Scholarship program for Research Master students academic year 2025-2026
For selected first year students, the Business Data Science (BDS) research master program offers full, partial, or basic scholarships. The maximum scholarship amount for Year 1 is € 1,500 per month.
For second year students BDS offers one of the following scholarships to all students who 1) have followed the full year 1 curriculum of the Research Master as stipulated in section 4 of the BDS AER; and 2) are allowed to pass to year 2 of the program (see sections 4 and 5 of the BDS AER):
- Full scholarship: Such a scholarship is awarded to students for whom the weighted GPA* is 7.5 or higher for core courses at the end of block IV of the first year of the program;
- Partial scholarship: Such a scholarship is awarded to students for whom the weighted GPA* is between 7.0 and 7.5, 7.5 excluded, at the end of block IV of the first year of the program;
- Basic scholarship: Such a scholarship is awarded to students for whom the weighted GPA* is below 7.0, at the end of block IV of the first year of the program.
The maximum scholarship amount for Year 2 students is to be determined.
Applicants who would like to be considered for a scholarship should indicate this on the application form. Because the institute’s resources are limited, prospective students are advised to apply for external funding as well (see e.g. Study in NL).
Travel Expenses - Compensation
The Business Data Science program is delivered in both the Tinbergen Institute Amsterdam Campus, as well as the Erasmus University Rotterdam Campus. As part of the financial support offered to students, the program compensates the travel made for the purposes of the program.
PhD funding
PhD students in the Netherlands are usually employed by a university. Indication of salary levels: a gross salary starts at € 2,872/€ 3,345 per month (depending on the duration of the contract). In their final year, students receive a monthly gross wage of € 3,670. Most positions include a small teaching assignment to help the students gain teaching experience, which is useful for those considering an academic career. PhD positions may be sponsored by industry partners. The level of collaboration and interaction with the industry partner varies depending on the project, the company and the student.
The first year of the program leaves little or no time for any jobs. For second-year students the program offers teaching assistantships. For second-year students research assistantships connected to research masters' thesis research are available at the affiliated departments. Please
check rules for working alongside your studies while staying in the Netherlands.
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.
All students have to pay the annual statutory fee (€ 2,601 euros in 2025-26) and it is the student’s responsibility to make the payment before the beginning of the academic year.
The annual tuition fee for the academic year 2025-2026 is:
| EEA national (statutory fee) |
€ 2,601 |
| non-EEA national |
€ 19,950 |
| EEA students holding an EUR, UvA or VU Master's degree (statutory fee) |
€ 2,601 |
| Students holding a Master's degree from another Dutch university |
€ 19,950 |
For selected students the high fee can be partly waived; the statutory fee is never waived and all students must pay the statutory fee before the start of the academic year.
In the PhD phase no tuition fees are charged.
Expect to spend
between €975 and €1,500 per month on living expenses, including rent, but not including the tuition fee. Find more information about costs of living in Amsterdam
on the website of the University of Amsterdam and in Rotterdam
on the website of Erasmus University Rotterdam.
> FAQ