And do you want to work on real-life business cases and develop your quantitative skills even more?
Then the Master’s in Finance is the programme for you!
As a Master's student in Finance, you need to have a genuine interest in the area of finance, an inquiring mind, the capacity to cope with the rapid pace of work, an aptitude for picking out key points from large volumes of material, the ability to work accurately under pressure, good communication skills and a critical attitude towards your own results and those of others.
Admission requirements
With a Bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you are admissible provided you successfully meet the requirements in this document.
Services for international (EBE, EOR, IBA) students / Residence permit:
If you are planning to continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam after your SBE Bachelor, please contact the Central Admission’s Support Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further information and specific questions about the offered services for international students like extending your residence permit. You will need to apply for extension of your residence permit if you continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
As a Master's student in Finance, you need to have a genuine interest in the area of finance, an inquiring mind, the capacity to cope with the rapid pace of work, an aptitude for picking out key points from large volumes of material, the ability to work accurately under pressure, good communication skills and a critical attitude towards your own results and those of others.
Admission requirements
The masterprogramme Finance is open to students with a university Bachelor's degree that provides a thorough knowledge in economics and business. You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, consisting of (or equivalents of):
| Corporate Finance | Berk & DeMarzo: Corporate Finance, Pearson, or equivalent |
| Investments | Bodie, Kane, and Marcus: Investments, or equivalent |
| Financial Markets and Institutions | Mishkin, Matthews and Guiliodori: Economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets, Pearson or equivalent |
| Mathematics | Sydsaeter, Hammond and Strom: Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, or equivalent |
| Business Statistics | Berenson, Levine, Szabat: Basic Business Statistics, Pearson, or equivalent |
Approval is in most cases given to students who hold a:
• Economics and Business Economics,
• Econometrics and Operations Research,
• (International) Business Administration,
• Industrial Engineering and Management
• Science, Business and Innovation
With a Bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research from Dutch Universities you can review this document. Any additional admission requirements can be found on the Curriculum page of this website.
Please note: this information is only meant as an indication of your admissibility. No rights can be derived from this table. This document is based on the obligatory courses and does not take electives into account. Students are recommended to apply for the Master via Studielink (without obligation) to find out if additional courses need to be completed. Every application will be reviewed individually by the Admission Board. The final admission decision may differ from the indication in this table. If your programme is not listed but contains enough relevant courses, please feel free to apply.
Premaster programme
The premaster programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and prepares you for this master's programme. It is a 30 EC program that takes place in the second semester, from February through July. These courses involve both content as well as academic skills and knowledge, and research methods.
Course details in the study guide
Admission requirements
The premaster programme has two admission requirements:
GMAT and GRE
A GMAT score of at least 550 or an equivalent GRE score is a requirement to participate in the premaster programme. Please fill in the test that 'Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam' may receive your score. The official score will be sent by GMAT to VU. Please note that it may take up to 20 calendar days for the VU to receive your GMAT score, so plan GMAT on time.
The School of Business and Economics (SBE) offers a course in preparation for the GMAT, the GMAT preparation course. The preparation course starts each year in August. For more information, please visit the website of the GMAT preparation course.
Costs
Tuition fee 2020-2021: EUR 1.071,00
Deadlines and application
The programme starts 1 February, and you must have completed your application before this date!
To enroll in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink.
Step 1:
Apply for the programme MSc Finance via Studielink before 1 June.
Step 2:
Please complete your application in VUnet by answering additional questions and uploading the following document: a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA).
Please note: we can only process your application when uploaded all documents.
More information regarding registration WO-bachelors, see the VU website (in Dutch).
To enroll in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink.
Step 1:
Apply for the programme MSc Finance via Studielink before 1 June.
Step 2:
After application in studielink you will receive a VUnet-ID and password via email. Please complete your application in VUnet by answering additional questions and uploading the following document: a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA).
Please note: we can only process your application when your transcript is uploaded.
Step 3:
The admission committee will assess if you meet the admission criteria and will inform you about the decision via email.
For the full description of the registration procedure see the VU website .
You will gain direct admission after completing the premaster programme; this is a full-time programme with courses on at least three days per week.
Admission requirements
As a Master's student in Finance, you need to have a genuine interest in the area of finance, an inquiring mind, the capacity to cope with the rapid pace of work, an aptitude for picking out key points from large volumes of material, the ability to work accurately under pressure, good communication skills and a critical attitude towards your own results and those of others.
In order to gain admission to our Master’s programme, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 EC or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score. You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, consisting of (or equivalents of):
English language requirements
The admission board wants to stress the intensity of the programme: reading scientific articles and writing papers will be a key part, all in a very high pace. Your English language skills, both oral and written, are extremely important in this programme. As you will have to communicate frequently with your fellow students and you will be working with and for international companies.
VU Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can, however, begin your application without having the test results. Exceptions are made for students who have completed a bachelor or master in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
The minimum English language proficiency requirements for admission to this Master's programme are:
• IELTS (academic):
- Minimum general score 6.5
- Minimum score speaking 6.5
- Minimum score listening 6.5
- Minimum score writing 6.0
- Minimum score reading 6.0
• TOEFL Internet-based test: 92 overall
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): A, B, C
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B, C
Please note that students who need a study visa must submit their English test results before 1 June. All other students have to submit the test certificate before 31 August (preferably sooner).
TOEFL and IELTS tests must have been completed no more than two years before 1 September of the year in which your course starts. Note that TOEFL MyBestScore is not accepted. Our institution code is 7947.
A PDF copy of your English test result can be sent to the following email (for non-Dutch degree holders): masters.sbe@vu.nl
The general requirements regarding language proficiency are found here.
Applying with an international degree
If you have read the admission criteria and feel you are eligible for admission, please take the following steps to submit your application. Note that the initial application procedure is fully online and that scans of your original documents are required.
Step 1: Review the admission criteria
Step 2: Prepare your documents and apply online
Please prepare the following documents. You can find an explanation of each document on the application page. All documents should be provided in English.
Step 3: Await the decision on admission
The admission board will review your application as soon as it is complete. Normally this takes about four weeks, but it might take longer in busy periods so be sure to apply as soon as possible. If you are admitted to theprogramme, you will receive a letter of conditional admission by email.
Step 4: Finalise your registration!
Make sure to finalise your registration as a student before the start of the programme. Here you will find an explanation on what to do after you are admitted. When all of the conditions are met, you will be ready to start your programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!
Application fee & deadlines
All students seeking admission to an international Bachelor’s or Master’s programme with an international degree are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee. Only after you have paid this fee will we be able to start the evaluation of your application file. If you are applying for more than one programme, you will only need to pay the application fee once. Your application fee payment is valid for two years.
Information on how to apply with an international university degree and deadlines can be found here.
For more information, international students may also contact the International Student Advisor: masters.sbe@vu.nl.
Student ambassadors
Our International Student Ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU and living in Amsterdam. Our student ambassadors come from all over the world and are currently attending various Bachelor's and Master's programmes. The student ambassadors are listed here. Reach out to them and hear their stories about being a VU Amsterdam student!
Grants and scholarships
International students can apply to several scholarships. For all VU scholarships, please see www.vu.nl/scholarships. Any available external grant or scholarship can be found through www.grantfinder.nl.
All international students are required to apply for the Master's programme of their choice first. If you do not meet the admission requirements directly, you could gain admission after completing the premaster programme.
The premaster programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for this Master's programme. It is a programme of 30 ECTS that is offered in the second semester, from February through July. Content details of the offered premasters can be found here.
Admission requirements for the premaster programme
More information on the requirements, including GMAT preparations, can be found on the central SBE premaster website.
Deadlines and application
The programme starts 1 February. Because of visa application deadlines, non-EU citizens must have submitted their application before 1 November. EU citizens or students with a valid residence permit for the Netherlands have until January 31st to complete their application. However, to make sure everything is arranged before the enrolment deadline it is advised to submit your application well before this date.
Note: When applying, you can find the premaster programme in Studielink after selecting Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and by entering ‘premaster’ in the search bar.
Can I be admitted into an SBE Master with my Dutch university degree?
The admission board can make a decision regarding your admissibility based on several documents. Apply for the Master via Studielink and complete your application in VUweb by uploading the required documents. Some Master programmes require additional documents such as an English CV and motivation letter, as well as your transcript of records. You will receive an admission decision within a couple of weeks after completing your application. Registration for the Master via Studielink is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet.
I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree. Do I need to complete the premaster before I can start with an SBE Master?
Yes, we require all students with an HBO higher vocational Bachelor degree to complete the corresponding premaster before they can start with the Master. More information on the premaster can be found here.
I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree and wish to start with an SBE Master that does not have a specific premaster (MSc Econometrics & Operations Research, MSc Economics, MSc Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics). How do I apply?
Please send your transcript of records directly to admissions.sbe@vu.nl/ toelating.sbe@vu.nl. Make sure the name of your education and institution are visible.
I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree and wish to start the premaster. Can a high GPA grant me exemption from the GMAT?
No, the admission board does not take your GPA into account in the admission process for the premaster. All students who wish to start the premaster are required to complete the GMAT first. No exceptions can be made.
I do not want to start with a master in the next academic year, but the year after. How do I know if I am eligible?
You can still apply for the Master that starts in the next academic year via Studielink. Registration for the Master is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet. If you need to complete additional courses in order to be admissible, you can do so during the next academic year. Because the admission decisions are valid for one year, make sure to check in advance if the admission requirements have not changed.
I am already completing a Master at a Dutch university. Can I be directly admitted into one of the SBE Masters?
You cannot be automatically admitted into one of the SBE Masters. First, your application needs to be reviewed by the admission board of the Master in the same way as all Bachelor students. Please apply for the Master via Studielink and upload all required documents. You can use an online PDF merger to upload both your Bachelor grades and (preliminary) Master grades.