Law and Politics of International Security
Admission requirements and application
The master's programme Law and Politics of International Security 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 LPIS 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 Law, Social Sciences or Liberal Arts, and a basic knowledge of international law or international relations theory.
- Applicants who do not meet the abovementioned requirement(s) are also encouraged to apply, provided that they have a sound academic background and considerable experience in the field of Law, Social Sciences or Liberal Arts.
- 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 LLM programme and their application could result in a rejection. The Faculty of Law does not offer any pre-Master programmes.
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 must at least have a B+ or 7.8 as an overall average or a GPA of at least 3.25.
Application procedure and deadlines
For both Dutch and international students it is possible to send in applications from as early as mid-November 2011. The LPIS Admission Board starts reviewing applications and accepting students in January and continues to do so until all available places are filled. Therefore early application is strongly advised.
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:
