The application period for Master and Pre-master programmes for the 2026–2027 academic year opens on 1 November 2025 for applicants with an international diploma (obtained outside the Netherlands). Submission deadlines vary depending on your nationality:
| Status applicant | Deadline application |
|---|---|
| Non-EU / EEA applicants | 1 April, 2026 |
| EU / EEA applicants | 1 May, 2026 |
The admission requirements for the Master Econometrics and Management Science are as follow:
All applicants must hold a Bachelor degree (BSc) in the field of Econometrics and Operations Research, Economics and Mathematics, Quantitative Economics, Mathematics, Statistics or Industrial Engineering. Your degree has to be equivalent in both level and content to the BSc in Econometrics and Operations Research offered by Erasmus School of Economics. It is not necessary to have completed your Bachelor degree at the time of application. However, all requirements of your degree must be fulfilled before the start of the academic year.
Applicants with a degree in Economics, Business Economics or Business Administration need to have a quantitative specialisation (such as a minor or major in Econometrics, Operations Research or Decision Analysis) in order to apply.
The Examination Board of Erasmus School of Economics will assess your Bachelor degree to determine if it meets the admission requirements for your chosen programme.
Your Bachelor degree needs to consist of a solid background in advanced mathematics, applied mathematics like operations research and programming, applied statistics, econometrics and time-series analysis. This background must be clear from your university transcript. Econometrics and Management Science involves making quantitative analyses in order to solve problems faced by the government and businesses.
To check whether your background is sufficient, compare your curriculum with the BSc in Econometrics and Operations Research offered at the Erasmus School of Economics.
In the text below you can get an indication of the required level and content of each course, organized per cluster. Click on each cluster to get an overview of the required courses. Please click on the name of each course to get access to the course guide to obtain detailed information about each course and the required literature.
Mathematics
| Courses: | Introduction to Analysis (FEB21017X), Analysis (FEB21021X), Vector Calculus (FEB21023X), Matrix Algebra (FEB21019X), Mathematical Methods (FEB21010X) |
| Credits: | 24 ECTS |
| Level: | You have to be able to construct, formulate and evaluate mathematical proofs, and work with them. |
| Books: | Book indicative of the level are:
|
Statistics
| Courses: | Introduction to Statistics (FEB21018X), Probability Theory (FEB21005X), Statistics (FEB21007X), Introduction to Multivariate Statistics (FEB22003X), Markov Processes (FEB22008X) |
| Credits: | 20 ECTS |
| Level: | You have a thorough understanding (theorems and proofs) of mathematical statistics and probability theory, including multivariate statistics. |
| Books: | Books indicative of the level are:
|
Economics
| Courses: | Microeconomics (FEB21020X), Macroeconomics (FEB21022X), Finance (FEB22017X), Marketing Research (FEB13016), Mathematical Economics (FEB22016X) |
| Credits: | 32 ECTS |
| Level: | You have to understand the key concepts of (business) economics, and how to study those with econometric techniques. |
| Books: | Books indicative of the level are:
|
Econometrics
| Courses: | Econometrics 1 (FEB22004X), Econometrics 2 (FEB22005X), Time-Series Analysis (FEB23001X), Advanced Econometrics (FEB23016) |
| Credits: | 16 ECTS |
| Level: | You have to be able to derive estimators and tests and their properties using matrix algebra. |
| Books: | Books indicative of the level are:
|
Operations Research
| Courses: | Linear Programming (FEB21009X), Combinatorial Optimization (FEB22002X), Nonlinear Optimization (FEB22006X), Simulation(FEB22013X) |
| Credits: | 16 ECTS |
| Level: | You have to understand and master different optimization methods and be able to implement them in program languages or software packages. The methods include linear, non-linear and combinatorial problems in deterministic and stochastic environments. |
| Books: | Books indicative of the level are
|
Informatics/programming
| Courses: | Introduction to Programming (FEB21011X), Programming (FEB22012X) |
| Credits: | 16 ECTS |
| Level: | You have to be able to program algorithms in procedural languages (Matlab) and in object oriented programming languages (Java). |
| Books: | Click on the link of the course to see the literature list in the course guide |
Erasmus School of Economics follows the guidance of the Dutch governmental institute Nuffic when comparing foreign degrees to the Dutch educational system to assess the level of your Bachelor degree. We recommend reviewing your country’s educational system on their website.
All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English. Accepted tests must have been taken within two years prior to your application. Only the following tests and minimum scores are accepted:
| Accepted test | Minimum subscore | Minimum total score |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 22 | 91 |
| Academic IELTS | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) | 176 | 176 |
| Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) | 176 | 180 |
| Language Cert | 65 | 70 |
| PTE Academic | 65 | 70 |
Please note that online English tests are not accepted for visa and residence permit purposes under IND regulations. If you are a non-EEA student requiring a visa or residence permit, you must take your test at an official test centre. Alternative formats, such as IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL Home Edition, or TOEFL MyBest Scores, are not accepted. EEA students may use online test versions.
Your English test scores must meet the minimum requirements before the application deadline. Applications without valid scores will not be considered. Please allow up to 14 days for test results to be published.
Reasons for exemption from an English test are:
- You have obtained your diploma in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada (with the exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, South-Africa, United Kingdom (with the exception of commonwealth countries and territories) and United States of America.
- English was your first language during your secondary school education for at least 2,5 years in one of the above mentioned countries.
- You have obtained a Dutch VWO diploma in the Netherlands and English was one of your exam subjects.
- You have obtained Dutch four year HBO diploma in the Netherlands including an English language course.
Please note: The Examination Board will make the final decision on granting you an exemption for the English language test based on the above mentioned criteria. Erasmus School of Economics does not offer any preparatory English courses.
An American university in a country that is not mentioned in the list above does not grant you exemption.
In case your Bachelor programme does not cover all the required courses mentioned above, the Examination Board will review your application for possible admittance to the Pre-master Econometrics and Management Science. In order to be reviewed for the Pre-master Econometrics and Management Science you do need to have obtained the equivalent of all three of the following courses:
These courses need to focus on constructing mathematical proofs. Often, these particular courses belong to degree programmes in (Applied) Mathematics and are generally not a part of the curricula of degree programmes in Economics, Business Economics or Business Administration.
Please note: Having passed these required courses does not automatically mean that you are admissible for the Pre-master Econometrics and Management Science programme. Each application is individually reviewed by the Examination Board of Erasmus School of Economics.
Please review our step-by-step application guide and the required documents before submitting your application
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