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

Application

International Bachelor Communication and Media
IBCoM student on campus

The International Bachelor Communication and Media (IBCoM) welcomes applications from candidates who meet the entry requirements and whose intellectual ability, education, international orientation & mindset and personal motivation will both benefit from, and contribute to, the programme.

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

Our application deadline is 15 March 2024, 23:59 CET.
Please note! We cannot and will not consider applications that have reached us after the deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as it will allow us to communicate the results of the selection process to you earlier. It will also allow you ample time to make (alternative) arrangements for your studies. It will increase your chance of getting admitted.

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

Application

All applications for IBCoM 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 15 March), 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)

  • 15 March

Deadlines for submitting proof of English proficiency:

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

Step 1: Studielink 

Apply no later than 15 March 2024. As from 1 October onward, you will be able to register for IBCoM 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 servicedesk 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 also 15 March) 

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 15 March.  

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. 

The IBCoM programme aims to attract students with the right mind-set. Those who are really interested in the concept of the international classroom, who are eager to closely cooperate with people from different backgrounds. Hence, your motivation letter is a very important part of your application for IBCoM. 

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.

Motivation letter template

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 whether or not you have been invited to join the programme and, if applicable, under what conditions (e.g. obtaining your diploma).  

When? By 15 April, 2024 (at the latest) 

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

Prospective students should register for the IBCoM programme in Studielink. Furthermore, students should upload the required documents in the EUR Application Portal. Once the registration in Studielink is complete, a link to this portal will be sent via e-mail, providing a student with login (ERNA) details. You will then be able to enter additional information and upload the required documents, such as your motivation letter. Once you are done, you have to submit your application in the EUR AP. We will only process applications that have been submitted through the EUR AP (on time).

Depending on the type of diploma you will be obtaining, different documents are required. Please follow the procedure applicable to your particular diploma.

Prospective students will be informed about the outcome of the procedure by IBCoM, no later than 15 April. Selected students will receive an offer from IBCoM, and are requested to confirm their participation. More detailed information and instructions on how to proceed once you are invited (by the Examination Board) to join IBCoM, will be sent to those to whom this applies.

No, we do not.

The number of applications for the IBCoM programme largely exceeds the number of places available. Although we no longer have a numerus fixus, we aim for an international classroom of about 300 students. 

The ultimate date on which you will find out the outcome of the selection procedure, is April 15. The Examination Board will look at all files in January, March and April and select a couple of students who will be invited to join the programme right away. Applicants whom the Board does not believe to be suitable candidates for the programme, may also be informed right away. Some will find out after April 15th, since we do not wish to rule out anybody, and want to leave most of the spots open for late applicants as well.

Since we can only admit a limited number of students, we are very careful when considering all applications. All files will be compared, so it only makes sense for the Board to wait until all of them are in. This means that most students will only be invited to the programme after the ultimate deadline. Only students who have received an acceptance letter from the ESHCC Examination Board will be allowed to enter the programme.

No, we do not. We only have an annual intake, which is in September. 

This is the Dutch registration system for universities.

Yes, you can apply for IBCoM. If you get an offer from us, it will be a conditional 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 grade list. 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 in a communications programme, being able to communicate well, is obviously very important. We therefore recommend you do not 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. 

A list of the entry requirements can be found here.

It is very important that you follow these instructions carefully. Since DUO and the EUR are two separate institutions, we do not automatically share these documents. It is up to you to make sure all your documents reach DUO in time.

We do not allow any transfers into the programme, not in September, nor in January or February. All IBCoM 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 realize that the Binding Study Advice (BSA) applies, which means that you have to obtain all 60 ECTS of the IBCoM BA-1. 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.

Regular students follow three courses per term, most courses consist of one lecture and one tutorial per week. 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, do not hesitate to make an appointment with the student advisor through the education office.

No, we do not accept deferrals. You would have to apply again next year. 

In addition, 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 Admission and Recruitment Coordinator with information about housing.

It is advisable to arrive in Rotterdam from the first of September onward. The IBCoM programme organizes a yearly bootcamp for first year students, which will take place in the beginning of September (date to be announced later). Lectures start the week after that. Other introductions, such as ESN and the EUReka week are mid-August and are also a nice way to get settled before classes start.

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

During your time as a student in Rotterdam, 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.

You can contact the ESSC about this. You need the card to participate in exams, and borrow books in the library. You will only receive it once you have finished your registration (e.g. payment of tuition fees). 

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