Where most of our applicants come from
You can enter the PA programme if you have a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Political Administration or another related field, along with knowledge of the following topics: Political Science, Sociology, Economy and Law. Many of our entrants have completed the Bachelor’s programme Management, Society and Technology here at the UT; these students are directly admissible to the PA Master’s. Most students with a similar degree from another university in the Netherlands or abroad can also directly enter the programme.
Quite a few applicants have a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from a university of applied sciences (‘HBO’ in Dutch); we require these students to complete a Pre-Master’s programme before entering the Master’s. For all of these applicants, the PA Master’s is an ideal next step.
You may need to do a Pre-Master’s programme
If your educational background does not fit the PA requirements, we will require you to follow a pre-Master's programme first – for example, if you have a Bachelor’s degree in a non-related field or from a university of applied sciences (‘HBO’ in Dutch). A Pre-Master’s programme normally takes six months (30 EC). Your Pre-Master’s will be tailored to your specific situation. It usually has a strong focus on research skills while also helping you to get your knowledge up to par on any subjects that are underrepresented in your previous studies.
Find out which specific admission criteria apply to you
We apply different sets of admission criteria to applicants with different educational backgrounds. Check the applicant profiles below to find out which criteria apply to you:
- Students from outside the Netherlands holding a university Bachelor’s degree
- Students with a degree from a Dutch (research) university
- Students with a University of Twente Bachelor's degree
- Students who have completed a degree at a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (‘HBO’)
- Students who want to transfer from a Dutch ‘HBO’ degree to our Master’s
Starting dates and application deadlines
You can start in September and February. You may also want to check the application deadlines or directly proceed with the application procedure.