International Crimes and Criminology (MSc)
Admission requirements and application
The master's programme International Crimes and Criminology is open to both Dutch and international students. This master's programme is selective, meaning that also VU Bachelor’s students need to apply by means of an application form and sending in the required additional documents. Each year the programme is open to a limited number of students only. The ICC Admission Board will make a merit based selection of students.
The admission requirements are as follows:
- Applicants must have at least a Bachelor's degree in Criminology, Law, Social Sciences or Political Science.
- Applicants who do not meet the abovementioned requirement(s) are also encouraged to apply, provided that they have a sound academic background and a demonstrated interest in and knowledge of international crimes.
- Language proficiency requirements: VU University Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test and to submit their score as a part of the application. Exceptions are made for students who have completed their education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia. For Dutch students or students already residing in the Netherlands it’s possible to take the institutional TOEFL test that the VU University Amsterdam offers.
Your previous education is compared to and valued through the UK Naric comparison system and, if necessary, through the Nuffic comparison and validation programmes. Especially students from non-EU countries should factor in the possibility that a relevant Bachelor’s degree could not be sufficient to enter into this MSc. programme and their application could result in a rejection. The Faculty of Law does not offer any pre-Master programmes.
Focus of the programme
The Admission Board would like to stress that the master focuses specifically and explicitly on the international crimes genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. This means that topics like human trafficking, drug trafficking and gangs will not be dealt with, please take this into consideration before you apply.
The Admission Board will need to receive your complete file at all times in order to maintain a good overview of all applicants and to be able to make a good comparison between applicants. In addition, when in doubt the Admission Board can factor the other documents in the application to make a final decision. Incomplete files and files handed in after the deadline cannot be taken into consideration.
Criteria for selection
The main focus of selection will be on GPA or an overall grade average. Students should at least have a B or 7.3 as an overall average or a GPA of at least 3.
Other factors which will be taken into account in addition to the GPA:
- A student’s level of interdisciplinarity
- Mark and content of the bachelor or master thesis
- Relevant experience (internship and work)
- General impression of the candidate such as shown interest in international crimes, letter of motivation, letter of recommendation, proof of academic writing
Application procedure and deadlines
For both Dutch and international students, it is possible to send in an application from as early as November in the academic year preceding the academic year you would like to start with the programme.
The deadlines for application for the 2012-2013 academic year are:
- 1 April 2012 for students from outside the EU.
- 1 June 2012 for all other students. Please note: if international students apply after the 1st of April, we cannot guarantee accommodation for you.
Please select the applicable application procedure:
