Admission requirements
Please find an overview of the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture's admission requirements below:
Preliminary education at bachelor level
To be admitted to the selection procedure for the master's programs at the Academy of Architecture, your previous education must meet one of the three criteria below:
1. You have a diploma from a Dutch bachelor's or master's program that is in line with the program to be followed at the Academy of Architecture. Are you unsure whether you have a relevant previous education? View the overview here for the:
Master in Architecture
Master in Urbanism
Master in Landscape Architecture
2. You have a foreign bachelor's or master's program that is in line with the master's program at the Academy of Architecture.
3. You have a relevant foreign previous education in combination with sufficient relevant work experience, so that you think you qualify for the desired education. The work experience is apparent from CV and portfolio. Relevance is weighed by the admissions committee.
Foreign diploma:
If a foreign previous education is unknown to us, it can be assessed by Nuffic (= the expertise and service center for internationalization in Dutch education:
Diploma still to be obtained:
If you have yet to obtain your (bachelor's) diploma, you can still participate in the selection process. If you are then admitted, it is with a proviso. In that case, a copy of the diploma must be in our possession no later than 1 September, otherwise the admission will expire. When you register, upload a note stating when you expect to have the diploma.
Portfolio
- The portfolio must be in pdf format
- Please limit your portfolio to a maximum of about twenty pages
- For a good portfolio, you can check our Portfolio Tips & Tricks
Working in practice
Gaining practical experience is an important part of the master’s programme. At the start of the study (or shortly afterwards), the student must be working in a workplace relevant to the study. Please do read the information about our external curriculum.
Important: Work in practice for non-EEA students:
Unlike guest and exchange students (although it is highly recommended to them), 4-year master's students are required to gain practical experience that yields up to 50% of the credits. In general Dutch law does not allow students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to work in the Netherlands in regular employment, but: the Academy of Architecture is an exception to this rule. Under a number of strict conditions, non-EEA students are allowed to have a regular job in the Netherlands for a maximum of 32 hours per week. But only if the students are registered as a four-year master's student and have the approval of the Academy of Architecture.
Command of the English language
Candidates whose native language is not English must be able to demonstrate a command of English at level B2 (Dutch: Havo level) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), or equivalent. The language level must be demonstrated with the result of an English language test (TOEFL, IELTS), or a list of marks from a previous study, or another document that unequivocally shows that the command of English is at the required level.
International candidates who pass the first selection are invited for a short (online) interview with the admissions committee. During this conversation, the proficiency in the English language will become apparent.