Arts, Culture and Society

English tests

IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 100

English requirement

You hold a Dutch VWO diploma and have a grade of 7 or higher for English on your final grade list; You are a native speaker of English (i.e. a national of one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) and you have received secondary education in English for at least two and a half years in one of the above countries; You have obtained or will obtain a bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification from a programme taught entirely in English in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. We usually deem bachelor's degrees or equivalent qualifications from programmes taught entirely in English from Western European or Scandinavian universities sufficient to meet the English language requirement as well. If you do not meet one of the above requirements, then you need to demonstrate English proficiency through one of the following tests (you need to take the test in a test centre; we don't accept the IELTS Online, the TOEFL Home Edition, and similar online tests): IELTS Academic with a minimum overall band score of 7.0 and minimum subscores of 6.5 (we don't accept the IELTS One Skill Retake; your scores on one single IELTS need to meet the requirement) TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 100 and minimum subscores of 23 (we don't accept TOEFL MyBest Scores; your scores on one single TOEFL need to meet the requirement) Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) with a minimum overall score of 185 LanguageCert with a minimum total score of 75 and minimum subscores of 70 Pearson PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 75 and minimum subscores of 66

Prior degree

At least a bachelor's degree from a recognised Dutch research university with a good overall result or an equivalent qualification from an international higher education institution. Training in arts and culture studies at university level, combined with sociology or another relevant social science background such as political or organisational science, marketing, or didactics. Academic training in empirical research methods. A sustained and well-documented interest in the cultural sector, as evidenced by academic training or practical experience.

Accepted degrees

arts and culture studiessociologypolitical scienceorganisational sciencemarketingdidactics

Deadline

15 May 2027

Official programme page

Living in Rotterdam →

Student visa

Non-EU students need a residence permit (VVR), arranged by the university on your behalf. EU students only need to register with the local municipality.

Post-study work

Orientation Year (zoekjaar) visa — 12 months to find skilled work after graduation. No employer sponsorship needed during this period.

Tuition

Statutory fee around €2,500/yr for EU students; institutional fees for non-EU students typically range €14,000–26,000/yr depending on the field.

Scholarships

Holland Scholarship (€5,000), university-specific funds such as the Amsterdam Excellence and Justus & Louise van Effen scholarships, plus Erasmus+ for EU mobility.

Erasmus University Rotterdam is a university in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with 31,652 students and 82 programs across its corridors. Its primary academic strengths lie in Business & Law, Arts & Humanities, and Social Sciences, with QS Subject rankings of #24 in Business and #51 in Medicine. The university placed #101 in the 2024 ARWU overall ranking.