Postgraduate study in the Netherlands

I am a current UK undergraduate thinking of doing an Ma or MSc abroad and the Netherlands would be one of my first choices.

Can anyone give me information about finances? Are tuition fees for postgrades the same as for undergrads in the Netherlands? And are there any loans for living costs offered?

Also any info on reputation of each of the unis and competitiveness for places as well as any other particularly important info would be greatly appreciated.

Reply 1

Kyle Butler

Yes the cost should be about 1700€ if youre an EU citizen. You get to take a loan on the tuition fee, and if you work for 8 hours a week or more you're eligible for a 300€/month grant and further loands. There doesn't seem to be much difference in terms of reputation in the NL and internationally almost all Dutch universities are ranked well (VU, UvA, Utrecht, Leiden, Maastricht, Groningen, Erasmus...)

Reply 2

Student4Students

Hei

yes i also think reputation wise Dutch universities are really well ranked and the quality of the education is really high. i study in Maastricht and until now i cant complain. it s innovative, they combine different ways of teaching and the i feel i have a base when ill start looking for jobs.
About finance, yes you can take loans, which you need to pay after you received your diploma, I think in 10 years after graduation. However, you need to work 8h/week and have a valid contract. Moreover, if you work these hours you also get a basic grant of around 250 euros/ month. So in general they really help students. Look up DUO this is the organization that deals with all this financial stuff.

What master's are you thinking about ?

cheers

Reply 3

username1066275

Just as a little warning, it's not very easy to get a job in the Netherlands if you don't speak Dutch, but it's certainly not impossible.

As for reputation, there are plenty of great universities in the Netherlands but it also depends on what subject, e.g. Delft is really good for engineering , Leiden for humanities and law, U of Amsterdam for social sciences, Wageningen for life sciences...

As far as I can tell, it is not too competitive for places for Master's because it is very common for Dutch students to go on to to Master's so there are plenty of programmes and spaces. It is only quite difficult to get into Research Master's (usually 2-year programmes) and medicine.

Reply 4

emgee2013

Original post by Student4Students

Hei

What subject are you doing yourself ? most of all how is the uni ?Im thinking of applying soon. Does it also depend on the subject when you can start studying ect September , February?

Reply 5

Student4Students

hei

oh really cool, you re thinking to apply! What are you planning to apply for ?
about the intake, yes it depends what you want to study. Master's programs usually have 2 intakes, September or February, but it depends on the master's some dont.

I am personally happy with Maastricht University, i feel i a building a basis for my future. It might seem overwhelming at times but i think this is a sign that I am accumulating a lot of information. I think the manner of teaching is interesting. Dont know if you read about PBL (problem based learning) is an innovative way to have discussions in class after lectures. PBL happens in tutorials when you are up to 15 in class and discuss a topic part of the program. You have to do reading before but it allows you to think for yourself and be critical. I feel at traditional unis they make read a bunch of book written by the lecturers and you have to reproduce them in class. Here you really can expose your own point of view even if its not what the literature teaches you. I find that really interesting.
Other things about the uni is that it takes care of its students also if you need help with internships etc. you need to ask for info it will not just come to you. But if you search you'll find ppl to help you. The city is lively since it is mainly populated by students. it feel very student like with cultural activities organized by students. Everybody, even the bus drivers speak English so Dutch is really not a pb. :tongue:

in you need help with application etc maybe i can help you :smile:

cheers!

Reply 6

Haz606

hi all,

thanks for all the info, it was really helpful. i don't know the exact master's i'm looking for yet but i'm doing a human geography undergrad degree and would like to do something like the psychology of sustainability for further study so maybe amsterdam would be a good choice because of it's social science reputation.

it's still a long way off for me but i really appreciate your input :smile:

Reply 7

Radboud University

Official Rep

Dear all,

Both an undergrad and postgrad programme in the Netherlands will cost €1,835 p/y for EEA students in 2013/2014. As a student from the UK (or EEA), you can get a loan, which can be the same amount as the tuition fees. You have to start paying back that loan 3 years after graduation. More information can also be found on the website on Loans and grants from the Dutch government. On the Radboud University website, you can find an overview of what a year would cost you in total: www.ru.nl/masters/studentbudget.

With regards to competitiveness: it may be different for each uni, but Radboud admits international students on an individual basis. Students with a Honours Bachelor degree (first class or upper-second class) in the same field as their intended Master's have a high chance of being admitted. Specifically looking at Human Geography, the specialisation in Conflicts, Territories and Identities has limited places, but for the others, it depends mostly on your background.

I hope that this helps a little!

All the best, Laura

Reply 8

Durham_

Just got an unconditional offer to study an LLM at Groningen. Course looks great and compared with the UK is remarkably cheap!

Any other law postgraduate applicants?