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

Application

International Bachelor Communication and Media
IBCoM student

The International Bachelor Communication and Media (IBCoM) welcomes applicants who meet the admission requirements and whose intellectual ability, (international) education, international orientation and mindset, 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 15 March 2026 at 23.59 hrs CET. We cannot and will not consider applications that have been submitted after the deadline. Only applications started in Studielink and submitted in the Application Portal of Erasmus University Rotterdam will be considered. 

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. 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 IBCoM 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 15 March.

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

Deadline for submitting your application in the Application Portal:

  • 15 March

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 IBCoM 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 15 March.  

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, maximum two pages, 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).  

Dutch students: 

  • If you are applying with the VWO diploma: your official 5 VWO end-of-year grade list and your most recent 6 VWO grade list.
  • If you are applying with a HBO propedeuse: your most recent transcript of records.  

Please note: we don't accept screenshots. 

International students: 

  • 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.

IBCoM aims to attract students with the right mindset. Students 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. All other documents are not accepted. When saving your motivation letter, choose Save As -> Save as type -> PDF.

Motivation letter template

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

When? By 15 April 2026 (at the latest)  

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.

The ultimate date on which you will find out the outcome of the selection procedure, is April 15. We have a rolling application procedure, which means that we review applications as they are sent in, and you can already receive the outcome early if you apply early. 

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

Yes, you can apply for IBCoM. If you get an offer from us, it will be a conditional offer. 

Please read the information on this website carefully and follow the instructions. More information about this test can be obtained via the ESSC.

Your current school/university can provide you with an official grade list. This needs to be stamped and signed.

You can take the following English language test for admission:

Important! Test scores may not be older than two years at the time of application. Note that it takes several weeks before the results of the tests are known. If you have not yet taken any English test, then we recommend that you take the IELTS or the TOEFL (you need to take the test in a test centre, online IELTS and TOEFL tests are not allowed). 

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 we do not recommend combining two studies. If you have further questions about this, please contact the student advisor.

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

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

It is advisable to arrive in Rotterdam from the end of August. The IBCoM programme organizes a yearly introduction week for first year students, which will take place at the end of August or in the beginning of September (date to be announced by email when you have been admitted). 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. If you already want to have more information, please visit the immigration website.

Please visit the website of the international office.

Is this your programme?

Your application in Studielink Visit the Bachelor Open Day on 4 October 2025!

Compare @count study programme

  • @title

    • Duration: @duration
Compare study programmes