Admission requirements

To enter the bachelor programme International Business of Rotterdam Business School you must meet the following requirements: 

4-year programme

Dutch secondary education diploma

Applicants with a Dutch secondary education diploma: HAVO, MBO 4 or VWO diploma, please check the website of Hogeschool Rotterdam for details about Admission Requirements.

EU and non-EU nationality applicants without a Dutch diploma

Students with a Secondary school diploma equivalent to a Dutch HAVO, MBO 4 or VWO diploma are eligible for our Bachelor programmes..

Click here to check at the Nuffic website whether your diploma meets the minimum level requirement. 

You need to meet the following requirements:

• For your final registration we need to either receive an original certified photocopy* of your diploma and a final transcript by post. Or you can show your original diploma and transcript in person before the deadline of 31st of August**. Certified translations (by sworn translator) are required if not in Dutch, English, French, German or Spanish. 
• English test level (scroll down to check the language requirements).
• Complete the study programme check.

*An original certified photocopy is a photocopy of your original diploma. This copy is stamped and signed by the school or the institute which awarded your diploma.

When you graduate before September 1st, 2021 but do not receive your diploma before September 1st, 2021, then you must hand in a declaration of graduation (completely filled in and signed) by August 31st, 2021 at the latest at the Centre of International Affairs. You will be sent this form, but we will also add it here when available.

What is the Fast Track Programme?

The 3 year fast track programme is a more intense version of our International Business programme. It was designed to provide students who have a VWO background a more challenging education. As mentioned in order to do this version, students must have a VWO equivalent previous education. These are educations such as the international baccalaureate. Below is some more information for you to understand further the fast track programme. 

Students who want to study one of our Bachelor programmes should have a secondary school diploma equivalent to a Dutch HAVO, MBO4 or VWO diploma. Please check the list below and be aware that this list is an indication of your diploma level. Your admission is based on your actual documents.

Exemption on placement semester

Students with a minimum of one-year full-time relevant work experience (in the fields of Finance & Accounting, Marketing Management, Logistics Management and/or International Human Resource Management) can apply to the examination board for an exemption from doing their placement semester. Instead they provide a placement report to meet the placement criteria.

English language requirements

English requirements (we accept):

• IELTS Academic 6.0;
• TOEFL iBT 80;  
• TOEFL iBT Home Edition 80;
• Cambridge: Minimum score of 169 

Exemptions for the English level requirement are: Applicants whose medium of instruction of the previous education was in English and some EU secondary education diplomas.

Please send the required application documents by email to the admissions team. Your previous education and your level of English will be reviewed to check if you meet the admission requirements.

EU and non-EU applicants who reside in the Netherlands also need to submit:

• Valid residence permit

Application deadline Bachelor programmes

*Non-EU applicants have an early deadline of May 1st due to visa applications that have to be submitted.

For a Willem de Kooning Academy bachelor programme, please see the admission information on the Willem de Kooning Academy website.