Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Application and admission Double degree in Sociology and Population Studies - international procedure

This is the international application and admission procedure for the Double Degree program in Sociology and Population Studies. This procedure concerns students from a non-Dutch university (regardless of nationality).

Please read before continuing

Are you applying with a Bachelor's diploma from a non-Dutch educational institution*?

Then you must follow the international procedure below.

Follow the procedure below

Are you applying with a Bachelor's diploma obtained in the Netherlands? 

 

Then you must follow the national procedure. 

Go to the national procedure

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

a) Check your eligibility

1. Educational background/diplomas

To be accepted directly to our Double Degree program in Sociology and Population Studies, you need to have the following academic background:

To qualify for the Master's in Sociology, you must have (a)n:

  • University degree (undergraduate and/or graduate) in a –preferably- relevant discipline, e.g. the field of social sciences, law, humanities or health sciences, and have a graduation date no later than September 1;
    • You cannot be accepted onto this Master's program without having either a Bachelor's or Master's degree. Work experience or an interest in this field cannot be taken into account for the admission process without a sufficient academic background. However, work experience and personal interest will be taken into account when assessing your application for a Tilburg University Scholarship for Academic Excellence, if you wish to apply.
  • Adequate knowledge of research methods and statistics, as demonstrated by having registered and passed at least one statistical course during your BA studies.
  • Adequate knowledge of social science statistics and research methods.
2. English language requirements

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

IELTS Academic: minimum overall band score of 6.5 and a minimum score of 6.0 on all individual parts of the test. 

  • We do not accept IELTS Online.  

TOEFL iBT: minimum total score of 90 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. 

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, the United Kingdom, or the United States of America. 
  • You have studied and completed your entire Bachelor's or Master's program in one of the following countries
    Australia, Canada (with the exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States of America. 

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

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

3. Reference letters

You must provide two relevant and personalized reference letters.

4. Motivation letter

You must prove sufficient motivation through a motivation letter.

We do not require a standard format for this letter, but it should be about 250-500 words. It should explain:

  • How you meet the specific criteria for admission mentioned above, with specific reference to your academic background.
  • Why you want to follow this program of study e.g. what specifically appeals to you about the content of this program.
  • Why you want to study at Tilburg University and Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
  • What you have done in addition to your academic studies in this field.
  • What added value you consider you could bring to our international classroom.
  • What you would like to do after you have completed this degree.
  • The motivation letter must be specifically written for your application for this program at Tilburg University.

b) Please note the deadline to register

When you apply for this program, please make sure that your application package, including all necessary documents, reaches us before the deadline that applies to your situation:

EEA Nationals

June 5th

Non-EEA Nationals

June 5th

Please note:

  • Applicants with a Swiss or Surinam nationality can follow the deadline for EEA nationals.
  • Non-EU/EEA students must be aware that they will need to request a visa for the appropriate time of student residency in each country. Obtaining a visa from one country does not guarantee obtaining a visa from the other.
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) strongly encourages non-EU/EEA applicants to apply in the first (January 10) or second (March 1) round at the latest to allow admitted candidates enough time to address visa issues. Please check the website of UPF to see all application rounds and corresponding deadlines.

c) Follow the procedure for international applicants

Procedure

You need to apply through Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). The application procedure can be found on UPF's application page. More information about the procedure can be found here.

  • The maximum number of students to enroll in the double degree program will be five (5) in each academic year.
  • All applications will be looked at by both institutions. If accepted, you will receive one joint admission letter.
  • Double Degree students are not admitted to the separate master programs offered within the double degree, but to the complete joint program only. To graduate, you must pass all the requirements of the double degree program.

Do you have any questions?

Please feel free to contact us for your personal queries. You can contact us on every page of the Master's website.