Admission and application | For Dutch HBO students

As a Bachelor's student from a university of applied sciences (HBO), you might need to follow a Pre-Master's first.

You may be considered for admission if you have a certificate from a related bachelor's at a university of applied sciences (HBO). You can only enter the Master's in Computer Science after you succesfully complete the Pre-Master's. The purpose of the Pre-Master's is to bring your knowledge up to the required level. The Pre-Master’s usually has a study load of 30 EC and contains a combination of mathematics and academic research skills. Admission to this (Pre-)Master’s largely depends on your previous academic results and study programme.

Admission requirements Computer Science

To qualify for the (Pre-)Master's in Computer Science, you have to meet the following condition and should take into account the following two recommendations:

Condition 1 Completion of a HBO Bachelor's in a related field
Whether you will be directly admitted to the Pre-Master's, depends on your previous education. Related programmes are: Technische Informatica, Informatica, hbo ICT, Information and Communication Technology.
You can also check the tool below, or the transfer matrix to see if you are admissible.
Can you follow this Master's with your previous Bachelor's?
Choose your current institution
Choose your current programme
In all cases, the admission committee will conduct an individual assessment procedure to determine if you have sufficient basic qualifications in computer science. So, if you have completed another HBO programme of which you hesitate if it is enough related, you can also apply for admission. If your programme is not mentioned above, it is usually related if the following topics are sufficiently covered: Object-Oriented Programming, Computer Organisation/Architecture, Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Databases, Algorithms and Data Structures.
Recommendation 1 Pre-university level (VWO) Mathematics B
In order to be well-prepared for the Master’s in Computer Science, we recommend Mathematics B on pre-university level (In Dutch: Wiskunde B op vwo-niveau).
Recommendation 2 Brush up on English
The (Pre-)Master's in Computer Science is taught in English. We strongly advise you to test your level of English.
Take the diagnostic Dialang test, this test gives you insight into where you stand in understanding English, in listening, writing, reading, vocabulary and language structures.

Bear in mind that the required level of English is at least C1 on each separate subject. When you don’t meet these requirements, we recommend you brush up your knowledge of English before starting with the Pre-Master’s.

Get insights into this Pre-Master's programme
You will be taught various scientifc skills and your knowledge in mathematics will be improved.

During or after your HBO

You have the option to follow the Pre-Master's during your current HBO bachelor's within a transfer minor. It's an option worth considering as it saves you time and money: the programme of 30 EC fits within your minor space and you do not incur any extra costs because you have already paid tuition fees for your bachelor's. A second option is to first get your bachelor's degree and then transfer to this Master's via the Pre-Master's.

The Pre-Master's in a nutshell

Spend six months preparing yourself for the Master's in Computer Science
Raise your knowledge about mathematics to an academic level
Get acquainted with scientific research skills, studying the field of Computer Science
Complete the Pre-Master's during or after your HBO degree.

Do I need to apply for a Pre-Master's?

You don't need to apply for the Pre-Master's directly. You apply by signing up for this Master's. UT will alter this to a pre-master's registration. Once you are admitted, you get access to the Pre-Master's automatically.

Start your application

How you apply, depends on whether you take the Pre-Master's during or after your HBO bachelor's. If you take (part of) the Pre-Master's during your bachelor's, you apply for a transfer minor via the Kies op Maat website. If you decide to do the Pre-Master's after completing your bachelor's, you apply via Studielink.

Follow the Pre-Master's after your HBO bachelor's? Start here!

Didn't graduate yet?

You may be admitted to the Pre-Master's on the condition that you still have to pass. Therefore, you can start up your application even though you have not yet completed your HBO bachelor's. You may be granted conditional acceptance based on your transcripts, detailed curriculum information, relevant research and expected graduation date. To finally be enrolled in the (Pre-)Master's, you do need to submit your bachelor's degree, once you have obtained this.

Start dates

After completing your HBO bachelor's and the Pre-Master's, you can start your Master's in Computer Science in February or September. The Pre-Master's starts every September. Keep an eye on the application deadline and check them prior to your application. However, the deadline depends on the route you chose. For following the Pre-Master's during your HBO bachelor's – the so-called transfer minor – the deadline is earlier than the deadline when you wish to follow the Pre-Master's after your HBO bachelor's.