Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication

Application

International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies
IBACS student

The International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies (IBACS) welcomes applicants who meet the admission 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 1 October, you can start your application for the academic year 2026-2027 in Studielink. The application deadline is 1 April for non-EEA students and 1 May for EEA students. Only applications started in Studielink and submitted in the Application Portal of Erasmus University Rotterdam will be considered.

Please note: if you are applying with a non-Dutch diploma, then you need to pay a € 100 non-refundable application fee.

Application

Application for IBACS starts in Studielink, which is the Dutch national registration system for higher education. 

Once you have completed all the required steps in Studielink, you will be asked by email to complete your application in the Application Portal of Erasmus University Rotterdam, where you need to upload your documents and you can check the status of your application. Do not forget to upload all required documents by the deadline of 1 April for non-EEA students and 1 May for EEA students.

If you have any questions about your application, then please have a look at our FAQ section or reach out to the ESHCC admissions office.

Application deadlines

Deadlines for submitting your application in the 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

From 1 October, you can start your application for IBACS in Studielink. Please complete all the required steps.

Step 2: Application Portal

Once you have completed all the required steps in Studielink, you will be asked by email to complete your application in the Application Portal and you will receive your login details for the Application Portal.

Please note: automatically generated emails may end up in your spam or junk folder, so please check this folder. If you do not receive your login details for the Application Portal, then please reach out to the IT Service Desk of Erasmus University Rotterdam: it.servicedesk@eur.nl. 

In the Application Portal, you need to answer a number of questions and upload your documents. You need to submit your application in the Application Portal no later than 1 April (non-EEA students) or 1 May (EEA students).  

Application fee
All students applying with a non-Dutch diploma are required to pay a € 100 non-refundable application fee. In the Application Portal, you will be asked to complete the application fee. Only after a successful payment, you can proceed with your application. Applications without payment will not be considered.

Please upload the following documents in the Application Portal: 

  • Motivation letter, see the section “Writing your motivation letter” below. (You need to use the template; all other documents are not accepted.)
  • Proof of English proficiency (if applicable).
  • If you are applying with a non-Dutch diploma: your secondary/high school diploma and your final grade list or, if you have not yet obtained your diploma, a diploma statement, your most recent grade list and the grade list from your penultimate year. If the documents are not issued in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, or Spanish, then you need to submit official translations as well. 

Please note: we cannot and will not consider applications that have been submitted in the Application Portal after the deadline. 

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 Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Please use the template that you can download below. All other documents are not accepted. When saving your motivation letter, choose Save As -> Save as type -> PDF.

Downloads

Once you have submitted your application in the Application Portal, the ESHCC admissions office will let you know if your application is complete or if you need to upload any additional documents.

We will inform you within six to eight weeks after we have let you know that your application is complete whether or not you have been admitted to the programme and, if applicable, under what conditions (e.g. obtaining your diploma). 

We would like to know whether or not you will accept the offer of admission. We will send you clear instructions. Please follow the instructions carefully and accept the offer of admission in the Application Portal.

If you have been conditionally admitted, then you need to submit the required additional documents. 

Deadline for submitting certified copies of your diploma and your final grade list: 

  • 1 August

Deadlines for submitting proof of English proficiency: 

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

Your enrollment as a student at Erasmus University Rotterdam will only be finalised after you have arranged the payment of your tuition fees. From early April, you can arrange the payment of your tuition fees in Studielink. If you have any questions about payment of tuition fees, then please have a look at our website or reach out to the Erasmus Student Service Centre. 

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

The final date for finalising your enrollment is 31 August, but please do not wait until the last minute.

Once your enrollment has been finalized, you can download a proof of enrollment in Osiris: 

  1. Log in to Osiris with your ERNA account details.
  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 

We recommend that you arrive in Rotterdam well in time for your first classes. The Eurekaweek and the ESHCC introduction week are planned for mid-August and are a nice way to settle in before your classes start. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, all students applying for a bachelor's programme with a non-Dutch diploma are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of €100.

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.

Yes, all students applying for a bachelor's programme with a non-Dutch diploma are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of €100.

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 4 October 2025!

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