Erasmus University Rotterdam
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Application

International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies
IBACS student on campus

The International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies (IBACS) welcomes applicants who meet the entry requirements and whose intellectual ability, (international) education, international background and personal motivation will both benefit from and contribute to the learning environment of the programme. 

From October you can start your application in Studielink for 2024-2025. 

Our application deadline is 1 April for non-EEA students and 1 May for EEA students. 

Please note! Only submitted applications in Studielink and our Application Portal will be taken into consideration! 

    Application and registration

    All applications for IBACS start in Studielink, which is the Dutch national registration system for higher education. 

    Once you have completed all the necessary steps in Studielink, you will be asked (by email) to continue on to the EUR Application Portal, in which you should upload your documents and keep track of your application. Do not forget to upload all required documents on time (before the deadline of 1 April for Non-EEA students and 1 May for EEA students), so we can take your application into consideration. 

    If you have questions regarding your admission, please take a look at our FAQ section first, and otherwise contact the ESHCC Admissions Office. 

    Application deadlines

    The application deadline (in the EUR Application Portal)

    • Non-EEA students: 1 April
    • EEA students: 1 May

    Deadlines for submitting proof of English proficiency

    • Non-EEA students: 1 May
    • EEA students: 1 August

     

    Step 1: Studielink

    Apply no later than 1 April (non-EEA) or 1 May (EEA) 2024. As from 1 October onward, you will be able to register for IBACS through Studielink.

    Please note: If after enrolling in Studielink you do not receive an email from us with your login details for the EUR Application Portal, please contact our ICT service desk at it.servicedesk@eur.nl. 

    Automatically generated emails may end up in your spam or junk folder. Therefore, check these folders! 

     

    Step 2: EUR Application Portal

    Deadline 1 April for non-EEA students and 1 May for EEA students

    Once you have completed your registration in Studielink a follow-up email will be sent to you. You will be asked to login to the EUR Application Portal to upload your documents and answer some final questions. You need to submit your application through the Application Portal no later than 1 April (Non-EEA) or 1 May (EEA).  

    Please upload the following documents: 

    • Motivation letter, answer the questions: see Writing your motivation letter below. (You need to use the template; all other documents are not accepted) 
    • English language test results (if applicable). 

    Dutch student:

    • An official end-of-year report VWO 5 or 6 (signed and/or stamped by the institution of education), or your most recent transcript of records from HBOP. 

    International student:

    • A certified copy of your secondary education diploma and final list of grades or, if you do not have a diploma yet, your end-of-year report from your final or penultimate secondary-school year.

     

    Please note: we cannot and will not consider applications that have reached us after the deadline in the EUR Application Portal. 

    We find it important that you make the right study choice and that you carefully check if IBACS suits your interests. That is why we would like to hear from you why you want to study IBACS at EUR. 

    Please use the template that you can download below! We cannot and will not accept motivation letters written in another format. When saving your motivation letter, choose save as -> save as type -> choose PDF file.

    Download the IBACS motivation letter template here.

    Once your application has been submitted in the EUR Application Portal, the university will let you know if you need to upload any additional documents and/or if your application is complete.  

    The faculty will inform you within 6 – 8 weeks after we have let you know that your application is complete whether or not you have been invited to join the programme and, if applicable, under what conditions (e.g. obtaining your diploma). 

    We would like to know whether you will be accepting our offer. Instructions will be sent to selected students by the Admissions Coordinator. You need to follow all instructions very carefully and accept our offer in the Application Portal.  

     

    If you have been (conditionally) admitted, you will need to submit the required additional documents. 

    Deadlines for submitting certified copies of diploma and/or transcript: 

    • 1 August

    Deadlines for submitting proof of English proficiency: 

    • Non-EEA students: 1 May
    • EEA students: 1 August

    Your registration as a student at Erasmus University is only complete if you also have arranged payment of your tuition fee.  

    As of approximately mid-June, you will be able to arrange payment of tuition fees. You start with entering your payment details in Studielink (see your 'to do list' in Studielink). On our website you will find detailed information regarding payment of your tuition fees. If you still have questions, please contact Erasmus Student Service Centre. 

    Non-EEA students need to meet all immigration requirements. Once you are selected for the programme, our immigration officers will reach out to you. You can already have a look at our immigration website as well. 

    The ultimate date for finalising your registration is 31 August, but please do not wait until the last minute! 

    Once you have completed all the steps of admissions and enrolment you can download a proof of enrolment from Osiris Student. 

    1. Log into Osiris with your ERNA id and password. 
    2. Click on the menu (three stripes on top left-hand side) to select ‘My details’ 
    3. Click on ‘Enrolment degree programme’ 
    4. You will find the programme you applied for with a button below stating ‘Declaration of enrolment’ 
    5. Click this button to download your proof of enrolment 

    It is advisable to arrive in Rotterdam well in time for the first lectures.  

    ESN Introduction Days and the EUReka week are planned for mid-August and are a nice way to get settled before classes start. 

    Frequently Asked Questions

    No, we do not.

    Applicants must register in Studielink and then upload their application documents in the EUR Admissions Portal. Once the registration in Studielink is completed, a link to this portal will be sent via e-mail.

    Depending on the type of degree (Dutch/non-Dutch) you have obtained or will obtain, different documents are required. Please follow the procedure applicable to your specific diploma type. After your application package has been assessed by the programme's admissions committee, the faculty will let you know whether or not you will be invited to join the programme and, if applicable, under what conditions (e.g. obtaining your degree). 

    You will receive our reply within 6-8 weeks of submitting your application. Detailed information and instructions on how to proceed will be sent to invited students.

    No, we do not.

    You will receive our reply within 6-8 weeks after you have submitted your application.

    Please be aware that automatically generated emails may end up in your spam or junk folder. Therefore, please check these folders!

    Studielink is the Dutch registration system for universities. We can only register you as a student at our university if you enrol through this system. Please note that after enrolling in Studielink, you always need to finalise your application in the university’s Admissions Portal.

    Your home school/university can provide you with an official transcript of records. This needs to be stamped and signed

    Yes, you can apply. You need to upload your most recent transcript of records instead.

    Yes you can apply. You may send the test results later, but no later than the deadline mentioned in your admissions offer.

    In some cases, it is possible to take the so-called 21+ test (also known as colloquium doctum). Please read the information on this website carefully and follow the instructions. More information about this test can be obtained via the ESSC.

    Your home school/university can provide you with an official transcript of records. This needs to be stamped and signed

    A more than average proficiency in English is required for a reason. Students whose English is below the entry requirement, will have trouble successfully completing the courses. We expect a lot from our students and being able to communicate well is very important. We therefore recommend you not to take this requirement lightly. This standard has been set for a reason and has also proven to be necessary over the years. Students who think their English grade does not reflect their actual proficiency, are very welcome to demonstrate their increased skills by taking a TOEFL or IELTS exam.

    You need to send us the test report no later than the deadline mentioned in your admissions offer.

    Congratulations! Please send legalised copies of your diplomas together with final transcript of records and translations to the Admissions Office before August 1:

    Erasmus University Rotterdam
    USC – Department of Education & Student Affairs
    International Office - Admissions Office
    Sanders building, L3.010
    PO Box 1738
    3000 DR Rotterdam
    the Netherlands

    Courier address
    Erasmus University Rotterdam
    USC – Department of Education & Student Affairs
    International Office - Admissions Office
    Sanders building, L3.010
    Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
    3062 PA Rotterdam
    the Netherlands

    We only have one intake moment, which is in September.

    You can find information about the tuition fee here. More details can be obtained via the ESSC. The fee has to be paid before the first of September every year.

    We do not allow any transfers into the programme, not in September, nor in January or February. All Bachelor students have to start in year one of the Bachelor's programme, and complete all three years. It is not possible to transfer any credits. Exemptions based on previous education are rarely granted and can only be applied for after being accepted into the programme. The Examination Board will deal with such a request, based on your personal file.

    It is important to realise that the Binding Study Advice (BSA) applies, which means that you have to obtain all 60 EC of the Bachelor’s first year. In addition, we have mandatory attendance of the workgroups and quite a number of deadlines for assignments, hence good planning skills are required if you want to combine two studies. To find out whether this is possible for you, we advise you to check your current calendar and then check the calendar for the upcoming terms to see if it would, hypothetically, be possible for you to combine both, schedule wise. For some students it is possible to combine two studies, however, it requires a lot of planning and determination on the part of the student. If you have any further questions or want to discuss your situation in person, please do not hesitate to make an appointment with the student advisor.

    Once you arrive in Rotterdam, you can join one of the many courses offered at our Language and Training Centre.

    You can find out more about housing on this page. All international students who are invited to join the programme, will receive a detailed email from our International Officer with information about housing.

    It is advisable to arrive in Rotterdam well in time for the first lectures. Introductions such as ESN and the Eurekaweek are planned for mid-August and are a nice way to get settled before classes start.

    Yes, we do. All students to whom this applies, will automatically receive further information from our International Officer.

    In Rotterdam there are many places you can turn to for help and assistance. Please look here for more information.

    Please note that for medical assistance, the usual practice in the Netherlands is for a patient to have an initial consultation with a general practitioner (Dutch: huisarts), before making an appointment with a specialist in hospital.

    Erasmus University Rotterdam has made arrangements with several general practitioners. For information, click here.

    For information on your student card please view Digital Student ID card.

    If you have any questions you may contact ESSC.

    Please also check our practical information pages. If you are still unable to find the answers you are looking for, please contact the faculty’s Admission Coordinator at bacheloradmission@eshcc.eur.nl

    Is this your programme?

    Your application in Studielink Visit the Bachelor Open Day on 5 October 2024!

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