FAQ Admissions
- What kind of support can I expect to get from Tilburg University before my arrival in Tilburg?
- Which students need to take an English proficiency test?
- I have already studied English during secondary school and I did an internship in the United States. Do I still need to pass the Academic IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge test?
- My Academic IELTS / TOEFL / Cambridge score was lower than the minimum requirement. Can I still be admitted?
- Do I need to submit a GRE or GMAT?
- What is a numerus clauses or numerus fixus? Does Tilburg University have either?
- I want to follow a Dutch taught programme at your university. Is this possible?
- I already have a degree. Can I get exemptions for the Master's programme?
- Do I need a visa to study at Tilburg University?
- I have a residence permit in one of the EEA member states. What should I do?
- Will I need to apply for accommodation as I am moving to Tilburg? How or when should I do it?
- What is the tuition fee for my programme?
- How can I apply for a scholarship?
- What does the Welcome Week offer?
What kind of support can I expect to get from Tilburg University before my arrival in Tilburg?
We strongly believe that the quality of the services we provide are of equal importance to you as the quality of the degree programmes we offer. Therefore, we do our utmost to support you before and after your arrival in Tilburg. Before your arrival we will assist you with the admissions procedure, the visa application process (if applicable)and help you with finding suitable accommodation. For a complete overview, please have a look at our international student services.
Which students need to take an English proficiency test?
You are exempt from an English test:
- if English is your mother tongue, or
- if you are an EEA citizen who has studied in an English-taught secondary or undergraduate programme, or
- if you had your secondary or university education in English for at least three years in a native English-speaking country, and
- for the Bachelor programme: if you obtained an IB or EB diploma with English as the language of instruction; and if you obtained a Dutch VWO diploma
I have already studied English during secondary school and I did an internship in the United States. Do I still need to pass the TOEFL or Academic IELTS test?
This depends on your secondary school diploma. If you obtained an IB or EB diploma with English as the language of instruction and if you obtained a Dutch VWO diploma, you are exempt from an English test. Some other European secondary school diplomas are exempt from an English test as well, such as the German Abitur. For more information, contact the Admissions Office. All other students need to submit
All other students will need to demonstrate proficiency in English by submitting a TOEFL certificate (BSc: minimum of 550 paper-based / 213 computer-based / 80 internet-based; MSc: minimum of 575 paper-based / 233 computer-based / 90-91 internet-based) or an Academic IELTS certificate (BSc: overall minimum score of 6.0 and a minimum score of 5.5 on each of the parts; MSc: overall minimum score of 6.5 and a minimum score of 6.0 on each of the parts), or Cambridge Proficiency results.
My Academic IELTS / TOEFL score was lower than the minimum requirement. Can I still be admitted?
NO! Unfortunately we cannot make any exceptions. If you are not an English native speaker or a citizen of an EEA member state with English as their first foreign language at secondary school, you will have to meet the minimum English proficiency requirements.
Do I need to submit a GRE or GMAT?
A GRE or GMAT is only required for the Master of Science programmes at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
- For the MSc programmes in Economics or Econometrics you need to submit a GRE. Our incoming students usually score above the 75% percentile.
- For the MSc programmes in Business you need to submit a GMAT. The average GMAT score of accepted students at Tilburg University is 600.
What is a numerus clauses or numerus fixus? Does Tilburg University have either?
A numerus clauses means that you would need at least a certain average score for your secondary school diploma to be admitted to some programmes (e.g. medicine). However, it is not used anymore at Tilburg University.
A numerus fixus means that limited places are available in a programme (so-called quota studies) and that either a 100% selection or a selection and drawing by lots procedure are part of the selection procedure. Tilburg University uses a numerus fixus for the international Bachelor in International Business Administration as well as the international Bachelor in Economics. For these Bachelor programmes, a so-called decentralised selection procedure applies. This means 50% of the students are selected by the programme and 50% of the students can be admitted by a so-called drawing by lots procedure by the IB-group. The selection is aimed at creating a multicultural classroom by taking in a variety of nationalities. Students are selected based on their international background and education, and motivation. Students who want to be part of the decentralized procedure need to 1) indicate decentralised selection: yes X at registration in Studielink and 2) send us their motivation letter. Students who are not selected will automatically take part in the drawing by lots procedure by the IB-group. Deadline for application and submitting the motivation letter is 15 May. In the drawing by lots procedure, the higher your secondary school average, the more chances you will have to be drawn by lot. For more information contact infoFEB@uvt.nl
I want to follow a Dutch taught programme at your university. Is that possible?
In order to be admitted to a Dutch taught programme, you should have sufficient knowledge of the Dutch language and of course meet the 'normal' entry requirements. Therefore you must pass the national exam in 'Dutch as a Second Language', called NT-2. The University Language Centre provides excellent preparation for the national exam. If you are registered as a student, you are eligible to take these courses for free. If you have no prior knowledge of Dutch, you must take into account that it will take at least one year to obtain a sufficient command of the language. More information can be found at the Language Centre.
I already have a degree. Can I get exemptions for the Master's programme?
In order to assess whether you can be exempted for part of the degree programme, you will have to send in a separate formal request for course exemptions. You can either send in the request together with your application or after you have started the degree programme at Tilburg University.
What to do:
First of all, you should carefully compare the courses of the degree programme at Tilburg University with the courses you already took and successfully passed. If you think there is an overlap, you can apply for exemption of the(se) course(s) by including the following in your request:
- a list with titles of the courses from the degree programme at Tilburg University you want to be exempted for and
- a list of course titles, including course descriptions and literature used, of the corresponding courses you already successfully passed in your previous programme.
Do I need a visa to study at Tilburg University?
To enter the Netherlands, all non-EU/EEA citizens (except for those from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States of America) will require a single-entry visa ('Machtiging voor Voorlopig Verblijf').
The countries of the EU/EEA are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Tilburg University will apply for this visa on behalf of all students not coming from one of the countries mentioned above.
EU/EEA member state citizens do not need a visa.
Certain nationalities are also required to apply for a residence permit. More information about residence permits can be found here
I have a residence permit in one of the EEA member states. What should I do?
If you have a residence permit in The Netherlands, please contact the Foreigners Police to extend your permit.
If you have a residence permit in any of the other EEA member states, please
contact the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in that country.
Will I need to apply for accommodation as I am moving to Tilburg? How or when should I do it?
Tilburg University arranges accommodation for all international students as you apply before the deadline. After being admitted to Tilburg University, you will receive the 'Ticket to Tilburg': an information package that informs you about all administrative procedures such as arranging accommodation, insurances, payment of tuition fees etc.
What is the tuition fee for my programme?
Tuition fees can be found here.
How can I apply for a scholarship?
To apply for one of the scholarships, please see what the requirements and procedures are for each of the scholarships.
What does the Welcome Week offer?
During this week we offer you
- Information about class schedules
- Administrative affairs
- Information about buying your books
- A tour around campus and a guided tour through Tilburg City
- Possibility to buy a second hand bicycle
- Social activities to meet fellow Dutch and international students
In case you did not find the answer to your question, please do not hesitate to contact us.