Admission requirements - MSc Biology

Purpose and reason for the admission requirements

The admission requirements for the master's programme Biology are defined in such a way that the students should be able to successfully complete the programme in two years. To comply, students should have a broad knowledge on concepts and methodologies related to biology on all levels of organisation. For collection and analyses of experimental data, a solid basis in statistics and mathematics is necessary.

The criterion used for admission is

a Dutch BSc degree in Biology (with CROHO 56860 or 59325), or equivalent.

The norm for this equivalence is

at least 150 ECTS in:

• Biology (molecular biology, cell biology, organismal biology (plant and animal), evolutionary biology, taxonomy, genetics, ecology)
• Natural sciences (chemistry, physics)

At least one course in the previous education specifically focused on each of these topics:

• Statistics ((multiple) linear regression, formulation of hypotheses, non-parametric tests, contingency and chi-squared tests, normal and binomial distributions)
• Mathematics (linear algebra, calculus, differentiation, integration, first order differential equations, systems of linear equations, vectors and vector geometry, matrices and determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, functions of two variables)

Not all topics mentioned need to be mastered at the same level; they will be weighed by the Admission Board per individual application.

Method of assessment whether this norm is met

• Transcript of records displaying the content of previous course subjects and project work;
• Curriculum vitae displaying relevant work, internship and/or project experience on an academic level in a relevant field if applicable.

Scores attributed by the Admission Board

Admitted / not admitted / admitted under condition obtaining the BSc or MSc degree / not admitted with offer of pre-master

The Admission Board may allow and/or suggest compensation of knowledge gaps by:

• a GPA≥7.0* for the previous education for small discrepancies as new knowledge is sufficiently easily acquired;
• a GPA≥7.0* and an individual pre-master's programme for larger discrepancies that can be compensated in ≤30 ECTS and one year of study.

*Check the general admission page for the International credentials evaluation guide for international equivalencies to a Dutch GPA>7.0. This guide includes compensating factors for a slightly lower GPA the Admission Board may include in their judgement.

Contact us through the contact button above to discuss the possibilities of a pre-master or how to mitigate knowledge gaps if you are still in the process of obtaining your degree.

Find out more about pre-master's programmes.

Admissible study programmes

Graduates from Applied Biology from a University of Applied Sciences (NL: hbo) may meet the knowledge requirements.

Study programmes with knowledge gaps

Graduates from the Dutch University of Applied Sciences programme “Biologie en Medisch Laboratorium Onderzoek” often have to follow additional courses during the bachelor or a pre-master.