Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES)

Please note: registration is now closed.

Candidates wishing to apply for an AES programme should: 

• not have the nationality of one of the countries of the EU/EEA or Suisse
• not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans 
• not be eligible to pay the reduced tuition fee rate for EEA students at the UvA
• not receive a full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the AES
• have submitted a complete application to one of the MSc programmes (see the website of your MSc programme for the application and admission procedure)
• have been (or will be) admitted for the first time to one of the MSc programmes at the UvA
• be able to comply with the conditions to obtain a Dutch visa (if applicable)
• have completed their previous academic programme no longer than 3 years ago

• The International Team should be notified as soon as possible of any change in nationality, type of residence permit or additional financial support throughout the academic year.

The University of Amsterdam has a limited number of Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships available. In addition to the admission requirements of the Master's programme, eligible candidates are selected on the basis of their academic excellence and promise in the proposed field as evidenced by: 

• The candidate’s academic records. Students belonging to the top 10% of graduates from their class can apply. This generally means an overall GPA equivalent to:
  • 3.5 (American system, 4-point scale)
  • 1^st class honours/ upper division (British system)
  • 8+ (Dutch EC-system, 10-point scale);
• The academic quality of the educational institute where the (under)graduate degree has been (or will be) obtained;
• The quality of the letter of motivation (maximum 500 words), in which the candidate explains the reasons for choosing the specific Master’s programme in a broader context and the relevance of obtaining this scholarship for the candidate’s future academic career;
• The candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a description of extracurricular activities such as participation in student commissions, international experience, sports or music at a high level or volunteer work;
• Proof of English proficiency
  • TOEFL (internet-based); overall score of 100, with a minimum score of 22 in each of the four components
  • IELTS (academic); overall score of 7.0, with a minimum of 7.0 in each of the four components
  • A Cambridge Examination Score with a minimum test result of C1 Advanced (CAE) A or B will also be accepted. For the C2 Proficiency test (CPE) a minimal score of C is required;
• The quality of the application as a whole (completeness, accuracy, consistency).

Failure to meet one or more of the requirements or selection criteria automatically means that the student is not eligible for this scholarship.

Application for the Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship is part of the application procedure for the Master’s programme of your choice. On your application form we ask whether you want to be considered for a UvA scholarship. Please check this box if you want to be considered and if you fulfill all requirements mentioned above.

Furthermore, enclose a paragraph in your motivation letter for the MSc Programme in which you explain why you wish to be nominated for the Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship and what it would mean for your future academic career. This motivation letter should be uploaded in DataNose.

After applying, the coordinators of the MSc Programmes decide which students qualify to apply for the scholarship. All students will be informed as soon as possible.

Students who are awarded an AES are expected to complete their first year of study with good in order to receive the scholarship for the second year as well. The Faculty of Science requires that students satisfy the supplementary requirements imposed on students by the faculty and programme, such as the obligation to attend all classes, good progress and effort.

Specific questions may be posed in writing to the International Team of the Faculty of Science, master-science@uva.nl.