All VWO profiles are eligible (Nature & Science, Nature & Health, Economics & Society and Culture & Society). For students seeking admission based on a Dutch VWO diploma, the following requirements apply:
- Mathematics A or B required as final examination subject. Mathematics D only accepted in combination with Mathematics A or B.
- English required as final examination subject. Students who do not meet the English language requirement, are to submit a valid TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic or Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency Certificate.
Only the following HBO propaedeutic diplomas can give admission to the International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics:
For students seeking admission based on the IB diploma the following minimum requirements apply:
- English A HL (4), English A SL (5), English B HL (5)
- Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches HL minimum grade 4, Analysis & Approaches SL minimum grade 5, or Applications & Interpretation HL minimum grade 5. Students who study Applications & Interpretation SL with minimum grade 6, can prove their mathematical proficiency by participating in the mathematics entrance exam. Students with a lower grade are not eligible for admission
- Minimum requirement of 30 points (TOK, EE and CAS excluded)
For students seeking admission based on the EB diploma the following minimum requirements apply:
- Minimum of 3hrs English per week (language 1 or 2)
- Minimum of 3hrs mathematics per week (scores to be at least 75% on scale 1-100), 5hrs of mathematics is recommended (scores to be at least 65% on scale 1-100)
If you would like to know if your diploma grants admission to the IBEB programme, our admissions team has compiled a list of the most common foreign/international diplomas* (pdf) that meet the minimum general admission level for applying to a Research University such as Erasmus University Rotterdam. Please note that possible additional entry requirements apply in terms of English language or mathematics depending on the course curriculum within your diploma programme, regardless of the equivalence to a Dutch VWO diploma.
* No rights may be derived from this publication. The admissions team ultimately decides if the level and content of your secondary school education is sufficient and comparable to the Dutch secondary school system.
Applicants must show proficiency in the English language as all communication within the programme is in English. All applicants must demonstrate this by means of a TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, or Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency Certificate, not older than 2 years on the day of application to Erasmus School of Economics. We accept the online tests of TOEFL IBT Home Edition and academic IELTS Online.
The respective scores should be at least:
| Bachelor | |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 80 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 |
| Cambridge B2 First (formerly: FCE) | 170 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced (formerly: CAE) | 170 |
| Cambridge C2 Proficiency (formerly: CPE) | 180 |
No specific subscores required.
Exemptions
You are exempted from an English test if:
- English language was (or will be) part of your final examinations in one of the following diplomas, on which admission is based:
- VWO, obtained in the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, or Suriname
- American High School Diploma (at least 2,5 years)
- Austrian Reifeprüfungszeugnis
- Belgian ASO (in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium)
- Danish Studentereksamen
- Dutch four-year HBO diploma (including the course English language or when study programme was fully taught in English)
- Estonian Gugümnaasiumi lõputunnistuse
- European Baccalaureate (language 1 or 2; three hours per week minimum)
- Finnish Ylioppilastuskintotodistus
- French Baccalaureate General – Option International (British / American section) / Baccalaureat Francais International
- German Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife
Please note: taking the final examination is not required when English language is part of your curriculum up and until the final year, with a minimum score of 10 - GCSE English Language (English as second language not accepted)
- GCE A(S)-level English language
- Hungarian Matura Gimnáziumi Érrettségi bizonyitvány (advanced level)
- International Baccalaureate - English B HL 5 / A SL 5 / A HL 4.
- Latvian Atestāts par vispārējo vidējo izglītību
- Lithuanian Brandos Atestata
- Luxembourg Diploma de Fin d’Etudes Secondaires
- Norwegian Vitnemål
- Romanian Diploma de Bacalaureat
- Swedish Slutbetyg
- Swiss Maturität (German speaking part of Switzerland)
- You have obtained your diploma in one of the following countries:
- Australia
- Canada (with the exception of Quebec)
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- South-Africa
- United Kingdom (with the exception of Commonwealth countries and territories)
- United States of America
- English was your primary language during your secondary school education for at least 2,5 years in one of the following countries (and you have proof of this):
- Australia
- Canada (with the exception of Quebec)
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- South-Africa
- UK (with the exception of Commonwealth countries and territories)
- USA
Note: the Examination Board makes the final decision on granting you an exemption from an English language test.
The minimum required level of mathematics of each applicant must be comparable to the Dutch pre-university diploma (VWO) Mathematics A or B with a more than sufficient grade. A good grasp of mathematics is crucial when it comes to studying economics. If the level of your mathematics course within your secondary school curriculum is not considered equivalent to Mathematics A on VWO level, but you do perform well in your national mathematics high school curriculum, you are to demonstrate your mathematics proficiency via an entrance exam.
You may find information listed on the list of the most common foreign/international diplomas* or you will receive an instruction after your application is reviewed.
The purpose of the entrance exam is to measure whether your secondary school education in mathematics is sufficient for entering the IBEB programme. The entrance exam is not applicable to students who scored low in mathematics during their secondary school curriculum but would like to take the exam as a chance to prove themselves. The mathematics entrance exam is also not applicable to students who have not studied mathematics in their final year.
There are multiple mathematics entrance exams which we accept:
- OMPT (Online Mathematics Placement Test) types A and B.
- VWO deel-certificaat (Staatsexamen) Wiskunde A + B
- Boswell- Bèta certifcaat Wiskunde A + B
- CCVX Wiskunde A + B
For most applicants OMPT is most convenient since it is an online exam which can be taken anywhere in the world at any time of day.
Please note that Erasmus School of Economics does not accept re-sits. Only the first attempt will be accepted.