Application to the Master Programme International Relations of the University of Groningen

Introduction

The Master Degree Programme International Relations (CROHO 60734) offers six tracks:

International Relations and International Organization
European Politics in a Global Perspective
International Political Economy
International Security
Geopolitics & Connectivity
East Asian Studies

General admission requirements:

Students with a University of Groningen Bachelor's Degree IRIO have direct access to the Master International Relations.
Students with a University of Groningen Bachelor's Degree European Languages and Cultures (profile: Politics and Society), who started in 2016 or later, have direct access to the Master International Relations, but have to apply through the IR Admission Board.
Students who have a Bachelor’s degree certificate with an international profile and/or knowledge of social sciences, for example Political Sciences, American Studies, History, European/International Law or International Economics, but who lack knowledge of the theories and methods of International Relations or of how to conduct social-scientific research may be admitted to the Pre-Master’s bridging programme by the IR Admission Board. The IR Admissions Board may decide to shorten the Pre-Master’s bridging programme for candidates who have already successfully completed one or more of these components.
An English Language Proficiency test may be required for non-Dutch Bachelor's degree candidates and for Dutch HBO candidates.

Step-by-step guide to your admission and application procedure

Step 1 - Prior education

1A) Your Bachelor's Degree Programme *

Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and International Organization of the University of Groningen

Bachelor's Degree in European Languages and Cultures (profile: Politics and Society)

Bachelor's Degree in another programme of the University of Groningen

Bachelor's Degree of another Dutch University

Bachelor's Degree of a non-Dutch University or non-Dutch University of Applied Sciences (non-academic vocational programme)

Bachelor's Degree of a Dutch HBO / Dutch University of Applied Sciences (non-academic vocational programme)

Admission with a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and International Organization (University of Groningen)

Once you obtain your Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and International Organization, you have direct access to the Master International Relations (all tracks). There are no further English language proficiency requirements.

Registration:

You have to register for one of the six tracks of the MA Programme International Relations (60734) in Studielink yourself! Please note: once you register for a track, you cannot change this during the academic year.

We recommend that you complete your registration - including payment of tuition fees! - at least a month before the ultimate deadlines:

31 August for the start in September
31 January for the start in February

Admission with a Dutch HBO / University of Applied Sciences Bachelor's Degree

Students who have a HBO Bachelor’s degree certificate with an international profile and/or knowledge of social sciences, for example Political Sciences, American Studies, History, European/International Law or International Economics, may be admitted to the Pre-Master’s bridging programme by the Admissions Board. Furthermore HBO candidates will need to meet the minimum English language proficiency levels of a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (internet-based) with a minimum of 21 for all items, or an IELTS: a minimum score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 on all items. An exception can be made for native speakers and students with a Dutch VWO diploma (you have to include your VWO diploma in your application below).

The International Relations Admissions Board will determine whether you can be:

a) admitted after following a Pre-Master programme (maximum of 30 ECTS) or,
b) cannot be admitted.

The Admissions Board may decide to shorten the Pre-Master’s bridging programme for candidates who have already successfully completed one or more of these components.

Application:

Please complete this online form and click send.

Admission with a Dutch Bachelor's Degree

Students who have a Bachelor’s degree certificate with an international profile and/or knowledge of social sciences, for example Political Sciences, American Studies, History, European/International Law or International Economics, but who lack knowledge of the theories and methods of International Relations or of how to conduct social-scientific research may be admitted to the Pre-Master’s bridging programme by the Admissions Board. The Admissions Board may decide to shorten the Pre-Master’s bridging programme for candidates who have already successfully completed one or more of these components. There are no further English language proficiency requirements.

The International Relations Admissions Board will determine whether you can be:

a) admitted directly,
b) admitted after following a Pre-Master programme, or
c) cannot be admitted.

Application:

Please complete this online form and click send.

Please indicate the BA programme you follow or have followed. Choose 'none of the above' if your programme or profile is not listed.

Admission with a Bachelor's Degree of the University of Groningen

Students who have a Bachelor’s degree certificate with an international profile and/or knowledge of social sciences, but who lack knowledge of the theories and methods of International Relations or of how to conduct social-scientific research may be admitted to the Pre-Master programme by the Admissions Board. There are no further English language proficiency requirements.

The Admissions Board will determine whether you can be:

a) admitted directly,
b) admitted after following a Pre-Master programme, or
c) cannot be admitted.

After you have sent in your application you will receive an official letter from the Admissions Board stating their decision. The Admissions Board will make a decision on whether or not you can be admitted to the Pre-Master programme and to the Master IR.

Application instructions:

Fill out this application form and click send

Admission with a Bachelor's Degree in History, American Studies, Minorities & Multilingualism, Middle Eastern Studies, Rechtsgeleerdheid - International and European Law, and Media Studies

Admission is possible after completion of a deficiency programme (Pre-Master programme) consisting of:

Theory of International Relations (10EC)
Methods and Research Practice (10EC)
Studying International Politics as a Social Science (10EC)

Please note:

If you already completed courses within the Minor IRIO during your BA programme please indicate so below. You will not have to retake these courses in the Pre-Master programme.
The Pre-Master can only be followed both in semester I (September - January) and in semester II (February - August)

Admission with a Bachelor's Degree European Languages and Cultures (Profile Politics and Society) starting moment BEFORE 2016

Important note: if you started the BA ELC (Profile Politics and Society) in 2016 or later, please go back to step 1A and select Bachelor's degree in European Languages and Cultures (Profile Politics and Society) there!

Admission is possible after completion of a deficiency programme (Pre-Master programme) consisting of:

Theory of International Relations (10EC)
Methods and Research Practice (10EC)
Studying International Politics as a Social Science (10EC)

Please note:

If you already completed courses within the Minor IRIO during your BA programme please indicate so below. You will not have to retake these courses in the Pre-Master programme.
The Pre-Master can be followed in semester I (September - January) and in semester II (February - August).

Admission with a University of Groningen Bachelor's Degree European Languages and Cultures (profile: Politics and Society)

Important: If you started European Languages and Cultures (proifle: Politics and Society) before 2016, please choose "Bachelor's Degree in another programme of the University of Groningen" in the main menu (see above) and follow the instructions there.

Students with a University of Groningen Bachelor's Degree European Languages and Cultures (profile: Politics and Society), who started in 2016 or later, are expected to have taken the following courses in their programme in order to be eligible for direct admission through the IR Admission Board:

PS1: European (Dis)Integration 1
PS2: European (Dis)Integration 2
PS3: Comparative European Politics and Political History
PS4: Research Seminar 1
PS5: Research Seminar 2
PS6: Political Cultures in Europe 1
PS7: Political Cultures in Europe 2

Application:

Please complete this online form and click send.

Admission with a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and International Law from University College Groningen

If you meet the underneath conditions and have completed the underneath courses, you can continue to fill out this form in order to apply. If you do not meet these requirements (if you did not complete the required courses), please select 'None of the above' and follow the instructions there.

In your Bachelor programme you completed the following courses:

- International Relations Theories (and Practice) (5 ECTS)
- International Politics (5 ECTS)
- Statistics 1 (5 ECTS)
- Two of the following three qualitative methods courses: Qualitative Data Collection & Analysis (5 ECTS); Interpretive Methods (5 ECTS); Advanced Argumentation and Critical Thinking (5 ECTS)

Admission with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and Information Studies, Sociology, Psychology or International Business

Admission is possible after completion of a deficiency programme (Pre-Master programme) consisting of:

Theory of International Relations (10EC)
Studying International Politics as a Social Science (10EC)

Please note:

If you already completed courses within the Minor IRIO during your BA programme please indicate so below. You will not have to retake these courses in the Pre-Master programme.
The Pre-Master can only be followed both in semester I (September - January) and in semester II (February - August).

Admission with an LLB International and European Law*

Admission is possible after completion of a deficiency programme (Pre-Master programme) consisting of:

Methods and Research Practice (10EC)
Studying International Politics as a Social Science (10EC)

Please note:

If you already completed courses within the Minor IRIO during your BA programme please indicate so below. You will not have to retake these courses in the Pre-Master programme.
The Pre-Master itself can be followed both in semester I (September - January) and in semester II (Febuary - August).

There are no English language proficiency requirements.

After you have sent in your application you will receive an official letter from the Admissions Board stating their decision.

Application Instructions:

Fill out this application form and click send.

* Please note: if you hold a Bacherlor Rechtsgeleerdheid - specialization International and European Law, please choose this option in the previous menu. You will have to take a 30 EC premaster programme.

Step 2 - Fill out your personal Details

Full name of your University *

Full name of your HBO Institution *

Full name of your Bachelor's Degree Programme *

Was the entire BA programme taught in English? Please check the box if this was indeed the case.

Please indicate your (expected) graduation date

Did you already complete, or do you plan to complete courses of the Faculty Minor: International Relations of the RUG before you graduate from your Bachelor's Degree Programme?

Which parts of the IRIO minor have you completed or do you expect to completed before graduation of your BA?

International Politics (LYX020P05)

Academic Skills (LYX021P05)

Theory of International Relations (LYX078B10 or LYX084B10)

Studying IP as a Social Science (LYX107B10)

Methodology and Research Practice (LYX079B10 or LYX083B10)

With the completion of your Bachelor programme, combined with the finished IRIO Minor, you meet all the entry requirements for the Master International Relations.

Application Instructions:

Fill out this application form and click send. You will receive an official letter of acceptance from the Admissions Board in order to register for the Master International Relations.

Surname / Family name *

First name *

Date of birth *

Nationality *

Full Home Address (street, number, postal code, city, country) *

Email address *

Second email address

Telephone number *

I have obtained a Dutch VWO dipoma (if you check this box for yes, you will have to add your diploma under step 4)

Transcript of Records *

Optional: Additional documents, for example additional degrees

Remarks:

Step 3 - Specific details regarding the Master International Relations

Choice of track in the Master International Relations *

For what starting date do you want to apply?

With a Dutch BA (HBO/WO), the application deadline for a start in September (Pre-Master or Master) is 15 August, but we strongly encourage you to apply before 1 July. If you apply before 1 July you will have a formal response before the end of July. If you apply after 1 July, you will only get your response end August, which leaves hardly any time to properly register for the PreMa/MA.

With a Dutch BA (HBO/WO), the application deadline for a start in February (Master only) is 15 January *

September 2025

February 2026

Note on start of the programme in February:

The Pre-Master Programme is only offered in semester I (September-January), this means that if you would have to complete parts of the Pre-Master Programme based on your prior education, you can only start Pre-Master in September and continue with the Master programme in February.

Step 4 - The required documents for your application

Degree certificate (Leave blank if you have not yet obtained your degree)

English Language Proficiency Test or Dutch VWO diploma (Leave blank if you have not yet obtained your degree)

Optional: Letter of motivation (pdf or doc)

Optional: copy of a substantial paper, preferably of Bachelor’s thesis

Optional: your Curriculum Vitae/Resume, including your personal details, previous education (list of all schools / institutions which have issued diplomas and dates of attendance) and relevant work experience.

Additional documents

If you passed courses similar to Theory of International Relations, Methods and Research Practice and/or Studying International Politics as a Social Science, please add the course descriptions of these here.

Admission with a non-Dutch Bachelor's Degree

Students with either a Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences (including - but not limited to - Economics, Political Science, Development Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Social Geography), or an internationally oriented university Bachelor's degree such as International Relations, Regional Studies, European/International Law, or (Modern) History are eligible to apply.

To assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, the IR Admissions Board will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies, and the grades you have obtained. The entire admission procedure for students with an international diploma is coordinated and supervised by the central University of Groningen Admissions Office. For more information and questions about the underneath admission procedure, please also see their website!

Students with a non-Dutch Bachelor's Degree Certificate will have to go through a two-step application procedure. Please note: all applicants with a non-Dutch qualification will have to pay an application fee for a start in 2023-2024 or later.

Step 1 - Registration in Studielink for one of the six tracks of the MA Programme International Relations (60734) in Studielink. Please note: once you register for a track, you cannot change this during the academic year.

Step 2 - After your registration in Studielink, you will receive an email from the Admission Office with instructions on how to access the Progress Portaal. You will have to provide the following documents in Progress Portaal:

The standard required documents (Choose Faculty of Arts)
A copy of an English language test result. All students, except native speakers, must have a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (internet-based) with a minimum of 21 for all items, IELTS: a minimum score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 on all items, or a certificate from the University of Groningen Language Centre at least B2 CEFR. The only exception could be made for students with a BA/MA diploma from a University in an officially English speaking country, this decision is up to the Admission Officer.
Optional: a copy of your Bachelor Thesis or another sample of academic writing (about 15 to 20 pages). In case your BA Thesis or essay is written in another language than English (or Dutch), please send us a 5-10 pages summary of it in English, translated by yourself. Please upload this document in Step 9: 'Additional documents' of the Progress Portaal. Don't forget to mention your name on the summary!

On the basis of your application the Admissions Board will determine whether:

direct admission to the Master's Degree programme is possible
you must first complete the Pre-Master programme (or parts thereof)
you cannot be admitted

If your situation does not match one of the above options, because for example you already obtained a Master Degree Certificate, please contact the Study Advice Office for more information about your specific application procedure.

Please send a mail to study.advice.irio@rug.nl and include an overview of all your completed or current education.

* = Input is required