Bachelors Tilburg University

Diploma requirements

Tilburg University welcomes students with a range of different educational backgrounds. On this page, you can check whether the diploma you have obtained or will obtain makes you eligible for a Bachelor’s program at Tilburg University.

We accept secondary school diplomas which are equivalent to the Dutch VWO: the Dutch secondary school diploma which gives access to research universities. Is your diploma not listed here? The best way to figure out whether you are eligible for the program of your choice, is by submitting an application

Please note:

  • Some diplomas require additional conditions in order to become equivalent to the Dutch pre-university diploma (VWO).
  • Some Bachelor’s programs require applied or advanced knowledge of mathematics.
  • Proof of English language proficiency is required.
  • The diploma requirements below might differ for the Joint Bachelor's program in Data Science. The application and admission procedure for this joint program is done exclusively via Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). You cannot, nor should you apply via both universities. Visit the program webpage for more information. 
  • Foundation (year) programs will not be accepted for admission.

This information is meant for students with a non-Dutch educational background. If you have a Dutch educational background, please check more information on our webpage in Dutch.

Check your educational background in the list below

The Netherlands
  • VWO (pre-university) diploma
    Are you applying with a Dutch educational background? You can find more information about application and admission on our webpage in Dutch. 
International Schools
  • European Baccalaureate diploma or
  • International Baccalaureate diploma
    Tilburg University only accepts the full International Baccalaureate Diploma, which includes the core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS) and subjects taken from groups 1-5 or groups 1-6 - of which at least three subjects must be at Higher Level. The overall score must be ≥ 24. Individual diploma program course results are not accepted for admission purposes.
Albania
  • Diplomë e Maturës Shtetërore obtained at a Gjimnazi
Austria
  • Reifezeugnis from an Allgemeinbildende Höhere Schule or
  • Reifeprüfungszeugnis from an Allgemeinbildende Höhere Schule
Belgium
  • Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs, Algemeen Secundair Onderwijs (ASO) or
  • Certificat de l'Énseignement Secondaire Supérieur,
    Enseignement Général or
  • Abschlusszeugnis der Oberstufe des Sekundarunterrichts - Allgemeinbildende Unterricht
Bosnia- Herzegovina
  • Diploma o položenom maturskom ispitu obtained at a Gimnazija or 
  • Diploma o završenoj srednjoj školi obtained at a Gimnazija
Brazil
  • Certificado de Conclusão do 2° Grau and 1 or 2 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
  • Certificado de Conclusão de Ensino Médio and 1 or 2 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
Bulgaria
  • Diploma Za Sredno Obrazovanie (DZSO) obtained at a Gimnasia, Academic Comprehensive Stream with a final overall grade of at least 5.0. A Diploma Za Sredno Obrazovanie (DZSO) obtained at a professional/vocational secondary school will not be considered for direct admission
Canada
  • Diploma d’Etudes Collégiales (DEC) préuniversitaire (Quebec)
  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with at least six grade 12 university preparation subjects, including English and Mathematics and a score of at least 80% in each subject or 
  • British Columbia Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma with at least five general, academic grade 12 subjects, including English and Mathematics, and a score of at least 80% in each subject or 
  • Alberta High School Diploma with at least five general, academic level 30-39 (grade 12) subjects, including English and Mathematics, and a score of 80% in each subject 
     
Chile
  • Licencia de Enseñanza Media (humanístico-científica) and at least 1 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
China
  • Gaozhong and Gaokao and at least 1 year academic education*
Croatia
  • Svjedodžba o (državnoj) maturi (general/academic subjects) obtained at a Gymnazijum
Cyprus
  • Apolytirio Lykeiou from a public school (specialization classical studies and humanities or foreign languages and European studies, or economic sciences, or natural sciences/life sciences/information science/technology) with a final score of 15 or higher and none of the four final national exam subjects lower than 15 or 
  • Lise Bitirme Diplomasi from a public school with an average score of at least 8.5

Students attending a private, international school following an International Baccalaureate, US, UK or another non-Cyprian curriculum are referred to the corresponding (country) school system for the admission requirements

Czech Republic
  • Vysvĕdčení o maturitní zkoušce obtained at a Gymnázium
Denmark
  • Studentereksamenbevis or
  • Bevis for Høgjere Forberedelseksamen
Ecuador
  • Bachiller en Ciencias and at least 1 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
     
Estonia
  • Gümnaasiumi Lõputunnistus in combination with the Riigieksamitunnistus (State Examination Certificate)
Finland
  • Ylioppilastutkintotodistus / Studentexamenbevis obtained at a Lukiokoulutus / Gymnasieutbildningen (general upper secondary school)
France
  • Diploma du Baccalauréate Général
Germany
  • Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife
Greece
  • Apolytirio Genikou Lykeiou with a final score of 15 or higher
Hungary
  • Erettségi Bizonyítvány obtained at a General Gymnázium. An Erettségi Bizonyítvány obtained at a Szakközépiskola or Szakgimnázium will not be considered for direct admission
Iceland
  • Stúdentspróf (Matriculation Examination) obtained at a Menntaskóli
India
  • Standard XII diploma (Arts or Science streams;  no Commerce stream), All India Senior School Certificate (by the CBSE), with five academic subjects with marks ranging from A (A1, A2) or B (B1) or
  • Standard XII diploma (Arts or Science streams;  no Commerce stream), Indian School Certificate (CISCE board) with a mark of at least 75% in each of the 5 academic examination subjects or
  • Migration Cum Transfer Certificate obtained at the Senior Secondary School Examination (NIOS) with grades A, B, or C in each of the 5 academic examination subjects.

Accepted academic subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, History, Languages, Mathematics, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology 

Indonesia
  • Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) and at least 1 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
Ireland
  • Leaving Certificate with at least 6 accepted exam subjects with at least 2 subjects at a higher level with grades H1-H4 and a minimum CAO score of 350 calculated over 6 academic subjects.

    Accepted exam subjects: Ancient Greek, Arabic, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Economics, English, French, Geography, German, Hebrew Studies, History, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mathematics, Physics, Politics and Society, Religious Education, Russian and Spanish 
     
  • Leaving Certificate Applied is not accepted for admission
Israel
  • Te'udat Bagrut with at least three general, academic subjects at a level of 4 or 5 units
Italy
  • Diploma di Superamento dell'Esame di Stato Conclusivo obtained at a Liceo Classico, Liceo Scientifico, Liceo Scienze Uname or Liceo Linguistico
Kazakhstan
  • Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) Grade 12 Certificate with at least 3 subjects at Advanced level with grade A, B or C and 2-3 subjects at Standard level with grade A, B or C
Latvia
  • Atestats par Visparejo Videjo Izglitibu and a Vispārējās vidējās izglītības sertifikāts (Certificates of the Centralized Exams) of the three compulsory subjects 
Lithuania
  • Brandos Atestatas obtained at a Gimnazija or Licejus
Luxembourg
  • Diplôme de fin d'études secondaires – enseignment secondaire classique
Malaysia
  • Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia/Matriculation Certificate with three principle passes in general, academic subjects with grades A-C or
  • Unified Examination Certificate with an average score of 75% or higher and a general, academic curriculum
     
Malta
  • Matriculation Certificate from the University of Malta with an overall grade of A-C
Moldova
  • Diploma de Bacalaureat - Liceul teoretic - obtained after 2013
Morocco
  • Attestation du Baccalauréat and at least 1 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
Norway
  • Vitnemål fra den vidergåonde skolen -Specialisation in General Studies
Peru
  • Certificado Oficial de Estudios in a general stream and 1 or 2 years fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
     
Poland
  • Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Liceum Ogolnoksztalcacego (General lyceum) and a Swiadectwo Dojrzałości (Maturity Examination). Please note that you are not eligible for admission with previous education from a Technical College (Technikum) in combination with a 'Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci’.
Portugal
  • Diploma do Ensino Secundario in Cursos científicos humanisticos and an average mark of at least 14 + Provas General de Acesso ao Ensino Superior (declaration issued by DGES) with a minimum overall application score of 140
Romania
  • Diploma de Bacalaureat - filiera teoretică (Humanities or Sciences). A Diploma de Bacalaureat – filiera tehnologică or filiera vocaţională will not be considered for direct admission
Russian Federation
  • Attestat o Srednem (Polnom) Obshchem Obrazovanii and at least 1 year of fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
Scotland
  • Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) with 4 Highers and 2 Advanced Highers in academic subjects
Serbia
  • Diploma o stecenom srednem obrazovanju obtained at a Gimnazije
Singapore
  • Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘Advanced’ level in three H2 + one H1 in general/academic subjects with grades A-C + General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry with grades A-C (5 different subjects in total)
Slovakia
  • Vysvedcenie o Maturitnej skúske obtained at a Gymnázium
Slovenia
  • Matura or Spricevalo o Splosni Maturi obtained at a Gimnazia
South Korea
  • High School diploma and at least 1 year fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
Spain
  • Titulo de Bachiller and Prueba de Selectividad (PAU) / Evaluación para el Acceso a la Universidad (EvAU) with at least a score of 6.0 for each of the 4 or 5 subjects of the compulsory part (fase obligatoria)
Suriname
  • VWO diploma
Sweden
  • Högskoleförberedande Examen från Gymnasieskolan*
Switzerland
  • Maturity Certificate or
  • Maturitätszeugnis or
  • Maturitätsausweis or
  • Certificat de Maturité
Turkey
  • Lise diplomasi with a Diploma Puani (Notu) of at least 85% from a Genel Lise. The Imam-Hatip Lise Diplomasi, Meslek Lisesi Diplomasi and Teknik Lisesi Diplomasi will not be considered for direct admission.

Students attending a private, international school following an International Baccalaureate curriculum are referred to the International Baccalaureate diploma requirements 

United Kingdom
  • At least 3 GCE accepted A-levels in general academic subjects (see below) with grades A*-C, plus 3 GCSE academic subjects with grades A*-C or 4-9 (six different subjects in total).

    Accepted A levels: Biology, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Economics, English (a combination of Language and Literature will be considered as one A-level subject), Geography, Government and Politics, Further Mathematics, History, Languages (not your native tongue other than English), Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religion and Sociology.

    Two of the above accepted A-level subjects plus another subject not listed, such as Business studies may also be considered. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis and depend on the appropriacy of the subject, grade achieved (minimum score B for all 3 subjects), and the selected Bachelor program.
United States of America
  • High School Diploma with at least 4 Advanced Placement examinations (not accepted are: AP Capstone, AP Research, AP Seminar and AP Studio Art) with a minimum score of 3 or
  • High School Diploma and at least 1 or 2 years fully completed academic education at a recognized university*
Vietnam
  • Bang Tot Nghiep Pho Thong Trung Hoc obtained at a high school with an average final grade of at least 8 for the National Final Exam

*The exact level and value of your previous education may also depend on such factors as the institution from which it was obtained or the contents of your study program, the nominal study duration and GPA. The only way to know for sure whether you are eligible for a program is by applying.

Is your diploma not in the list above?

The list presented here is not exhaustive. In order to know whether you are eligible for admission, we encourage you to submit an application. Applying for any of Tilburg University’s programs is free of charge and can be done online. The earlier you do this (up to a year before your planned start) the better, as you will know whether you are admissible while having the needed time to plan ahead.

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. The exact level and value depend on factors such as the institution from which it will be obtained, the content of the study program, the nominal study duration and GPA. 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.