date back to the Athenaeum Illustre, founded in 1632. Today, the University of Amsterdam ranks among the top 30 universities in Europe and the top 100 worldwide. It hosts approximately 3,000 international students from over 100 nationalities across its four campuses.

University  Homepage

Homepageof the Department of Geography 

Die Universität Amsterdam mit Tulpen im Vordergrund
© University of Amsterdam

Universiteit van Amsterdam

  • Urban Geographies
  • Urban Planning
  • Governance and Inclusive Development
  • Political and Economic Geographies

(especially at the Bachelor's level, shaped by its placement within the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research Programme)

For example, various clusters within the Social Sciences Programme include:

    • International Relations and Globalisation
      Development Studies
      Urban Geography
  • Applicants must have completed at least 90 ECTS credits with an average grade of C or better (according to the ECTS grading scale) in a relevant field of study.
  • Please note that for advanced courses, the completion of 120 ECTS credits is required.
  • A grade point average of at least C (ECTS) or equivalent to “good” is expected.
  • Non-native English speakers must provide one of the following recognized language certificates with the corresponding minimum scores:
  • TOEFL iBT (International): minimum score of 92IELTS Academic: minimum overall band score of 6.5
  • Cambridge International Education:C1 Advanced: minimum score 180; C2 Proficiency: pass
  • Online Language Support Test (Erasmus Mobility Tool): minimum B2 level (CEFR)Language assessment by the language center of your home university: minimum B2 level (CEFR; for Erasmus students)
Admission Requirements for Master's Level Students:
- A completed Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
- Proof of English language proficiency at the Master’s level, equivalent to C1 of the Common
- European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):
- TOEFL iBT: Minimum total score of 100, with minimum section scores of: Reading: 24, Listening: 22, Writing: 24, Speaking: 25
- IELTS Academic: Overall score of 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 in each component
- Cambridge International Examinations: C1 Advanced (CAE): minimum score 190, C2 Proficiency (CPE): pass
- Test results must be sent directly from the testing organization to the University of Amsterdam.
-  TOEFL Reporting Code: 9011

Students can only take courses within the Master's Programme in  Urban Studies.
A stay during the autumn semester is strongly recommended, as course availability in the spring semester is limited.

Urban Studies Course list 2024/25 (48 KB)
Information for a Spring Semester Stay can be found here:

Spring Semester in the Master's Programme in Urban Studies

If you plan to participate in an exchange during the spring semester in the Master’s in Urban Studies, please note the following important restrictions and course selection guidelines.

 Compulsory Course

  • All exchange students in the spring semester are required to take the course:
    "Urban Comparative Research" - this course carries 12 ECTS credits.
  • It is the only course offered by the Master’s programme during the spring semester, which is why a stay in the autumn semester is strongly recommended. 

Elective Courses

  • Students may apply for elective courses from other faculties.
  • However, admission to these courses is not guaranteed and depends on availability.
     

Examples of Elective Courses from Other Faculties

  • Methods Courses (advanced master's level):
    • Advances Geographical Information Systems
    • Interpreting Qualitative Data
    • Policy Oriented Research
    • Mixed Methods in Practice
    • Urban Ethnography
  • Thematic Electives (advanced master's level):
    • Culture, Value, Power
    • Markets, Politics, and Society
    • Political Representation: Elites and masses in the 21st century
    • State and Mobility
    • Citizenship, Differene, and Politics of Belonging
  • Thematic Electives (introductory master’s level):
    • European Welfare States and Labour Market Policies
    • Historical Sociology of Cultural Changes
    • Gender and Sex in the City
    • Forced Migration
       

Each semester at the University of Amsterdam is divided into three teaching blocks.
It is strongly recommended not to select all courses within the same block, in order to distribute the workload more evenly across the semester.

  • Number of ERASMUS Places: 2 (for 1 to 2 semesters; Bachelor's and Master's level)
  • +++Important Note for Bachelor's Students: Bachelor's students are only admitted to the Undergraduate Certificate Programme in Social Sciences – not to the regular Bachelor's programme in Geography.+++
  • Language Requirements: Bachelor's level: English B2, Master's level: English C1 (Further details available under the language requirements section)
  • Semester Dates: Autumn Semester: Early September – Early February, Spring Semester: Early February – Late June
  • ERASMUS Application Deadlines: Autumn Semester: May 1, Spring Semester: October 1
  • English-Taught Courses in Geography: Yes

Please take note of the language requirements and admission criteria.