Master's & Postgraduate admission and application

Before you start your application, make sure to check if you meet the admission requirements.

Academic level and background

Applicants for the Master’s and Postgraduate diploma in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (MSc) should have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university in a discipline related to the course*, preferably combined with working experience in a relevant field.

The following average scores apply:

• A 3.0 or higher Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) on a 4.0 scale, or
• Upper Second Class standing or higher 

_{NOTE: a Lower Second Class standing may be accepted based on evidence of relevant professional experience and/or other further academic development.}

Documentation
The faculty accepts transcripts, degrees, and diplomas in the following languages: Dutch, English, and German. It is at the discretion of the faculty to require additional English translations of all documents in other languages as well.

Language skills

Success in your studies requires a high level of English proficiency. Therefore, prospective students with an international (other than Dutch) degree must meet the English language requirement. As proof that you meet this requirement, you will be asked in the application procedure to upload one of the requested language certificates:

• IELTS (academic) with an overall band score of at least 6.0 (with a minimum sub-score of 6.0 for speaking and writing) and certificates not older than two years. 
• TOEFL iBT (internet-based) with an overall score of 80 (with a minimum sub-score of 20 for speaking) and certificates not older than two years. Please note that the University of Twente does not accept the MyBest scores of the TOEFL test.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced Formerly known as; Cambridge English Advanced (CAE), obtained with an A, B or C grade.
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency Formerly known as; Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE) obtained with an A, B or C grade.

Only these internationally recognised test results are accepted. Without a valid certificate, we cannot process your application.  

Other requirements

• If you take the test after the application deadline, or you do not have the official English certificate before the application deadline, the University of Twente will not process your application. Therefore, make sure to do the test in advance, as it will take time for you to get the official certificate.
• When applying for a scholarship, the language requirements may be different because scholarship providers may have different requirements.

Exemptions
You are exempted from the English language requirement if you hold:

• a relevant bachelor's degree from an accredited academic institution in the Netherlands
• if you are a national of one of the countries in this list (PDF)
• a three-year bachelor's degree in Australia, Canada (English-speaking part), Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA. When your awarding institution is in one of these countries, but your teaching institution was not, you are not exempted. The same rule applies to distance (online) education.

Computer skills

You are expected to be familiar with basic computer skills. Basic knowledge of and skills in working with GIS and spatial data is strongly recommended.

Notebook requirements

When you study in an ITC programme, you should have a notebook computer that meets  ITC's technical notebook requirements.

If you do not own a notebook that meets the minimum requirements, you could consider buying one through our Notebook Project. The Notebook Project offers discounted notebooks that meet our standards and have the peripherals needed to connect to the ITC networks.

Technical requirements online education and assessment

For online education, we formulated guidelines to guarantee optimal performance. For online oral exams and proctoring during online assessments, the webcam and headset requirements need to be met.

Did you check the admission requirements? For international students, the next step is filling in the eligibility check. This check is created for upcoming master's students with an international bachelor's degree to verify that they meet the specific admission requirements for the master's. Within just five minutes, you can find out if you are admissible.

For students with an international degree, it is mandatory to complete the eligibility check. After you have submitted the check you will receive an e-mail with a code. You need to fill in this code within your application later on. 

Please note that it gives you an indication of your eligibility, it is not the official admission decision and no rights can be derived from the outcome of the eligibility check. Ultimately, the official admission decision follows once you have applied for a master’s.

Do the e-check now

Apply in time! Start your application procedure on time and check the application deadline. 

The dates below apply if you have a non-EEA nationality that requires a residence permit for the Netherlands. Even if you have a Dutch or European residence permit your current nationality is leading.

To start your online application procedure, you need to submit several documents digitally. If any certified photocopies are required from you the University of Twente will notify you of this and tell you where to send them.

• A bachelor’s degree certificate or an equivalent qualification certificate (if available)
• An official transcript of records or preliminary transcript of records in Dutch or English 
• A certified official translation of your bachelor’s degree certificate and transcript of records if not in Dutch or English
• Official English test score results (IELTS or TOEFL IBt or Cambridge)
• An additional Higher Degree certificate and transcript and official translation (if applicable)
• A valid international passport
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Letter of motivation

Do you meet the admission requirements of the master's that appeals to you? Then you are all set to start your application! 

You may be admitted to the master's on the condition that you still have to pass. Please know that you can apply even if you have not yet obtained your diploma.

You start by applying in Studielink. Create an online account for Studielink, (please also check 'How to use Studielink?'). 

You apply by choosing your master's and the starting date. You receive three more emails from Studielink, confirming your application and asking you to send documents to UT. You will receive another important email with login credentials for the university-owned OSIRIS application where you can upload your documents (proceed to the next step).

Note: after submitting the e-check, you can find these further instructions in your e-mail as well!

After you have applied via Studielink, you receive an email (it can take up to five minutes) with an invitation to our online application portal, called Osiris. Once you have logged into Osiris, you can upload the requested documents (our application systems indicate which documents you need to upload). Do not forget to submit your application after completing it. After you have submitted your application, you will receive an email with the confirmation.

After you complete your online application, the Admission Office will review it. If everything has been submitted correctly, the admission process will begin. The Admission Committee will evaluate your application, and the Admission Office will notify you of the decision by email.

Offer of admission 

If you are deemed eligible, you will receive an email with your admission letter and a pro forma invoice. The email will also include a link to the "Offer of Admission." Please respond to the Offer of Admission. Once you accept our offer, you will receive further instructions on how to finalise your application. If applicable, we will also provide information regarding visas and housing

CERTIFIED COPIES OF YOUR DOCUMENTS

Please note that Dutch law also requires you to send certified hardcopy documents to the Admission Office by regular post. Please do so, after you have paid the invoice or received a scholarship. All information on how to provide these documents will be sent to you via email once you have been accepted.

The Admission Office requires the following certified hard copy documents:

• Certified hardcopy^(*) of your original Bachelor's degree certificate
• Certified hardcopy^(*) of your original final transcript of records
• Official translations in English or Dutch (if applicable)
• Your official English test report (if applicable)

^(*) A certified photocopy is a hard copy with an official stamp and signature on each page (if applicable also on the reverse side) to verify that it is a true photocopy of the original document. This official stamp and signature may be from a notary or your school or university. Photocopies or scans of the documents mentioned above are not legal proof. They cannot be accepted for enrolment. All documents submitted become the property of the University of Twente and will not be returned to you.

Visa formalities

Admitted ITC students are assisted with arranging visa formalities through a fast-track procedure by ITC. Students cannot apply for a visa themselves. For more information visit the visa information webpage.

Housing

ITC provides accommodation in well-furnished rooms at the ITC International Hotel (IIH) as an integral component of a study at ITC. For more information about housing visit the housing and accommodation webpage.

Many things in the Netherlands may be different from your home country, like climate, traffic, food, clothes, and religion. On these web pages, we have gathered information that will help you get ready for the Netherlands and study at our Faculty. 

This video gives you a small peek into the student life here with a humorous touch.