The University of Amsterdam Merit Scholarship offers a limited number of scholarships for talented students from outside the European Union who are applying to Master’s programmes within the Faculty of Economics and Business. TheAmsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)aims to support academically outstanding students during their studies in the Netherlands and enrich international classrooms with the brightest minds from around the world.
Scholarship Details
- Provider:Faculty of Economics and Business – University of Amsterdam (UvA Economics and Business).
- Funding:Full tuition fee coverage + an additional allowance of €5,000 (for one academic year).
- Duration:One year (Full-time Master’s programme).
- Eligible Nationality:Students from outside the European Union only.
- Application Deadlines:
- 1 November 2025(for Business Administration programmes – tracks in International Business, Digital Marketing, or Consumer Marketing – for February intake).
- 15 January 2026(for all other programmes – for September intake).
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible for the AMS scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be from anon-EU country.
- Be among thetop academically performing students(in the top percentile of their class).
- Notbe entitled to a Dutch study grant or loan ("Studiefinanciering").
- Notbe receiving a full coverage scholarship for the same study period as covered by the AMS.
- Have submitted acomplete applicationto one of the Master’s programmes in the Faculty of Economics and Businessbefore the deadline (15 January).
- Be able to comply withDutch visa regulations, as outlined by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
- Submit acomplete application before 15 January, including the documents required under the selection criteria and application process.
Selection Criteria
The best candidates are selected based onacademic excellence and merit. Applications are compared to identify the strongest candidates.
Required Documents
Applicants must submit:
- Proof of a high GPA:
- (Magna) Cum Laude (Dutch system),
- or First Class Honours (UK),
- or a minimum GPA of 3.7 (US system).
- Motivation letterof no more than 300 words, explaining why the applicant deserves the scholarship.
- Proof of English language proficiency(if required):
- TOEFL iBT: Overall score of at least 100 (minimum 22 in each section).
- IELTS Academic: Overall score of at least 7.0 (a subscore of 6.5 may be accepted, but higher scores are preferred).
- Cambridge: CAE or CPE with a minimum of 190 in each skill.
- GMAT or GRE score(if required) according to the programme's requirements. A higher score gives an advantage.
Note:Applicants are exempt from the English test if they hold a secondary school diploma from a school located in and accredited by the authorities of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, or the USA.
How to Apply
- Apply for the desired Master’s programme viaStudielinkand complete the online application form onEmbark.
- Within the Embark platform, upload the following documents under the scholarship section:
- Recommendation letterfrom a dean, professor, or academic supervisor confirming that the applicant is in the top 10% of their class.
- Motivation letter(maximum 300 words) answering the following:
- Why do you need this scholarship?
- Why do you deserve it? Include a description of academic excellence and any other achievements.
Please note:Only complete applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Important Notes
- The scholarshipdoes not waive the tuition fee; it's given to the student and the student must pay it themselves.
- The scholarship amount ispaid out in 12 equal monthly installments.
- Alimited number of AMS scholarshipsare allocated each year, and the exact number depends on the annual budget assigned to the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Amsterdam. Therefore, the number of awards may vary yearly.