Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES) for an MA in Sdientific Feilds

Amsterdam University offers scholarships for international students on the basis of academic excellence, the scholarship will allow students to continue their studies for a MA degree for one academic year with the possibility of extension for a second year (for two-year Master’s programmes) in a scientific field of their choosing.

Funding

The Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES) is a full scholarship of €25,000 (covering tuition and living expenses).

Requirements

Candidates wishing to apply for an AES programme should: 

• not have the nationality of one of the countries of the EU/EEA or Suisse.
• not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans (Studiefinanciering).
• not be eligible to pay the reduced tuition fee rate for EEA students at the UvA.
• not receive a full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the AES.
• have submitted a complete application to one of the MSc programmes.
• have been (or will be) admitted for the first time to one of the MSc programmes at the UvA.
• be able to comply with the conditions to obtain a Dutch visa (if applicable).
• have completed their previous academic programme no longer than three years ago.
• The International Team should be notified as soon as possible of any change in nationality, type of residence permit, or additional financial support throughout the academic year.

Selection criteria for the scholarship

 In addition to the admission requirements of the Master's programme, eligible candidates are selected on the basis of their academic excellence and promise in the proposed field as evidenced by: 

• The candidate’s academic records. Students belonging to the top 10% of graduates from their class can apply. This generally means an overall GPA equivalent to:
  • 3.5 (American system, 4-point scale)
  • 1^st class honours/upper division (British system)
  • 8+ (Dutch EC-system, 10-point scale)
• The academic quality of the educational institute where the (under)graduate degree has been (or will be) obtained
• The quality of the letter of motivation (maximum 500 words), in which the candidate explains the reasons for choosing the specific Master’s programme in a broader context and the relevance of obtaining this scholarship for the candidate’s future academic career
• The candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a description of extracurricular activities such as participation in student commissions, international experience, sports, or music at a high level or volunteer work
• Proof of English proficiency
  • TOEFL (internet-based): overall score of 100, with a minimum score of 22 in each of the four components
  • IELTS (academic): overall score of 7.0, with a minimum of 7.0 in each of the four components
  • A Cambridge Examination Score with a minimum test result of C1 Advanced (CAE) A or B will also be accepted. For the C2 Proficiency test (CPE) a minimal score of C is required
• The quality of the application as a whole (completeness, accuracy, consistency).