FAQ

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

No, we do not charge an application fee.

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. Tinbergen Institute does not administer PhD programs directly. For PhD positions, please refer to the job openings at the universities.

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.

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

Both language tests are accepted. 

Yes, you can if you hold a degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction, completed a degree in English only, or hold a degree from a Dutch university. You must supply evidence of the first two categories in your application. 

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 attach a screenshot of your results in your application. If you have been admitted, only then do you need to share your scores with BDS using the program code: QK8-4B-73. 

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.

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.