Step 1: Entry requirements

Before you apply to one of our Master's degree programmes, please check below the entry requirements and other possibilities.

Click on the drop-down menu which applies to you.

I have a...

Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Science and Engineering/ University of Groningen

Please check the admission and/or entry requirements in the Teaching and Examination Regulations to see whether your Bachelor's degree grants admission to the Master's degree programme. If you have unconditional access to a non-selective Master's degree programme, you do not have to follow a special application procedure: you may simply register in Studielink for your Master's degree programme.

List of connecting Bachelor's - Master's degree programmes

The following connecting FSE Bachelor's - Master's degree programmes do not require you to file an admission request to the Admission Board of the Master's degree programme: your admission will be processed automatically after registration in Studielink.

FSE MSc. degree programme	FSE BSc. degree programme
MSc. Applied Mathematics	BSc. Mathematics, BSc. Applied Mathematics
MSc. Applied Physics	BSc. Applied Physics
MSc. Astronomy	BSc. Astronomy
MSc. Biology	BSc. Biology
MSc. Biomedical Engineering	BSc. Biomedical Engineering
MSc. Chemical Engineering	BSc. Chemical Engineering
MSc. Computing Science	BSc. Computing Science
MSc. Energy & Environmental Sciences	All FSE BSc. degree programmes
MSc. Computational Cognitive Science	BSc. Artificial Intelligence
MSc. Industrial Engineering & Management	BSc. Industrial Engineering & Management
MSc. Mathematics	BSc. Mathematics, BSc. Applied Mathematics
MSc. Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences	BSc. Pharmacy
MSc. Pharmacy	BSc. Pharmacy, major Pharmacy
MSc. Physics	BSc. Physics, BSc. Applied Physics
MSc. Science Education & Communication (C-track only)	All FSE BSc. degree programmes
MSc. Systems & Control	BSc. Applied Mathematics, BSc. Astronomy (track: Informatics and Instrumentation), BSc. Chemical Engineering, BSc. Industrial Engineering and Management, BSc. Mathematics

Bachelor's degree from another university

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) of the University of Groningen (UG) offers a wide range of Master’s degree programmes for students who have a relevant Bachelor’s degree.

Please check the Master's programme page of your choice for the entry requirements. f you then come to the conclusion that your Bachelor's degree does not provide direct admission, please go to the section below.

Bachelor's degree from UG or another university that does not offer direct entry

If you would like to follow a FSE Master’s degree programme that dovetails insufficiently with your Bachelor’s degree programme, the Admissions Board may decide that you will first have to complete a Pre-master’s programme. A Pre-master's programme (max. 60 ECTS) usually comprises a set of Bachelor’s course units. If you are going to follow a Pre-master’s programme, please note that:

All the course units followed in a Pre-master’s programme must be completed within one academic year. In practice this will mean, for example, that for each course unit that is concluded with an exam, there will be no more than two scheduled exam opportunities; the regular examination and one resit. You will not be able to start the Master’s degree programme if you fail these exams.
Statutory tuition fees do not apply to Pre-master’s programmes. Instead, you will have to pay a special Pre-master’s fee that is calculated per ECTS rather than per month of registration. More information about this can be found on this website.

The table below provides an overview of all FSE Master’s degree programmes. A 'No' in the Pre-master column means that the Master's degree programme does not offer Pre-master possibilities.

Master degree programme	Pre-master
MSc. Applied Mathematics	Yes
MSc. Applied Physics	Yes
MSc. Artificial Intelligence	Yes*
MSc. Astronomy	No
MSc. Behavioural & Cognitive Neurosciences	No
MSc. Biology	No
MSc. Biomedical Engineering	Yes
MSc. Biomedical Sciences	Yes*
Msc. Biomolecular Sciences	No
MSc. Chemical Engineering	Yes
MSc. Chemistry	Yes*
MSc. Computational Cognitive Science	Yes
MSc. Computing Science	Yes
MSc. Ecology & Evolution	No
MSc. Energy & Environmental Sciences	Yes
MSc. Farmacie	Yes
MSc. Industrial Engineering & Management	Yes
MSc. Marine Biology	No
MSc. Mathematics	Yes
MSc. Mechanical Engineering	Yes
MSc. Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences	Yes
MSc. Nanoscience	No
MSc. Physics	Yes
MSc. Science Education & Communication	Yes
MSc. Systems and Control	Yes

* Selective Master, no direct admission

Dutch HBO-diploma

Introduction

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) of the University of Groningen (UG) offers a wide range of Master’s degree programmes, some of which are accessible to students with a Bachelor’s degree from a related University of Applied Sciences (‘HBO’) degree programme. In almost all cases, however, you will have to follow a Pre-master’s programme or Fast-track programme in order to gain admission to the Master’s degree programme.

Pre-master's programme

A Pre-master’s programme is a teaching programme with a student workload of no more than 60 ECTS, which can be followed after completion of a University of Applied Sciences degree programme and before the start of a Master’s degree programme. A Pre-master’s programme primarily aims to remedy the most serious deficiencies before starting the Master’s degree programme and to help students find their feet in the academic environment and its teaching and learning styles, which differ strongly from those at a University of Applied Sciences.

It is important to realize that you will have to successfully complete all the course units in the Pre-master’s programme within one academic year. In practice this will mean, for example, that for each course unit that is concluded with an exam, there will be no more than two scheduled exam opportunities; the regular examination and one resit. You will not be able to start the Master’s degree programme if you fail these exams.

Please note: To be considered for a Pre-master's programme, you must submit an admission request.

Fast-track programme

A fast-track programme ('Doorstroomprogramma' in Dutch) is a study programme at the University of Groningen, that can be followed by an HBO-student as part of their HBO study programme. The programme is formally part of the HBO study programme, for example as elective course units or in the form of a minor programme. The goal of such a fast-track programme is to create a better connection between the bachelor and the master programme.

Please note: To be considered for a Fast-track programme, you must submit an admission request.

The table below provides an overview of all FSE Master’s degree programmes. A 'No' in the Pre-master or Fast-track column means that the Master's degree programme does not offer Pre-master or Fast-track possibilities.

Master degree programme	Pre-master	Fast-track
MSc. Applied Mathematics	Yes	No
MSc. Applied Physics	Yes	Yes
MSc. Artificial Intelligence	Yes*	No
MSc. Astronomy	No	No
MSc. Behavioural & Cognitive Neurosciences	No	No
MSc. Biology	Yes	No
MSc. Biomedical Engineering	Yes	No
MSc. Biomedical Sciences	Yes	Yes
Msc. Biomolecular Sciences	Yes*	No
MSc. Chemical Engineering	Yes	Yes
MSc. Chemistry	Yes*	No
MSc. Computational Cognitive Sciences	No	No
MSc. Computing Science	Yes	Yes
MSc. Ecology & Evolution	Yes*	No
MSc. Energy & Environmental Sciences	Yes	Yes
MSc. Farmacie	No	No
MSc. Industrial Engineering & Management	Yes	No
MSc. Marine Biology	Yes*	No
MSc. Mathematics	No	No
MSc. Mechanical Engineering	Yes	No
MSc. Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences	Yes	Yes
MSc. Nanoscience	No	No
MSc. Physics	Yes	Yes
MSc. Science Education & Communication	Yes	No
MSc. Systems and Control	Yes	No

* Selective Master, no direct admission

English language requirements

Our (Pre)-master’s are taught in English and depending on your diploma, you will need to show proof of your command of the English language.

Previous diploma	Required level of English language
HBO BSc diploma	Exempted
Dutch University BSc diploma	Exempted
Pre-master/Fast Track	Exempted
International diploma	https://www.rug.nl/fse/programme/admissions/msc/language-requirements?lang=en

Selective and non-selective Master's degree programmes

FSE offers both selective and non-selective Master’s degree programmes. The Admissions Boards for non-selective Master’s degree programmes will mainly assess your request for admission in terms of the knowledge you acquired during your prior degree: does this dovetail sufficiently with the Master’s degree programme? The Admissions Boards for selective Master’s degree programmes will also focus on other aspects, such as your list of marks, motivation letter and letters of recommendation that you include with your request for admission. The exact criteria vary for each selective degree programme.

Non-selective Master's degree programmes
To follow a non-selective Master’s degree programme, you simply need to satisfy the standard admission requirement, i.e. have a relevant Bachelor’s degree certificate. Most Master’s degree programmes follow on logically from a Bachelor’s degree programme – for example, the Bachelor’s degree programme in Biology dovetails with the Master’s degree programme in Biology.

Selective Master's degree programmes
FSE will be offering eight selective Master's degree programmes in the academic year 2025/2026: Artificial Intelligence, Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, Biomedical Sciences, Biomolecular Sciences, Chemistry, Ecology & Evolution, Marine Biology and Nanoscience.

Last modified:

07 November 2024 11.00 a.m.