FAQ

Deadlines for enrolment in 2025 are: 

• December 1, 2024; non-EEA students and highly recommended for applying for an (external) scholarship and/or for students who are interested in applying for University of Amsterdam, VU Amsterdam or, Erasmus university scholarships 
• February 1, 2025;  highly recommended for students applying for our scholarship program
• After February 1; for EEA students only - rolling admissions until June 15; for late applications, students can contact the admissions office

All applicants are advised to submit their application early, because slots in the program and funding opportunities are limited. 

Unfortunately, the invitations sometimes end up in the spam folder, kindly ask your referees to check there as well. If they have still not received an invitation, please ask them to send the letter to admissions@businessdatascience.nl  and we will upload the letter for them. Please ask them to send the letter from a professional (university) email address. Only submitted and completed applications will be reviewed. 

All applications for higher education start in Studielink.  Studielink is the Dutch national registration system for higher education programmes. We can only register you as a student if you enrol through this system. Subsequently, you need to finalize your application in the Admission Portal of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). Erasmus University is the host university of the Business Data Science joint degree program.

Please note: once you have enrolled in Studielink, you will receive an email with your login details for the EUR Admission Portal. Check your spam box! 

Find more information on the FAQ page of Erasmus University

Our program is a joint degree program, jointly offered by Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. After unconditional admission to the program, students will be registered as a student at all three universities. 

Erasmus University is the host university for the program. The primary enrolment of students will be at the Erasmus University and we use the Erasmus University application portal for our selection process. 

After unconditional admission to the program, students will be also registered as a student at the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit. 

You can only change your personal details in Studielink, the changes will then automatically go through to the Erasmus Admission Portal. Once your details have been checked by Erasmus University you will not be able to change them anymore and will have to contact the Erasmus University Student Service Centre and ask for assistance.

In the EUR Admission Portal you need to answer some additional questions and upload the required documents (see in portal and on our website).

After checking your entries, you need to submit your application. Please note: only applications with the status ‘submitted’ will be processed.

You can start working in the Application Portal, save your entries and use your login information to return to the Portal later.

We will only start processing your application after you have submitted it via the Portal, by clicking on the ‘submit’ button at the bottom of the last page of the questionnaire. The status of your application will then change to ‘submitted’. If that does not work, please contact the Erasmus University Student Service Centre and ask for assistance.

Please check your spam or junk folder, if you haven’t received an email please contact the Erasmus University Student Service Centre and ask for assistance.

Go to the login page of the Portal and click on ‘forgot username’ and/or ‘forgot password’ (upper right corner of the screen) and follow the instructions. If that does not work, please contact the Erasmus University Student Service Centre and ask for assistance.

Please contact the Erasmus University Student Service Centre and ask for assistance to reset your account. If this does not help, please try again using a different email account.

At times it can be very busy at the student help desk, please be patient. If you haven’t received a response after 3 working days, you can send a reminder.

No, we do not charge an application fee.

By uploading the following documents: 

• if applicable: GRE/GMAT score report (or screen shot showing the score)
• if applicable: TOEFL or IELTS test results (or screen shot showing the score)
• Curriculum vitae;
• Certified transcripts of coursework or copies of diplomas of bachelor and master programs (certified English translations should be uploaded of transcripts and diplomas that are not in Dutch or English);
• Statement of Academic Interests and Purpose of Study, including (short) research proposal;
• Writing sample E.g. Bachelor or Master thesis or published paper (optional).
• You will also need to provide names and email addresses of two references.

Incomplete files will not be considered. GRE/GMAT and Toefl/IELTS scores must meet the minimum requirements. Go to Application Procedure for further details. 

You can review your application at the end of the application form to check if you have answered all the required questions and uploaded the required documents. We advise you to double check your entire application for completeness. Please note that it is your responsibilty to remind your referees to submit their reference letters on your behalf before the admission deadline. You can check the status of your recommendation letters when you log in to your application. Files that are not complete (incl. reference letters) at the deadline will not be reviewed.

After you have received a preliminary acceptance, you are asked  to submit certified copies of grade transcripts and diplomas (never send the originals). A certified copy is a photocopy with an endorsement or stamp that states that it is a true copy of the original document. You can certify copies of your documents at your school or sometimes at the municipality or notary.

Yes, you will need to submit a new application and upload all of the required documents.

You can expect to hear from us within eight weeks after the deadline (December 1 or February 1). If you submit later than February 1, you can expect a decision within eight weeks after your submission date. Please note that incomplete files will not be reviewed.

No, this is not possible. The research master program is a gateway to PhD positions at the participating schools.  For PhD positions, please check job openings at the universities. 

Please send an email to us via admissions@businessdatascience.nl; we can change the status of your application.

The BDS website and our online admission program provide detailed information. If you are stuck in Studielink or Osiris, please contact the Erasmus University Student Service Centre and ask for assistance. If you still have questions, please send them to this address: admissions@businessdatascience.nl. Using any other address will cause delay.

Unless you are exempted from the requirement to submit additional test results, your file is not complete without the required GMAT/GRE and/or English proficiency scores. In the event that you risk to miss the submission deadline because you did not yet receive your official test score report, you may upload a screen shot of the page that shows your scores. 

The research master is a challenging program building upon the quantitative and analytical paradigms developed in the discipline.

Students in more business oriented undergraduate programs can improve their admission possibilities by extending their curriculum with some quantitative course work (e.g., linear algebra, mathematical statistics and probability theory, calculus). Students from more quantitative programs benefit from initial course work in one or multiple business fields, for instance marketing, accountancy, human resources. See Research fields–Businessdatascience.nl for more information.

Students opting for the more challenging Advanced Econometrics track in their first year, should have completed a solid Econometrics course at the level of a graduate economics program.

Students lacking a strong mathematics background should prepare before they come to Tinbergen Institute and start the research master Business Data Science by refreshing their knowledge. 

Refresh and Test your knowledge – Businessdatascience.nl

Due to the number of applications we receive it is not possible to offer individual feedback on your chances of being accepted to the BDS program. The admissions board will evaluate your application as a whole. You are advised to check the admission requirements and to read the academic preparations to see whether you feel comfortable with the content of the textbooks there.

Are you curious about the research master Business Data Science, but haven't applied yet or finalized your application? We participate in the open days of the three universities and offer an on-campus or a virtual visit option if you are abroad to experience our program. Find details on our information session page or request a (virtual) visit here.

Research Master Business Data Science in 13 slides

See also information sheet for prospective students.

In the case of exact overlap between BDS courses and coursework completed earlier, exemptions from individual courses may be granted.  The exemption may not affect the ECTS requirements. Exemptions will be discussed in an intake interview with the Director of Graduate Studies at the start of the academic year.

No.

Applicants holding a Dutch degree before the start of the program are exempted from the requirement to submit additional test results. From all others test scores are required.

To demonstrate general aptitude and quantitative skills: GRE General Test or GMAT test. The Home version of the tests are also accecpted. 
To demonstrate proficiency in English: IELTS or TOEFL

Valid GRE or GMAT test results are required from all applicants not holding a Dutch degree.

Applicants with a GMAT score below 700 (645 Focus Edition) or a GRE Quantitative score below 160 will not be considered. Successful applicants typically rank among the top 10% of examinees on the quantitative section of the GMAT or GRE.

Both language tests are accepted. 

Yes, you can if you hold a degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction, or hold a degree from a Dutch university. 

Minimum scores required: 100 on the TOEFL iBT test and 7 on the IELTS test. If your score is lower than the minimum requirement, we recommend that you improve your English level and retake the test. 

For GRE: the institutional code is 3811 (shared with Tinbergen Institute, partner of the Business Data Science program).

For GMAT: program code is QK8-4B-73 (shared with Erasmus School of Economics)

Without GRE, GMAT and Toefl/IELTS test scores your file is not complete. In case you risk to miss the submission deadline because you did not yet receive the official test score reports, you could use the print functionality in your GMAT or ETS account and upload this (preliminary) document in stead.

No. We advise you to re-take the test and participate in the next admission round.

GRE and GMATscores are valid for five years after the test date. TOEFL and IELTS scores have a two-year validity period.

If you have taken the new GMAT Focus edition, you can send your Official Score Report to admissions@businessdatascience.nl. Don't forget to add the BDS program code: QK8-4B-73. 

In the master phase of the program a tuition fee is charged to all students. Tuition fees are due until all examinations, including the final thesis, are passed. The tuition fees are determined annually by the Dutch government and the universities.

The annual tuition fee for the academic year 2024-2025 is:

In the PhD phase no tuition fees are charged.

Scholarships are awarded based on merit. Applicants who wish to compete for a scholarship should indicate this on the online application form. For more information, please visit the scholarships section of our website. Applicants applying for a scholarship are advised to submit their application as early as possible,. For more information, please visit the scholarships section of the website.

Contact admissions@businessdatascience.nl and explain your case. The school will provide the necessary documents.

The first year of the program leaves little or no time for any jobs. For second-year students the school offers teaching assistantships. Research assistantships connected to research masters' thesis research are available at the affiliated departments. 

Also see the Nuffic pages on working while studying.

Depending on your educational background, you may want to prepare academically for one or more core sequences before coming to BDS. Please check here.

Contact admissions@businessdatascience.nl and explain your case. The school will provide the necessary documents.

The first year of the program leaves little or no time for any jobs. For second-year students the school offers teaching assistantships. Research assistantships connected to research masters' thesis research are available at the affiliated departments. 

Also see the Nuffic pages on working while studying.

After preliminary acceptance you will need to submit certified copies of grade transcripts and diplomas (never send us the original documents). A certified copy is a photocopy with an endorsement or stamp that states that it is a true copy of the primary document. You can certify copies of your documents at your school or sometimes at the municipality or notary.

The Erasmus Immigration office will contact you and guide you through the process. Please find more information here: Immigration | Erasmus University Rotterdam (eur.nl)

The universities offer limited accommodation for students who are new to the Netherlands. We will help the students who qualify to register for student housing but we advise to continue your search for alternative options. 

Students who have been living in the Netherlands before have to find their own accommodation. 

After preliminary acceptance you will need to submit certified copies of grade transcripts and diplomas (never send us the original documents). A certified copy is a photocopy with an endorsement or stamp that states that it is a true copy of the primary document. You can certify copies of your documents at your school or sometimes at the municipality or notary.

The website and our online admission program provide detailed information. If you still have questions, please send them to this address: admissions@businessdatascience.nl. Using any other address will cause delay.

No, this is not possible. The BDS program is a gateway to PhD positions at the affiliated schools. For PhD positions check job openings at the universities.

The first year of the program leaves little or no time for any jobs. For second-year students the school offers teaching assistantships. Research assistantships connected to research masters' thesis research are available at the affiliated departments. 

Also see the Nuffic pages on working while studying.

No.