Economics and Governance (MSc)

Pre-master's

Apply to Master’s programme

The Pre-master’s programme is a programme designed to help students achieve the requirements for admission in the Master’s programmes offered by the Institute of Public Administration. You might be required to complete the Pre-master’s programme if you have a Bachelor’s degree in a field not directly to Public Administration or if you have a Bachelor’s diploma from a HBO institution.

Admission to the Pre-master’s programme is selective. Students are admitted to the Pre-master on the basis of demonstrated academic capacity, English proficiency, and affinity to the subject of the Master’s programme, as evidenced by professional experience, completed courses and specialisations, or other means. For more information, please check the entry requirements.

Please note that you cannot apply for the Pre-master’s programme independently. Students need to apply for the Master’s programme and might need to enrol in the Bachelor (Pre-master), depending on the decision of the Admissions committee.

• The Pre-master programme runs twice per year; in block 2 (late October - end of January) and block 4 (late March - end of June).
• The number of credits to obtain is 15.0 ECTS.
• You can only follow the Pre-master programme once and you need to succesfully pass all courses in one block.
• Upon successful completion of the Pre-master’s programme, you will be admitted to the Masters’s programme you have applied for.
• The Pre-master’s programme cannot be followed at the same time as the Master’s programme you have applied for.

Study load

First you need to apply through the online application system to the Master programme. After approximately five to seven weeks weeks you will receive the Board of Admissions’ decision: 

a) admitted directly
b) not admitted
c) admitted to the Pre-master

Only the Admissions committee can inform you (after your official application) about your possible admission; no such information is provided beforehand via email and the like.

Registration procedure

If you are admitted and you accept the offer, you need to follow the instructions given by the Student and Education Affairs to register in Studielink. The registration in Studielink needs to be finalized before or on August 31st or January 31st. Classes start in October and March. Once a student has successfully completed the pre-master, they will be admitted to the master’s programme.

Pre-master’s courses?

More information on the Pre-master programme can be found in the e-Prospectus. For specific questions or extra information you can contact the study advisors (see ‘contact’).

About to graduate?

Interested in our Master programme, but not graduated yet? You are welcome to apply before having actually graduated. When applying before graduation please mention your (expected) graduation date and submit all transcripts obtained to date. Please do bear in mind that if you are admitted, this will be a conditional admission until we have received your diploma and final transcripts.
Check the application deadlines!

• You can only take Premaster courses after you graduated.

You will not receive a Bachelor diploma in Public Administration after successfully finishing the Pre-master courses as this programme has only the intention to eliminate deficiencies.