Application and admission Digital Culture Studies - international procedure

Education requirements

• You are certainly eligible to apply if you have a Bachelor's degree in Humanities or Social Sciences, such as: Culture Studies, Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Modern Languages, Psychology, Social Geography, Communication Studies, Sociology, Media Studies, Anthropology, Political Sciences, Philosophy, Economics, Law, History, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• However, the academic background of the students in our Master's program varies a lot. Students with a Bachelor's degree in a different subject area are also most welcome to apply.

You must prove your proficiency in English by submitting the results of one of these tests:

• Academic IELTS with a minimum overall score of 6.5 and a minimum score of 6.0 on all individual parts of the test.
• TOEFL with a minimum score of 90-91 for the internet-based test; we do not accept the revised paper-based test. 
  • The TOEFL institutional code for Tilburg University is 9860.
  • Please note: we do not accept the TOEFL Institutional Testing Program (TOEFL ITP)
• Cambridge English test results: C1 advanced (formerly CAE) or C2 proficiency (formerly CPE). For both C1 and C2, we accept a score of A, B, or C.

Please note

• 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, you must confirm your test date in your application.

An English proficiency test is not required if one of the following applies to your situation:

• You hold a passport from one of the following countries:
  Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or the United States of America.
• You have studied your entire Bachelor's (or Master's) program in one of the above countries.
• You have an International Baccalaureate (IB) or European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma with English as the language of instruction.
• You completed a four-year Bachelor’s program (of at least 240 ECTS credits) fully in English at an accredited University of Applied Sciences (hbo) in the Netherlands.
• You completed a three-year Academic Bachelor’s program (of at least 180 ECTS credits) fully in English at an accredited research university in the Netherlands.
• You completed a one- or two-year Academic Master’s program (of at least 60 or 120 ECTS credits, respectively) fully in English at an accredited research university in the Netherlands.

For all other countries and situations, the English language test is compulsory.

During the application process, you must upload the following documents in pdf format only.

A. Documents to verify your educational background and motivation

• Diploma(s)
  Your Bachelor's (and Master‘s) diploma(s), if you already have them. If not, please upload confirmation from your University that you are registered as a student for the current academic year, the name of the program for which you are registered (level and field of study), and when you are expected to graduate.
• Transcript of Records
  This is a list from your University of the courses you have taken in your Bachelor's (and Master's) degree, with the grades you have achieved.  This must be an official list from your University, not your results downloaded from the University’s student system. If you have not yet completed all courses at the time of application, please provide the Transcript plus a list of the courses you still need to complete before graduation.
• Official translations of the Transcript of Records and diploma(s)
  If your Transcript of Records and diploma are not in English or Dutch, a certified translator must translate the documents (with the exception of the course description and the thesis/research paper). The translator must attach the translation to copies of the original document and stamp both documents. Please note: we cannot accept translations that are not attached to a copy of the original document; the translator must make sure that s/he stamps the copy of the original document and attaches the two documents to each other.
• English language test results if you are not exempted. Exemption form (pdf).
  You can check the requirements above under the heading 'English language requirements'. Please note that it is not obligatory to have completed the English language test before application. In our online application system you can indicate the type of test you intend to take and the approximate test date.
• Statement of purpose (motivation letter) - format (pdf).
• Resume / Curriculum vitae.
• A copy of your Bachelor's or Master's thesis or an essay completed during your studies (only in English and at least 1500 words; if you have not yet written a thesis, you could also upload a dedicated writing sample in form of an academic essay or research proposal)
• Chinese nationals are advised to apply for a Nuffic Certificate as soon as possible to avoid any delays in the immigration procedure. For more information, please go to the Nuffic website.

B. Documents to verify your identity

Non-EEA nationals

1. We only accept your passport to confirm your identity.
   • Please upload a scan of all pages in your passport which have a stamp or sticker on them, as well as the page with your personal details and the issue and expiry date of your passport.
   • Your passport must be valid until at least September 1, 2021.
2. Are you already living inside the EEA? In addition to your passport, please upload a scan of the front AND back of your EEA/Dutch residence permit.

EEA nationals

We accept either your passport or national identification card to confirm your identity:

• Passport: upload the page with your personal details and the issue and expiry date of your passport.
• National identification card: upload a scan of both the front AND back of your national identification card.

Please note

• Please make sure that all information in the documents requested is clear and do not cover any information in the scans of the documents you upload.  It is important for verification purposes that information including the photo, your personal details and the computer coding at the bottom of the document are visible to us.  
• In order to assess your application, we only require the documents listed above.

Register in Studielink

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 you register for the correct study program.
  • The name of this Master's program in Studielink:
    M Culture Studies
    After selecting this program, you will be asked to select the track of your choice.
  • The name of the pre-Master's program in Studielink:
    B Culture Studies (pre-master Digital Culture Studies) 
• Add your personal details (including your full name) as stated in your passport. 
• Add details of all your educational programs leading to your Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree, even if you have not completed the program of study.
• 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.

Register in Studielink

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

After you have registered in Studielink, you must continue your application in OSIRIS Aanmeld, our online application system.

Within 48 hours of your registration in Studielink, you will receive an e-mail confirming your login details to OSIRIS Aanmeld. 

• You can prepare for this e-mail by confirming noreply@tilburguniversity.edu as a safe sender in your e-mail system. You should also check your spam/junk inbox. 
• If you have not received this e-mail within 48 hours of your registration in Studielink, please contact your International Admissions Coordinator via Admissions@tilburguniversity.edu.

Log in to OSIRIS Aanmeld using your login details as stated in the confirmation e-mail. Follow the instructions to complete your application.

• We recommend that you use Chrome as your web browser.
• Please upload the documents detailed above. If you do not upload the correct documents, we will not be able to process your application.
• If you want to upload a document with more than one page, scan each page of the document into one PDF.
• In order to assess your application, we only require the documents listed above.
• You do not have to complete your application in one go. You can save your application and return to it later.

You will also receive an e-mail with login details for Tilburg University's computer network

In addition to the e-mail with login 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 e-mail 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.

Submit your application before the deadline as stated above

When you have completed your application, you can submit it. 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.

If your documents are not complete, you will be asked to submit any missing or replace any illegible document(s). Your International Admissions Coordinator may request additional information from you during the assessment process.  Please check your e-mail regularly (including your spam folder) to avoid a delay in the processing of your application.

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

After your application is complete, your application will be assessed to determine whether your academic background meets our admission requirements, based on your application documents.

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

Below are the possible outcomes of your application:

• Admission to the Master's program
  This means that you have been admitted directly to the Master’s program for which you have applied. 
  • Your admission may be conditional upon, e.g.,  your graduation from your current program and/or meeting the English proficiency requirements. All conditions of admission will be detailed in your conditional admission letter. Please read it carefully and contact your International Admissions Coordinator if you have any questions.
  • After you have met all the conditions of admission, you will receive your unconditional admission letter via e-mail.
• Admission to the pre-Master's program
  This means that your application was considered for admission to the Master’s program, but the Admissions Committee felt that your academic background was not sufficient to start the Master’s program directly. HOWEVER, it is considered that the pre-Master's program would prepare you sufficiently to begin the Master’s program in the next intake, once you have successfully completed the pre-Master’s courses.
  • If this is the case, your application for the Master’s program will be cancelled in Studielink and you must register in Studielink for the pre-Master’s program.
  • As soon as you have registered in Studielink, you will be asked to apply again via OSIRIS Aanmeld. You must only upload the admission letter you received, confirming our offer of admission to the pre-Master’s program. You will not have to upload any other documents again.
• Rejection
  This means that the Admissions Committee considers your academic background to be unsuitable for admission to either our Master's or pre-Master's program. Your registration in Studielink will be cancelled.

Admitted? Congratulations! We hope you are excited to start your studies at Tilburg University.

Complete your enrollment at Tilburg University

After your conditional admission, you must complete your enrollment.

• You can check your enrollment status and/or see any 'To do' items that are still pending in OSIRIS Student. You can use your login details for Tilburg University’s computer network to access OSIRIS Student.

Practical matters

Before you start your studies in Tilburg, there are some important things you need to arrange, such as your visa (non-EEA nationals only), housing, payment of your tuition fees, and more.

• To help you, we have created a Pre-departure Guide (with checklist) specifically for our international students. This guide will take you through your final preparations before you come to Tilburg.
• We will also send you regular e-mails about all these things, before your arrival.

Participate in the introduction activities

All Tilburg University students are encouraged to arrive in Tilburg during our Registration Days that will take place in mid-August.

After that, you can take part in the Tilburg Orientation Program (TOP Week) – a great way to get to know your fellow students and the city of Tilburg. It is the best way to start your studies in Tilburg!