Bachelor LAS

Application and admission for University College Tilburg: Liberal Arts and Sciences

This is the application and admission procedure for applicants with a non-Dutch educational background.

Please read before continuing

Are you applying based on a non-Dutch school/university education (including IB or EB obtained at a Dutch institution), regardless of your nationality*?

Follow the procedure below

Are you applying based on a Dutch VWO or HBO-P diploma, regardless of your nationality?
 

Go to the national procedure (Dutch)
 

Go to the national procedure (ENG)

*including Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

Liberal Arts and Sciences is a selective program. The application procedure consists of two phases. In the first phase we check your eligibility; in the second phase we assess whether you and the program are a good fit on the basis of an application form and an interview. A positive decision at the end of both phases is required to be able to get admitted to the program.

a) Check your eligibility

Get a quick indication of your eligibility to our international Bachelor's programs.*

Go to our Eligibility tool

*Currently only available for students who want to apply for admission with a national diploma obtained in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, or USA or with one of the following international diplomas: International Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, GCE A-levels (UK, Cambridge). If you want to apply for admission with another diploma, this is possible, please check the information below.

1. Diploma requirements

Diploma requirements

To be eligible for admission to a research university such as Tilburg University, you must have a high school diploma equal to the highest level of secondary education in the Netherlands (the Dutch vwo diploma).

You can review a list of most commonly accepted diplomas on our website.

  • If your diploma is not on the list, this does not necessarily mean that your diploma cannot be accepted. We advise you to submit your application via our online application system so that we can assess your eligibility.
  • Haven’t obtained your diploma yet? You are welcome to apply if you are in the final year of your secondary education, but only if you will graduate before the start of your program at Tilburg University (i.e., by the end of August).
2. English language requirements

English language requirements

As this bachelor’s program is taught entirely in English, you must prove your English language proficiency by submitting the results of one of the following tests: 

IELTS Academic:  minimum overall band score of 6.0 and a minimum score of 5.5 on all individual parts of the test. 

  • We do not accept IELTS Online.  

TOEFL iBT: minimum total score of 80 for (TOEFL iBT: Computer based and Paper Edition) at a test center. 

  • We only accept scores from a single test date. We do not accept MyBest Scores. 
  • We accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition only under exceptional circumstances, such as when on-site language test centers are closed or inaccessible due to unsafe situations in a country. 

Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 proficiency: with grades of A, B or C.  

Please note 

  • The test results must not be older than two years at the time of application. 
  • You must be able to prove your English language proficiency at the time of application. Without test results your application cannot be processed unless you are exempted. 

For a full overview and list of exemptions, please check out our English language requirements.

For information and registration details regarding the tests, including applicable fees, please visit the official websites of IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge.  

3. Student profile

Student profile

As a student of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you will all contribute to the quality of your own - and each other’s - learning experience. Our admission process ensures you will be studying alongside other interesting, motivated, engaged, ambitious, and globally-minded students.

For Liberal Arts and Sciences we seek candidates who display:

  • Motivation and a broad range of interests.
  • Ambition and the desire for intellectual challenge and personal development.
  • An international mindset, and who can adapt to a truly multicultural classroom.
  • A high level of self-motivation and self-discipline.
  • An interest in participating in small-scale, interactive classes as well as lectures.
  • A passion for discussion and debate.
  • An interest in developing their ability to think critically and analytically.

b) Please note the deadline to register

If you want to start the program end of August 2024, you must submit your complete application at the latest by: 

EEA Nationals

June 15, 2024

Non-EEA Nationals

May 1, 2024

Please note:

  • Applicants with a non-EEA nationality and a valid residence permit of an EEA country, other than the Netherlands, should apply before the non-EEA deadline.
  • Applicants with a non-EEA nationality and a valid residence permit of the Netherlands, can follow the deadline for EEA nationals. The residence permit should be valid until at least up to the intended start date of your study program.

c) Follow the procedure for international applicants

For a step-by-step guide through the application process, please watch our video How to apply for a Bachelor's program as an international student (12:29).

Make sure you apply for the correct study program
  • The name of this Bachelor's program in Studielink:
    B Liberal Arts and Sciences
Step 1: Prepare your application documents

During the application process, you must upload several documents. The process consists of two phases. In the first phase we check your eligibility; in the second phase, we assess whether you and the program are a good fit on the basis of an application form and an interview.

A positive decision at the end of both phases is required to be able to get admitted to the program. If you are conditionally admitted, you also need to meet the conditions stated in your conditional admission letter before the deadline mentioned in the letter. Only then we can make your admission final.

Please prepare the following documents in pdf format:


  1. Copy Passport / ID card
    Please check the exact requirements, including the minimum validity of your passport or ID card, on the webpage Documents to verify your identity.
  2. Your diploma(s) in the language in which it/they are issued, OR the Statement of Educational Institution.
    • If you have not yet obtained your secondary school diploma, please upload the Statement of Educational Institution - Highschool. This Statement helps us assess your eligibility for admission correctly. Please ask your School Counselor or another representative of your school to complete the form as requested, sign it, and stamp it.
    • If you are currently studying at a higher education institution but have not (yet) obtained your diploma, please upload the Statement of Educational Institution – Higher Education. This Statement gives us more insight in your curriculum and will help us assess your eligibility for admission correctly. You can complete this form yourself. 
    • If you have obtained or will obtain the International Baccalaureate: we accept the IB diploma and transcript digitally if they can be verified online by Tilburg University. You can arrange (either via your school or yourself directly with the International Baccalaureate Organization) that Tilburg University has access to your final IB results in IBIS (International Baccalaureate Information System). If you have already graduated, please arrange that Tilburg University has access before you submit an application. If you still have to graduate please send a notification to admissions@tilburguniversity.edu when your final results are available online.
  3. Your grade list(s). If you have not obtained your diploma yet, please enclose your most recent grade list(s).
    • Please note that we only accept official grade lists which have been issued by your school and/or academic advisor. A screenshot of your school’s digital environment where you can review your academic progress is not accepted.
  4. Official translation of grade list/transcript and diploma(s)
    If your grade list and diploma are not already in Dutch, English, French, or German a certified translator must translate the documents, and certify them with a stamp and signature.
  5. The results of an English language test (unless you are exempted).
    • The test results must not be older than two years at the time of application.
    • If you do not have your test results at the time of application, your application can not be processed.
  6. Curriculum vitae
    A curriculum vitae (CV) is a summary of all your work experience and skills. If you have never created a CV before, you can use our guidelines to create a CV. Make sure that your CV does not exceed two pages.
     

The following document is part of the second phase and you only need to complete it once you have been conditionally admitted:

  7. Your application form. Please use our template to create your application form.

  • This form combines questions related to your motivation to apply for this program, with a short essay.
  • This form will be used as the basis for the admission interview.

Sending documents via regular mail

It is not necessary to send us certified copies of your documents right away. You can apply via the online application system, and upload your documents there. Submitting certified copies of your documents is necessary for enrollment. If you are conditionally accepted to the program, you will be prompted to send us certified copies of your documents.

Step 2: Register in Studielink

You must register in Studielink, the Dutch national registration system for higher education, and include the information below. Please do this correctly otherwise we will not be able to process your application.

  • Make sure you register for the correct study program as described above.
  • Enter your personal details (including your full name) as stated in your passport.
  • Enter an e-mail address that you use regularly. Tilburg University will send important information to this e-mail address, so please check it regularly.
  • For instructions on how to register via Studielink, please watch our video How to register in Studielink or check the Step-by-step plans on the Studielink website.

Register in Studielink

Please note: you must follow the application procedure in step 3 to be considered for admission. Registration in Studielink only is not sufficient. Both steps must be completed by the deadline stated above. 

Step 3: Continue your application in our online application system

After you have registered in Studielink, you need to continue your application in OSIRIS Aanmeldour online application system.

Within 48 hours of your registration in Studielink, you will receive two e-mails from Tilburg University. Please also check your spam/junk inbox. 

  • One e-mail contains your OSIRIS Aanmeld account details as well as information on how you can start your application in OSIRIS Aanmeld. If you have not received this e-mail within 48 hours of your registration in Studielink, please first check if you have completed the details of your prior education correctly. If you have not received this email after correction, please contact internationaladmissions@tilburguniversity.edu
  • The other e-mail contains your Tilburg University account details (your student number and Tilburg University e-mail address). You will not need these details for your application, but please save them carefully, as you will need them at a later stage.

For instructions on how to apply via OSIRIS Aanmeld, please watch our video How to apply for a Bachelor in OSIRIS Aanmeld (07:00).

Some tips for your application:

  • If you want to upload a document with more than one page, scan each page of the document into one PDF.
  • You do not have to complete your application in one go.  You can save your application and return to it later.

Submit your application before the deadline as stated above

If you submit your application either close to or on the deadline, but have not uploaded the correct documents, Tilburg University reserves the right not to process your application.

After submitting your application

Our International Admissions Coordinator will check that your application is complete, according to the requirements above.

You can check your application status anytime you log in to your account in OSIRIS Aanmeld.

Step 4: Assessment of your documents

When your application is complete, the Admissions Committee will assess your documents to determine whether your academic background meets our admission requirements. 

Within four to six weeks of the start of the process, you will receive the Admissions Committee's decision by e-mail.

The possible outcomes of your application are:

Conditional admission

Based on your documents, you can be admitted to the Bachelor’s program. You may proceed to the interview phase in the next step.

  • You will receive a conditional admission letter that will state what you need to do to turn your conditional admission into unconditional admission and by which deadline.
  • One of the conditions will also be that you pass the next phase of the process: the admission interview.
  • Please read your conditional admission letter carefully and contact your International Admissions Coordinator if you have any questions.

Rejection

Unfortunately, you do not meet the admissions requirements for this Bachelor’s program and we are unable to admit you based on your current academic background. Your application process ends here and your registration in Studielink will be cancelled. You are welcome to re-apply for this program in the future if your academic background changes.

Step 5: Admission interview

Within two working days after receiving your conditional admission letter, you will receive an e-mail with information about the next step in the process: an interview with two of our staff members.

Please note: this is a mandatory step in your application process.

Upload the necessary documents

At this stage, you will log back into your OSIRIS Aanmeld account, and upload the necessary documents for the admission interview. The deadline to submit your documents is July 1:

  • Diploma (if available) or Statement of Educational Institution
  • Grade list
  • Results of an English language test (if applicable)
  • Application form

Most of these documents you have uploaded in OSIRIS Aanmeld before. If that is the case, you can just upload the same documents again. Details about the format and content of the required documents can be found in 'Step 1: Prepare your application documents'.

After submitting your documents

Our International Admissions Coordinator will check if you have uploaded all the necessary documents for the admission interview.

If your document set is incomplete, you will be asked to submit any missing or replace any illegible document(s). Please check your e-mail regularly (including your spam folder) to avoid a delay in the processing of your application.

Once your document set is complete, you will receive an invitation to plan a date and time for your interview with two of our staff members, either in person or online.

  • You can use your login details for Tilburg University's computer network to select a timeslot for your interview.
  • During the interview, you will be asked about your academic ambitions, background, personal interests and motivation.
  • Your application form, that includes your motivation and essay, will also serve as input for the interview.
  • The interview will be held in English and will last approximately 45 minutes.
Step 6: Outcome of the admissions process

You will be informed about the decision of the Admissions Committee via e-mail.

You will receive either a positive or a negative admission decision.

  • positive decision means that we believe that this program will be a good fit for you.
  • negative decision means that we do not feel that this program is a good fit for you and that you will not be admitted into the program.
Step 7: Apply for a room in the shared accommodation (optional)

Would you like to live with fellow students during the first year of your Liberal Arts and Sciences studies on a shared floor within Talent Square in the city center of Tilburg ? If so, please make sure you apply for this option in time.

When and how do I apply?

  • After you have been (conditionally) admitted to the program, you will receive an e-mail with information on when and how you can apply for a room in the shared housing facility. The available rooms are assigned on a first come first serve basis.
  • The first e-mails are sent in March and the opportunity to apply for a room usually opens around May. So please keep a close eye on your mailbox!
Step 8: Admitted, what's next?

Congratulations on being admitted to Tilburg University, either conditionally or unconditionally! 

You may be wondering what the next steps are. To ensure a smooth (and stress-free) start of your studies, we have prepared a timeline to give you an overview of the things you need to arrange and to guide you through the process of becoming a Tilburg University student. 

On the timeline you can find information about:  

  • Completing your enrollment  
  • Paying your tuition fees 
  • Finding accommodation 
  • Arranging your insurances 
  • Books and schedule 
  • Introduction activities like TOP Week and your (mandatory) Study Program Introduction 

Go to the Welcome page

Tilburg University complies with all the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) regarding all personal information included in the application process, including photocopies of passports/residence permits, etc. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Statement.

Any questions?

Please feel free to contact us with any personal queries about the program, admissions and enrollment. You can contact us before, during or after you have submitted your application. Our team will be glad to answer all your questions about studying at Tilburg University and provide you with detailed practical information.