You can now submit your application for the master's programme
Would you like to start the Master's programme in Architecture, Urbanism or Landscape Architecture in 2025 and do you have Dutch nationality? Then then submit your application before 1 May via Studielink. Before you apply, read more about the admission requirements and the application procedure and take a look at the frequently asked questions below.
Dutch students and international students
The application procedure distinguishes between Dutch students and international students. The criterium for this is nationality; living in or outside the Netherlands is not a criterium. The Academy of Architecture accepts a limited number of candidates to follow the Master's degree programmes. A selection is made on the basis of motivation and portfolio from the candidates who qualify for admission according to their previous education. Click here for the application procedure for international students.
Student finance
The Academy of Architecture has a unique educational model, the so-called concurrent model. The master programmes in architecture, urban design and landscape architecture are four-year programs that combine studying and working in practice (the professional experience); in our educational vision, this combination dramatically adds value for the student's learning process.
The programmes are part-time, and the student is responsible for finding a relevant workplace. Partly for this reason, the master's programmes at the Academy of Architecture are part-time programs with a full-time study and workload. Part-time students, because they work, are not eligible for study financing from DUO and do not get a student travel product.
Admission requirements
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:
- 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 overall guidelines here, or the list of matching Dutch diplomas here.
- You have a foreign bachelor's or master's program that is in line with the master's program at the Academy of Architecture. 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.
- 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.
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.
Not quite the right diploma?
If you want to follow a master's degree in Architecture, Urbanism or Landscape Architecture, but do not have a constructional technical training and/or lack important professional knowledge or design skills, you may be able to follow the pre-master Architecture & Technology or the pre-master Urbanism & Landscape architecture.
The portfolio must be accessible via a link to a digital online repository such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Please make sure it is publicly accessible to us, without the use of login codes or registration procedures. The portfolio must in any case be accessible until 1 September.
Please limit your portfolio to a maximum of about twenty pages. A good portfolio consists of:
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A wide variety of your design work. These are projects from your previous education and/or from your professional practice. Preferably as diverse as possible.
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Own projects in which you show what your design qualities are. In joint work you state exactly what your role was in that project. Or projects that you initiated and designed yourself.
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Various design work - in scale - in which you show which design skills you have mastered. Don't just show final results. Also initiations in sketch stage and ideas. And images such as floor plans and cross-sections and surroundings in different scales, details, etc.
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Various design work – in images – in which you show what your visual skills are, such as hand sketches, models, visuals, diagrams and models.
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Work from relevant work experience or courses with which you can show your design knowledge
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Your own fascinations within the profession – make sure you show us this!
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 click here to learn more about this concurrent model.
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.
Application procedure
To apply for the master's programme, you must first register with Studielink. If you officially live in the Netherlands, you can use DigiD to log in to Studielink. If you are not (yet) registered in the Netherlands, you will not have a DigiD code. You will have to log in with a Studielink username and password. Then follow the steps to log in.
When selecting the programme, choose the following options when prompted:
- Educational institution: Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten
- Programme level: HBO Master's programme
- Programme type: Part-time
- Language of instruction: choose Dutch or English
- Choose 'Master Architecture', 'Master Landscape Architecture' or 'Master Urbanism' in the results list
- Start date: 25 Augustus 2025
After completing your registration in Studielink, you will receive an automatic e-mail with information on where and how to upload the required documents.
We will ask you for the following:
- A copy of your passport or identity card
- Copy of Visa (if you are from outside the EU and already have a visa)
- Estimate of living expenses in the Netherlands (if you do not reside in the Netherlands)
- A recent passport photo in JPEG format
- Diploma(s) and marksheets
- Curriculum Vitae
- Motivation (maximum 500 words).
Upload a short motivation why you are specifically applying for the Academy of Architecture Amsterdam and this graduate programme. - Proof of command of the English language.
Students must have sufficient command of the English language, equivalent to level B2 (Havo level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Upload proof or explanation. - Portfolio in pdf (max. about 20 pages)
Please note that by 1 May, both your Studielink registration must be completed and the necessary documents for registration must be submitted.
Selection and results
Selection
A selection procedure is part of admission to one of the master's programmes at the Academy of Architecture. Selection is based on motivation, portfolio, and the requirements set. The selection is carefully made by our selection committee. We also pay attention to a balanced mix in the cohort to be admitted.
Candidates who do not qualify after an initial assessment will be notified as soon as possible, but not before the end of May.
Candidates who do pass the first round of selection may be invited for a 15-minute online interview with one or two members of the admissions committee in April or May.
Within three weeks of uploading your application documents, you will receive confirmation of receipt from the Academy of Architecture and information about the rest of the procedure. If you have not received a message by the end of this period, please contact avb-studysecretariat@ahk.nl.
Results
We expect to give the final results as soon as possible in June. If you are admitted, you will start the academic year on 25 August 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Have you completed a course that is not on the list of relevant previous studies but includes a relevant number of spatial design subjects, and would you like to know if you qualify for the Master's programme? Then, you may be eligible for admission through the Pre-Master's programme. We need the following to assess your eligibility for the pre-master's programme:
- A copy of your bachelor's degree certificate
- An overview of all subjects you have taken and the grades you received
- A relevant portfolio
Your portfolio must contain at least three different design assignments of your own. These must be relevant, professional and clearly assessable. Your portfolio must be saved as a PDF and have a maximum size of 10 MB. Please note: a successfully completed pre-master's programme is required to participate in the master's programme selection procedure.
Submitting documents
Send a copy of your bachelor's diploma, course overview, transcript and portfolio to: avb-studysecretariat@ahk.nl
You may do so until 1 September at the latest. If the copy of the diploma is not in our possession by 1 September, you cannot start the course. Until then, a declaration from the school is required that the educational programme has been completed successfully and that the diploma will follow.
Most likely, you probably did not submit all the required application documents. Our application system only receives complete applications. If you have not submitted all required documents, we cannot process your application.