Application

Media Studies

How to apply for the pre-master Media Studies

How to apply for the pre-master Media Studies 

As of 1 October, you can register for this programme. You need to start in Studielink which is the Dutch national registration system for higher education. 

Subsequently, you continue your application in the Admission Portal of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).  After you have submitted your application, the programme’s admission committee will assess your request for admission. You will be informed about the outcome by email. Once you are admitted, you can finalise your registration. On the pages below, you will find information about the different steps you need to take to apply and enrol for a pre-master in Media Studies. 

If you still have questions after checking these pages, you can send an e-mail to the Admissions Office

Important: only submitted applications will be taken into consideration! 

Important: the curricula of the pre-master tracks differ. Each pre-master Media Studies track is designed to fit one specific master specialisation (i.e. the corresponding master specialisation). Therefore, it is not possible to register to a master specialisation different from the pre-master track you followed. For example, if you follow the pre-master track Media & Creative Industries, you will only be admitted to the Master specialisation Media & Creative Industries, and not to any of the other Media Studies specialisations. 

  • Copy of your bachelor's degree certificate – if already available

    • If you have not yet obtained your bachelor diploma, you may already apply. However, in that case, any offer made to you will be conditional until you have obtained your degree. You will have until 1 August to submit your diploma (or graduation statement). 

  • Translation of your diploma in English

    • If the original is not in Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish or German. Self-made translations will not be accepted. 

  • Recent official transcript of records

    • The transcript must show all your grades during the entire programme. 

  • Translation of your transcript of records in English

    • If the original is not in Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish or German. Self-made translations will not be accepted. 

  • GPA (Grade Point Average) - if available

    • Your GPA is based on the weighted average of all grades from your programme. 

  • Language test results

    • Preferably an IELTS academic or TOEFL iBT test. 
      If not yet obtained, we will consider your application anyhow. However, any offer made to you will be conditional. Please plan your test as soon as possible. 

  • Curriculum vitae in English. 

  • Essay or paper written in English

    • You are free to choose the subject of the essay. You may send a paper you have written during your Bachelor’s degree programme. The purpose is to give the programme’s selection committee an impression of your academic writing and analytical skills. The required length is 5-10 pages. Do not forget to include a reference list.  

  • Motivation letter in English

    • No more than two pages! 

  • Copy of passport or ID card. 

Application

Deadline

Non-EEA students

Before 15 April

EEA and Dutch students

Before 15 May

In view of the time needed to arrange visa and housing, applicants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) need to apply ultimately by 15 April. 

You will receive the outcome of the admission procedure ultimately by 1 July. We do have a rolling admissions procedure, which means we review applications as they are sent in. That also means that when you apply early you can already receive an answer early. It usually takes about 6-8 weeks before you receive the outcome of the admission procedure.  

Applications will be evaluated as from January at the earliest.

As a pre-master student you are officially part of the International Bachelor in Communication and Media (IBCoM) and therefore you might receive some e-mails about the registration process of the bachelor programme. You can ignore these e-mails since they do not apply to you. 

Step 1: Register in Studielink (choose bachelor programme and then the pre-master Media Studies)

Step 2: Finalise your application in the EUR Admission Portal

  1. Enrol in Studielink (the Dutch national enrolment system for higher education). You have to choose Bachelor programme first as this pre-master programme is part of the Bachelor IBCoM. After that you can find the pre-master Media studies programme in Studielink. 

  1. After you have enrolled in Studielink , you will receive an email with your ID and password to log in on the EUR Admission Portal. In this Portal you are invited to finalise your application by uploading the required documents and answering some additional questions. Once you have done this, you can submit your application.  


We will only start processing your application after you have submitted it in the Portal (by clicking on the 'submit' button on the last page of the questionnaire). 

Please be aware that automatically generated emails may end up in your spam or junk folder. Therefore, check these folders!

If after enrolling in Studielink you do not receive an email from us with your login details for the Portal, please contact our ICT service desk. 

 

The programme’s admissions committee will assess your application. You will be informed by email whether or not you are admitted to the programme.You can check your application status at any time by logging in on the EUR Admission Portal.

After assessment of application
The admission committee will inform you about the decision, the offer can be one of the following: 

Approved

You are unconditionally admitted to the programme. Please indicate within three weeks in the EUR Admission Portalwhether or not you accept the offer. 

Conditionally approved

You are conditionally admitted to the programme, your offer mentions the conditions of your admission.  Please indicate within three weeks in the EUR Admission Portal whether or not you accept the offer. 

Furthermore, you are requested to email any missing documents before the deadline. This could be: 

  • Certified copy of diploma and/or transcript: ultimately before 1 August 

  • English language test results: 

  • EEA ultimately before the 1 August 

  • Non-EEA ultimately before 15 May (due to the time needed to arrange visa and housing) 

Once we have approved the documents, your status will change to ‘approved’.

Declined

You will receive an e-mail informing you about the reason(s) for rejection.

 

If you still have questions after checking this page, you may find the answer in our FAQ section. You can also send an email to the Admissions Office.  

An application at Erasmus University is only complete if next to the admission documents you also have arranged payment of your tuition fee. If you are a Non-EEA student, you also need to meet all immigration requirements. Our central immigration desk will assist international students with arranging immigration formalities. Once you are selected for the programme, our immigration officers will reach out to you.   

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 practical matters page you will find all the information you need regarding payment of your tuition fees. If you still have questions, please contact Erasmus Student Service Centre

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.  

Looking for information on practical matters such as housing and insurance? Information on these subjects can be found in our practical matters page. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, you cannot apply directly for a Master’s degree programme. You will have to apply for a pre-master’s programme first (if available). After finishing the one-year pre-master’s programme, you will be automatically admitted to the related Master’s degree specialisation.

If you hold an academic (not an applied/HBO) bachelor degree in social sciences or humanities, you can apply for the master Media Studies. Depending on your exact curriculum the Admissions Committee will decide if you could be admitted directly to the master or would need to follow the premaster trajectory first.

If you meet all programme requirements except sufficient background in social scientific research methods  you may  be admitted to the programme on condition that you follow a preparatory intensive methods course offered by our department shortly before the start of the academic year (this course is €50).

Your eligibility can only be determined after you have submitted an application together with the required documents. Prior assessments would be merely hypothetical. For this reason, we encourage you to apply officially for admission. Your application will then be assessed by the programme’s admissions committee.
Of course, you can also check the detailed admission criteria on the programme’s website.  

No, it is not possible to transfer grades or credits obtained at another university

Yes, you can apply and we will consider your application. However, any offer made to you will be conditional until you meet all of the entry requirements. If admitted, you will get permission to submit your diploma (or graduation statement) after the application deadline, but ultimately 10 August.

Yes, you can apply and we will consider your application. However, any offer made to you will be conditional until you meet all of the entry requirements. Please plan your test as soon as possible. Bear in mind that it will take several weeks before you receive an official copy of your test results. If you are admitted, please send us your language test results no later than the deadline mentioned in your admissions offer. Without official proof of your English language proficiency at the required level, we cannot register you as a student for the programme!

If you have not yet taken any English test, we recommend that you take TOEFL -iBT or IELTS academic.

Check the programme’s entry requirements to see which scores you need to obtain in the language test. A Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE - grade B or A) or a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) will also be accepted.

Please note:

  • Test results of the First Certificate in English (FCE) and the TOEIC-test are not accepted!
  • Please plan your test as soon as possible. Bear in mind that it will take several weeks before you receive an official copy of your test results.
  • If you are admitted, please send us your language test results no later than the deadline mentioned in your admissions offer. Without official proof of your English language proficiency at the required level, we cannot register you as a student for the programme!

  • You are free to choose the subject of your paper, but an essay on a topic or issue in the field of Media Studies is preferred.
  • The essay should demonstrate your academic writing and analytical skills. It could be your bachelor thesis, a research paper or a course paper written during your bachelor study (or an extensive summary thereof if it was not in English).
  • The minimum length is 2,000 words (approximately 5 pages).
  • The paper must be written in English.
  • It is also possible to write an essay specifically for your application: in that case it should still be academic in nature, drawing on relevant academic sources.
  • Don’t forget to include a reference list.

English tests must be less than two years old at the time of application.

No, we do not. Therefore, you need to submit a digital copy of your English language test report.

For native speakers and graduates of recognised academic programmes taught entirely in English, the obligation to take a language test may be dropped after considering their academic performance.

In the Admission Portal you need to upload an official document stating the language of instruction of your Bachelor’s degree programme.

In the EUR Admission Portal you need to answer some additional questions and upload the required documents.
After checking your entries, you need to submit your application. Please note: only applications with the status ‘submitted’ will be processed.

We currently request no handling fee for the applications.

You can start working in the Portal, save your entries and use your login information to return to the Portal later. We will only start processing your application after you have submitted it in the Portal, by clicking on the ‘submit’ button at the bottom of the last page of the questionnaire. Thus, the status of your application will change to ‘submitted’. If that does not work, please contact the programme’s admission officer and ask for assistance.

In that case, please add a document stating your planned test date and indicate whether you will take an IELTS or a TOEFL test.

As of October you can apply for the academic year starting in September of the following year.

That is not possible. All our programmes start only once a year, on 1 September.

There are several deadlines and so-called ‘rounds’ for each programme. Check the programme’s website for the exact dates. 

Please note: candidates from outside the European Economic Area (non-EEA), are required to apply earlier than EEA-candidates. This is to ensure that non-EEA candidates will have sufficient time left to apply for a visa if they are admitted to the programme.

Applications submitted before a given deadline, will be assessed within 8 weeks after this date. Of course, we always try to let you know the outcome as soon as possible. Eight weeks after the deadline is the ultimate response date.

This is to ensure that non-EEA candidates will have sufficient time left to apply for a visa if they are admitted to the programme.

Yes, you do. However, you will improve your chances if you apply in the first or second round. 

Please note: candidates from outside the European Economic Area (non-EEA), are required to apply earlier than EEA-candidates.  This is to ensure that non-EEA candidates will have sufficient time left to apply for a visa if they are admitted to the programme.

Yes, you can apply and we will consider your application. However, if you receive an offer, it will be conditional until you meet all of the entry requirements. If admitted, you will be granted permission to submit your diploma (or graduation statement) after the last application deadline, but ultimately 10 August.

Our Admission's Officer will add them to your file.

Some universities do not issue diplomas until late summer or even early autumn - even if technically you have already graduated. If this applies to your university, please ask them to issue an official graduation statement, confirming you have indeed met all requirements needed for graduation. This document should be submitted to Master Admission (see programme’s website) no later than 10 August. It should be a certified document, i.e. it should carry the university’s stamp, signature and a date.

Our Admission's Officer will add them to your file.

Yes, if you cannot submit your language test report before the application deadline, we will consider your application anyhow. However, any offer made to you will be conditional until you meet all of the entry requirements. Please plan your test as soon as possible.

Bear in mind that it will take several weeks before you receive an official copy of your test results.

If you are admitted, we do need the test report ultimately 10 August. Without official proof of your English language proficiency at the required level, we cannot register you as a student for the programme!

A certified copy is a copy of a filed document, legal or other, which contains a seal that establishes the document is genuine. Thus, it should have a stamp and signature stating that it is a true copy.  Only an officially authorised person can certify a document (for example a notary or a university official).

You are free to choose the subject of the essay. You may send a paper you have written during your Bachelor’s degree programme. The purpose is to give the programme’s selection committee an impression of your academic writing and analytical skills.

 The minimum length is 2,000 words (approximately 5 pages). The paper must be written in English. Do not forget to include a reference list.

A sworn translator can provide an official translation. Nowadays, most universities provide separate translations or bi-lingual degree certificates and transcripts of records. These documents are regarded as official translations as well.

Please note: you must send a copy of the documents in the original language along with the translation.   

Only if you apply for our Research Master, you are required to submit two reference letters.
For all other programmes these documents are not mandatory. However, you may include additional documents if you believe this will contribute to your profile.

The purpose of the essay is to enable the programme’s admission committee to quickly assess your academic writing and analytical skills. Hence, the request to submit an essay of approximately 5 pages. Therefore, please always upload a short essay. You can submit an essay you have written during your previous studies.

In addition, you may upload your thesis under ‘additional documents’.

If you are applying for an English language programme, both your cv and your motivation letter should be written in English. The same goes for the required essay.

GPA stands for Grade Point Average. This average is based on the weighted average of all grades from your bachelor programme.

In many countries official academic transcripts contain a GPA (Grade Point Average) - one calculated per semester, and one calculated over the entire study programme. In some cases a GPA will only be calculated once the programme has been completed.

Within 8 weeks after the deadline* we will let you know by email whether or not you have been accepted to the programme.

*see schedule with deadlines and response times on the programme’s website

Every (conditional) admission offer is only valid for the coming academic year. If you are unable to join the programme, you will have to apply again next year.

No, it does not affect your chances in any way.

You can find information on scholarships here.

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.

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

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.

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) and if you have already filled out a Dutch address in Studielink. If you have not yet changed the address in your home country to your Dutch address, the faculty will let you know where you can pick up your student card.

It is advisable to arrive in Rotterdam well in time for the first lectures. Introductions such as ESN and the EUReka week are planned for mid-August and are a nice way to get settled before classes start.

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.

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