You are eligible to apply for the MA Linguistics: Modern Languages if you have:

• A bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in English/French/German/Italian Language and Culture; or
• A bachelor’s degree from a research university, equivalent to the level of a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree, and knowledge of and insight in linguistics and proficiency of the language comparable with the qualifications acquired by students graduating from the Bachelor’s programme in English/French/German/Italian Language and Culture demonstrated by (for example):
  • A bachelor’s degree in Linguistics with – as evidenced by appropriate tests (see below): 
    • a CEFR C1 level in either French, German, or Italian (CEFR C1 for listening and reading, CEFR B2 for speaking and writing in Italian), 
    • or for English IELTS 7.0, where each separate constituent score must be at least 6.5/TOEFL (Internet based) 100, where each constituent score must be at least 22; or
  • A bachelor’s degree in English/French/German/Italian/China Studies with at least 30 EC in linguistics courses of which at least 20 EC in core linguistics courses (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics).

The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the level and content of a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in English, French, German or Italian Language and Culture on the basis of the requirements specified above.

Students with a Bachelor in English, French, German or Italian Language and Culture from Leiden University are directly eligible for admission and can apply in Studielink. There is no need to submit an application for admission using the online application portal.

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a research university that does not meet the requirements specified above, you may be eligible for a pre-master’s programme tailored to your individual background. After submitting your application in Studielink, the Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be directly admitted to the master’s programme, whether you will first need to complete a pre-master’s programme, or whether your deficiencies are considered too extensive and you can therefore not be admitted at all. It is not possible to directly apply for a pre-master’s programme. 

The language requirements for a pre-master's programme are identical to the language requirements for the master's programme for which admission has been requested. These requirements must be met before the start of the premaster.

Once you have completed the imposed pre-master’s programme, you will be admitted to the master’s programme. For more information about the individual pre-master’s programme, please contact the Coordinator of Studies.

Students holding a Bachelor’s degree from a university of applied sciences (hbo) in one of the modern languages (lower secondary education certificate, tweedegraads) will be admitted to the MA Linguistics - specialisation Modern Languages after completing an individual bridging programme of 60 EC. This programme always includes a course in Academic Skills.

Read more about the pre-master’s programme.

The following requirements apply for the German/French/Italian/Chinese tracks:

• IELTS: 6.5; where each separate component score must be at least 6.0;
• TOEFL (Internet based) 90, where each separate component score must be at least 20.

The following requirements apply for the English track:

• IELTS 7.0, where each separate constituent score must be at least 6.5; or
• TOEFL (Internet based) 100, where each constituent score must be at least 22

See also the English test score equivalency table of Leiden University.

Please note:

IELTS:

• We do not accept IELTS Academic online.
• We do not accept IELTS General Training or IELTS Indicator.

TOEFL

• We are not able to accept The TOEFL IBT Home Edition™, except in the following situations only:
  You took the test before 1 Sept 2022 (and it is not more than 2 years old), or you are unable to take an in-person test on location because test centres are inaccessible or closed due to unsafe conditions in a country.
• We do not accept the following types of test: TOEFL My Best™ scores (multiple test scores combined), TOEFL Essentials™  or institutional tests such as ITP.

Note that English test results may not be more than two years old.

You do not have to submit an English proficiency test if you have completed your education in the USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada (except French-taught programmes in Canada) Singapore, South-Africa or Malta; or if you have obtained an English-taught International Baccalaureate™; or if you have completed a Dutch VWO diploma or an English-taught bachelor at a Dutch research university.

For detailed information, including exemption criteria and methods of submission, refer to English language proficiency.

• For courses on French linguistics taught in French: A good command of French (the minimum entry level is CEFR C1 for all components, as evidenced by an appropriate test (Dalf C1) 
• For courses on German linguistics taught in German: A good command of German (the minimum entry level is CEFR C1 for all components, as evidenced by an appropriate test (Goethe-Zertifikat C1) 
• For courses on Italian linguistics taught in Italian: A good command of Italian (the minimum entry levels are CEFR C1 (listening, reading) and CEFR B2 (speaking, writing), as evidenced by an appropriate test). 
• For courses on English linguistics taught in English: English IELTS 7.5/TOEFL (Internet based) 113/C2 Proficiency (former CPE) or C1 Advanced (former CAE) 185; a minimum score of IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 25 is required for each of the four components.