Statistics & Data Science (MSc)

Admission requirements

To be eligible for Statistics & Data Science at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

Diploma requirements

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a research university in the Netherlands, you are eligible to apply under the condition that you have

basic knowledge of calculus (equivalent to the Dutch: vwo Wiskunde B) and
accumulated at least 20 EC (or the equivalence thereof) in courses/projects in statistics/ methodology and/or mathematics.

The aforementioned courses/projects must have been concluded with an average mark of at least 7.5/10 (or GPA ≥ 3.4).

The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficient for admission.

If you have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, psychology, computer science or econometrics from a research university in the Netherlands, you will typically fulfil the requirements with respect to statistics/methodology and/or mathematics. We also encourage students with a bachelor in life sciences, such as biomedical sciences, medicine, and biology to apply.

For more information, please contact the Student Information Centre.

If you have a degree in Dutch higher vocational education (hbo) in a Statistics & Data Science-related field of science, you are eligible to apply.

The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background demonstrate, to their satisfaction, that you possess the same level of knowledge, understanding and skills as holders of a bachelor’s degree from a research university in the Netherlands which meets the admission requirements, as defined in the section above ''Entry requirements for students from a Dutch research university''.

For more information, please contact the Student Information Centre.

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a foreign research university with a level similar to Dutch universities, you are eligible to apply under the condition that you have

basic knowledge of calculus (equivalent to the Dutch: vwo Wiskunde B) and
accumulated at least 20 EC (or the equivalence thereof) in courses/projects in statistics/ methodology and/or mathematics.

The aforementioned courses/projects must have been concluded with an average mark of at least 7.5/10 (or GPA ≥ 3.4).

Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics, psychology, computer science or econometrics from a research university usually fulfil the requirements with respect to statistics/methodology and/or mathematics. We also encourage students with a bachelor in life sciences, such as biomedical sciences, medicine, and biology to apply.

The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the level and content of a Dutch BSc degree and whether you meet the additional requirements.

For more information, please contact the Student Information Centre.

Language requirements

In order to successfully participate in this programme, you must be proficient in English. The following requirements apply*:

IELTS: minimum 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 for each of the components Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
TOEFL: internet based 90, with a minimum of 20 for each of the components Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

The test result may not be older than two years at the time of enrolment for the programme. Please read the following document carefully for detailed information about which English qualifications are accepted, as well as the relevant exemption criteria.

*Please note: You do not have to submit proof of proficiency if you have

An International Baccalaureate diploma from a programme taught in English (or an IB diploma with “English A”);
A diploma of secondary or higher education completed in Australia, Canada (with the exception of French-language programmes in Canada), Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States or South Africa;
A diploma of an English-taught university degree programme completed at a Dutch research university;
A Dutch pre-university education (vwo) diploma.

The following requirements apply:

IELTS Academic modules only, on paper or on computer: 6.5 overall, with at least 6.0 for each separate component score.
- We do not accept IELTS Academic online.
- We do not accept IELTS General Training or IELTS Indicator.
TOEFL internet based: 90 overall, with at least 20 for each separate component.
- 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.

Cambridge English Exam C2 Proficiency, or C1 Advanced (180), with a minimum score of 169 for each separate component.

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.

We expect students to bring a regular laptop running Windows (or running Linux for certain study programmes – check your course information). MacOS may in most cases also suffice (with Parallels for Windows installed), but not all specialized applications may be supported, and less support may be available.
•   Windows 11 compatible – 64-bits (or Linux for some study programmes)
•   Processor/CPU – modern, medium range
•   Memory/RAM – 8 GB, if possible 16 GB
•   Storage – 512 GB, if possible 1 TB

>> Go to the next step: Check the application deadlines