Bachelors Tilburg University

Application and admission Bachelor's programs Tilburg University

Are you interested in one of our Bachelor’s programs? We welcome and encourage both national and international students to submit an application. Applying for our programs is free of charge and can easily be done online. Also, submitting an application is the best way to know whether you are eligible for the program of your choice. This page is meant for students with a non-Dutch educational background.

Application requirements

To be admitted to a Bachelor's program at Tilburg University, you will need to meet several application requirements:

In addition, we want to learn more about you in order to determine whether a certain program is the right fit for you. For some programs, we may require you to write a motivation, submit a CV or essay, or take part in an interview. It is necessary to always navigate to the admissions page for the program of your choice, to see what is specifically required. 

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 in the program's admission and application procedure.

Application procedure

Applying to Tilburg University is free and easy. You can apply via our online application system, and you will not need to send us any official documents until you know whether you are conditionally admitted for the Bachelor's program of your choice. The application procedure to Tilburg University consists of two steps:

  1. Register in Studielink, the Dutch national registration system for admission to higher education.
  2. Continue and submit your application in OSIRIS Aanmeld, Tilburg University’s online application system.

Tilburg University has a rolling admissions process . This means your application will be assessed as it comes in, and you will know whether you are (conditionally) accepted within 4-6 weeks. 

The longer you wait to submit your application, the busier our International Admission Coordinators will be. It will take longer to receive the final admission decision. Therefore we encourage you to apply earlier rather than later, and not leave your application to the last moment.

Check our overview of application deadlines

The application process in steps

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).

Step 1: Find the right program

Explore our Bachelor's programs and discover which one you like best.

Step 2: Prepare your application documents

During the application process, you must upload a number of documents in pdf format only. Read the admission requirements for the specific program of your choice once more and create your application package.

Please note that while the procedures are similar, there are differences in the documents you need to submit as part of your application for each program. If you decide to apply for multiple programs, you will need to submit a new motivation letter for each one.

Step 3: Register in Studielink for the correct program

First you must register in Studielink, the Dutch national registration system for higher education, including the information below. Please do so correctly or we will not be able to process your application.

  • Make sure that you register for the correct program.
  • Add 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 you important information via this e-mail address, so please check it regularly.
  • For step-by-step instructions on how to register via Studielink, please refer to the Studielink Manual.

Please note: you must follow the application procedure in step 4 to be considered for admission. Registration in Studielink only is not sufficient. Both processes must be completed by the deadline. 

More on Studielink on our website

Step 4: Continue your application in our online application system

After you have registered in Studielink, you must upload and submit your application package in OSIRIS Aanmeld, our online application system.

  • Within 24 hours of your registration in Studielink, you will receive an e-mail, confirming your log in details to OSIRIS Aanmeld.
  • Please keep an eye on your mailbox for any of our messages and add noreply@tilburguniversity.edu as a safe sender in your e-mail system. You should also check your spam/junk inbox.

If we have questions or need additional information, or if your application has any missing items that should be uploaded, we will contact you via e-mail. When your submitted application is complete, your application will be assessed to determine whether your academic background meets our admission requirements, based on your application documents.

In addition to the e-mail with log in details for OSIRIS Aanmeld, you will also receive an e-mail with login details for Tilburg University's computer network. This e-mail has, among other information, your student number and Tilburg University email address. You will not need these details for your application, but please save them carefully, as you will need them after your admission to complete your enrollment.

Step 5: Outcome of the admissions process

Your International Admissions Coordinator will send you the outcome of your application via e-mail. This will be within a few weeks after your complete application has been submitted.

If you have been rejected, it is possible to ask us what you need to do in order to qualify for next year’s intake. If you have been accepted: congratulations! You can now focus on the steps that follow, such as a visa application and arranging housing.

Step 6: Admitted, what's next?

Congratulations on being admitted to Tilburg University, either conditionally or unconditionally!  We welcome you and wish you good luck with the start of your studies.

We will walk you through the next steps:

  • Complete your enrollment and pay your tuition fees
    Please check your enrollment status and any to-do items that may still be pending in OSIRIS Student. You can use your login details for Tilburg University’s computer network to access OSIRIS Student.

  • Arrange practical matters
    Before you can start your studies in Tilburg, there are a number of important practical matters to take care of, such as your visa (non-EEA nationals only), housing, and insurances.

  • Participate in orientation activities
    All Tilburg University students are encouraged to arrive in Tilburg during our Registration Days, which will take place in mid-August. During the week prior to the start of the academic year, there is a mandatory study program introduction. You may also want to take part in the Tilburg Orientation Program (TOP Week) – a great way to get to know your fellow students and the city of Tilburg.

Take the next steps to become a Tilburg University student

Not directly eligible?

The best way to find out whether you can be admitted to the program of your interest is by submitting an application. In this way, our International Admissions Office can determine if you are eligible to enroll in a Bachelor’s program at Tilburg University

If you are not directly eligible for our programs, don’t give up just yet! With an additional year of higher education you will be able to work on bridging the gap(s).

Listed are the pathway options to our Bachelor’s programs:

  • Complete one year in an academic program at a research university in your home country closely related to your Bachelor’s program of choice at Tilburg University.
    The entire first-year curriculum needs to be completed with sufficient scores. This extra year could make the difference and make you eligible to apply again next year.
  • Complete one year at a Dutch university of applied sciences, preferably in a study program related to the program you want to study at Tilburg University, and pass all the courses offered.
    You will then earn a propaedeutic certificate. With this certificate, you can re-apply for entry into our Bachelor’s programs. This option applies to all Bachelor’s programs, but be aware: additional requirements may apply, such as passing a Mathematics test or achieving a certain grade point average.

Get in touch with us to find out about your options.