Admission and application
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Application period
Please select your nationality and previous education to view the application periods.Application period
Please select your previous education to view the application periods.Application period
September intake
Please note
Students with a Dutch degree can apply after 1 July, but keep in mind that we can no longer guarantee that your application can be processed at this point.
Application period
September intake
Application period
Please select your previous education to view the application periods.Application period
September intake
Please note
Apply by 1 May at the latest if you want to receive housing assistance by Radboud University.
Application period
September intake
Please note
Apply by 1 May at the latest if you want to receive housing assistance by Radboud University.
Application period
Please select your previous education to view the application periods.Application period
September intake
Please note
Apply by 1 April at the latest if you want to receive housing assistance by Radboud University.
Application period
September intake
Please note
Apply by 1 April at the latest if you want to receive housing assistance by Radboud University.
Dutch degree
Admission requirements
The Research Master's programme in Social and Cultural Science is a selective programme, which means that a selection and placement process applies. The outcome of the assessment of your previous education determines whether you can be admitted to the selection and placement process. You are admissible to the selection and placement process if you have completed a Bachelor's degree in:
- Sociology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Development Studies
- Communication Science
- Political Science
- or a related discipline.
Radboud University does not offer a pre-Master’s programme in Social and Cultural Science. If you want to be admitted to this Research Master’s programme you will need a Bachelor’s degree in one of the above-mentioned disciplines or a closely-related discipline from a research university. A completed pre-Master’s programme from a research university in one of the above-mentioned disciplines may also lead to admission.
Candidates who meet the admission requirements will be included in the selection and placement process.
Selection and placement process
During the selection and placement process, the Admissions Board determines which of the admissible candidates can be offered a place to study in the Master’s programme based on the following criteria:
- Motivation letter: In this letter of motivation you should explain why you want to attend this programme and why you think you are suited for this programme.
- CV: During your initial application, you will be asked to submit a CV with photo.
- Two recommendation letters: Are you an undergraduate from the departments of Sociology, Communication Science, or Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies at Radboud University? Then you need to ask two faculty members of your academic unit whether they would recommend you for admission to the Research Master's programme. You will need to fill in a form which you can find below. You will need to upload this form in OSIRIS application.
Are you a student with another background? Then you will need to send in two recommendation letters by lecturers or supervisors (including contact details). Please send these documents to our admissionsocialsciences [at] ru.nl (Admission Office Social Sciences). The Admissions Office Social Sciences will upload your two letters of recommendation to you application file in Osiris. By doing so, your reference letter will be visible to you. Therefore, in your email to the Admission Office Social Sciences, we require your referee(s)to explicity give their consent to share their reference with you. Please also ask your referee to mention your name and student number. - Writing sample: During your application, you will be asked to upload a sample of written work. Writing samples should be written in English (20 page maximum) and preferably you should be the main author (e.g. bachelor’s thesis, article manuscript, course assignment).
- Interview: The department may ask for an interview (in-person or online) if additional information is required before you are selected for a place in the programme.
If you want to be admitted to this Research Master’s programme you will need a Bachelor’s degree from a research university in one of the above-mentioned disciplines or a closely-related discipline. A completed pre-Master’s programme from a research university in one of the above-mentioned disciplines or a closely-related discipline may also lead to admission. For an overview of what is related, please see the WO section above. Bachelor’s degrees from a university of applied sciences (in Dutch: hbo) are not sufficient. While Radboud University does not offer a specific pre-Master’s programme in Social and Cultural Science, pre-Master's programmes in above-mentioned disciplines are available.
Non-Dutch degree
Admission requirements
The Research Master's programme in Social and Cultural Science is a selective programme, which means that a selection and placement process applies. The outcome of the assessment of your previous education determines whether you can be admitted to the selection and placement process. You are admissible to the selection and placement process if you have completed a Bachelor's degree in:
- Sociology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Development Studies
- Communication Science
- or a related discipline.
Radboud University does not offer a pre-Master’s programme in Social and Cultural Science. If you want to be admitted to this Master’s programme you will need a Bachelor’s degree in one of the above-mentioned disciplines or a closely-related discipline from a research university. A completed pre-Master’s programme from a research university in a related field may also lead to admission. Bachelor’s degrees from a university of applied sciences (in German: Fachhochschule) are not sufficient.
In order to take part in this programme, you need to be proficient in both written and spoken English. Students with a Bachelor's degree obtained in Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New-Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States, where the language of instruction was English, are exempted from the language requirements. Other candidates need to have obtained one of the certificates below before the enrolment deadline (you will not be needing these certificates when you apply at Radboud University).
Language tests and scores
TOEFL iBT
- Minimum score: 100
- Subscores: 22
Please note: the TOEFL Home Edition is not accepted.
IELTS Academic
- Minimum score: 7.0
- Subscores: 6.5
Cambridge C1 Advanced
- Minimum score: 185
- Minimum subscore: 176
Cambridge C2 proficiency
- Minimum score: 185
- Minimum subscore: 176
Pearson PTE Academic
- Minimum score: 67
- Minimum subscore: 61
LanguageCert Academic
- Minimum score: 75
- Minimum subscore listening: 65, reading: 65, writing: 70, speaking: 75
Candidates who meet the admission requirements will be included in the selection and placement process.
Selection and placement process
During the selection and placement process, the Admissions Board determines which of the admissible candidates can be offered a place to study in the Master’s programme based on the following criteria:
- Motivation letter: In this letter of motivation you should explain why you want to attend this programme and why you think you are suited for this programme.
- CV: During your initial application, you will be asked to submit a CV with photo.
- Two recommendation letters: Applicants will need to send in two recommendation letters by lecturers or supervisors (including contact details). Please ask two lecturers or supervisors to send their recommendation letter to our admissionsocialsciences [at] ru.nl (Admissions Office Social Sciences). The Admissions Office Social Sciences will upload your two letters of recommendation to your application file. By doing so, your reference letter will be visible to you. Therefore, in their email to us, we require your referee(s) to explicitly give their consent to share their reference with you. Please also ask your referee to mention your name and student number.
- Writing sample: During your application, you will be asked to upload a sample of written work. Writing samples should be written in English (20 page maximum) and preferably you should be the main author (e.g. bachelor’s thesis, article manuscript, course assignment).
- Interview: The department may ask for an interview (in-person or online) if additional information is required before you are selected for a place in the programme.
Application procedure
Application procedure
In order to apply you must first make sure you meet the admission requirements of the Master's you would like to apply for. The application procedure then consists of three steps: creating an enrolment application in Studielink, uploading documents in OSIRIS, then the placement procedure.
Steps
Step 1: Create an enrolment application in Studielink
To apply for a Master’s programme, you have to create an account and an enrolment application in Studielink (the national online registration system for Dutch universities). First you will be asked to fill in your previous education, then select the programme you wish to apply for in the list that appears. In order to submit an enrolment request in Studielink, you will need the following:
- Your own DigiD account. If you do not (yet) live in the Netherlands, you cannot use DigiD and you will need to log in with a Studielink username and password. Do you live in the Netherlands but do not have a DigiD account? Make sure that you apply for an account well before the application deadline. It usually takes 5 working days for a DigiD account to be activated.
- Contact information, such as your phone number and email address.
Step 2: Upload documents in OSIRIS Application
After you have created an enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with personal login details for OSIRIS Application. You have a maximum of 56 days or until the application deadline to upload your documents and submit a complete application. After this period, if you have not submitted your application, it will be automatically cancelled.
You will be asked to upload the following documents:
- Bachelor’s diploma or equivalent
In OSIRIS Application, list the full, official name of the diploma that you have or will receive. Use the language and name in which the diploma is issued. If you have graduated, we require you to upload your diploma.
- An official transcript of your Bachelor's degree or equivalent
If you have not obtained your degree, upload the list of grades received so far. If you have obtained your degree, upload your full and complete transcript of grades. Also, upload the description of the grading scale on the overleaf page of your transcript (if applicable).
If you have already graduated from your previous education and are currently still studying please upload transcripts and diplomas from all degrees (post-secondary school).
- Sworn translations of diploma and transcript
Translations need to be made by an officially recognised translator. Official translations are not required if your diploma and transcript are originally in Dutch, English or German. If your school provides English versions of your documents, upload those along with versions of the documents in the original language.
- Course description for unfinished courses
If you have not yet completed your degree, upload a list of the courses that you are currently taking or still need to take, including the course content, the number of hours and the literature used per course, see example below in downloads. Be sure to include information about research courses, practical work and a thesis/internship (if applicable).
- Course description for finished courses
Upload a list of all the courses you have taken during your degree, including the course content, the number of hours and the literature used per course, see example below in downloads. Be sure to include information about research courses, practical work and a thesis/internship (if applicable).
- Personal statement/motivation letter (depending on programme)
Your personal statement should contain, at least, a brief description of why you have chosen this specific Master's programme and how it fits your previous education.
For the motivation letter please describe your future plans and what you would like to learn and research at Radboud University. What are the topics of the research you would like to do? Please be specific about your ambitions and explain how your previous education prepared you for this specific Master's programme. This will allow us to find out if your previous education is appropriate. Last but not least, include your interest in studying at Radboud University (specific disciplines, facilities or other considerations).
- Reference letter(s)
Reference letters are required if you are applying for a scholarship and/or a Selective Masters programme and you will be asked to upload them to your OSIRIS Application. Please note, these must be signed and stamped or signed and on official letterhead.
- Overview of education/experience
Please upload an overview that contains, in chronological order, information about your education and knowledge/experience acquired during an internship, training, or work; for example, a resume.
- English language certificate
You are permitted to apply without a language certificate. However, if you are admitted to the programme and a language certificate is listed as a requirement in your admission email, you will be required to provide proof of proficiency before the enrolment deadline. If you can prove English proficiency through your previous education, a certificate is not required. Visit the language requirements website for full details.
- Handling fee
Non-EU/EEA applicants must pay a handling fee before their application can be processed. Visit the handling fee page for full details and how to pay.
Step 3: Participate in the placement procedure
After you have completed your application in OSIRIS Application, the Admission Board will assess your application. Keep in mind that next to eligibility you must also participate in a placement procedure.
Have you been admitted to the placement procedure? Then you will receive an email from the Master's programme about what this placement procedure looks like and what actions are expected of you. Based on the placement procedure, it will be assessed whether you will be selected for the Master’s. There are two possible outcomes:
- You are offered a place in the Master’s.
- You are not offered a place in the Master’s. Your application in Studielink will be withdrawn and unfortunately you cannot enrol for this programme.
You will receive the outcome via the email address you entered in Studielink.
Have you been offered a place in the Master's?
Congratulations! Then go to the enrolment procedure and follow the steps to enrol.
Example of a detailed course description of all the courses taken during your degree, including the course content, the number of hours and the literature used per course.
To apply for a programme, you need to submit a request for enrolment in Studielink before the application deadline. Before you apply, please check the admission requirements and then follow the steps below.
Steps
Step 1: Submit your enrolment request via Studielink
Apply for your chosen Master’s programme via Studielink. You can apply for a programme for the following academic year from 1 October onwards.
Apply in Studielink
Step 2: Complete the digital questionnaire
If your previous education needs to be assessed, you will receive the login details for the digital questionnaire at the email address that you provided in Studielink. You will need to log in to the questionnaire, and once you have completed it you will need to upload the requested documents.
Does the programme of your choice start in September? Then please make sure that you submit your completed questionnaire and the required documents by 1 August at the latest (for Dutch students). If you complete the questionnaire after the deadline, there is no guarantee that we will be able to process your application for admission in time.
Step 3: Keep an eye on your mailbox
Your completed questionnaire will be processed. Within approximately 3 weeks after you have submitted the digital questionnaire, you will be notified by email whether you have been admitted to the placement procedure. You will receive all emails at the email address you entered in Studielink. There are three possible outcomes:
Step 4: Participate in the placement procedure
Have you been admitted to the placement procedure? Then you will receive an email from the Master's programme about what this placement procedure looks like and what actions are expected of you. Based on the placement procedure, it will be assessed whether you will be selected for the Master’s. There are two possible outcomes:
Have you been offered a place in the Master's?
Congratulations! Then go to the enrolment procedure and follow the steps to enrol.