Chemistry (MSc)
Admission requirements
To be eligible for Chemistry at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.
Diploma requirements
You are eligible to apply if you have
- a BSc degree in Molecular Science and Technology (MST) or a BSc in Chemistry from any research university in the Netherlands.
OR - a bachelor’s degree in an MST- or Chemistry-related programme from a research university in the Netherlands, under the condition that you have accumulated at least 150 EC in courses/projects belonging to the domain of Chemistry.
The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related.
If you do not meet the requirements above, you may still submit a request to the Board of Admissions. The board then reviews whether you demonstrate the academic ability to mitigate such a deficiency. The following matters will be reviewed:
- the average final grade of your obtained degree (at least 7.5 in the Dutch grading system) and
- your research project/internship grade (at least 8.0 in the Dutch grading system)
For more information, please contact the Chemistry study advisor.
If you have a a degree in Dutch higher vocational education (hbo) in a Molecular Science and Technology- or Chemistry-related field of science, you are eligible to apply under the condition that you have
- accumulated at least 150 EC (or the equivalence thereof) in courses/projects belonging to the domain of Chemistry, and
- obtained your hbo degree with an average final grade of at least 7.5, and
- a research project/internship grade of at least 8.0
The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the level and content of the Dutch BSc degree in Molecular Science and Technology or Chemistry and, if applicable, whether you meet the additional requirements.
For more information, please contact the Chemistry study advisor.
If you have a Molecular Science and Technology- or Chemistry-related programme from a foreign research university with a level similar to Dutch universities, you are eligible to apply under the condition that you have accumulated at least 150 EC in courses/projects belonging to the domain of Chemistry.
The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related.
If you do not meet the requirements above, you may still submit a request to the Board of Admissions. The board then reviews whether you demonstrate the academic ability to mitigate such a deficiency. The following matters will be reviewed:
- the average final grade of your obtained degree (at least 7.5 in the Dutch grading system) and
- your research project/internship grade (at least 8.0 in the Dutch grading system)
For more information, please contact the Chemistry study advisor.
Language requirements
The following requirements apply*:
- IELTS Academic modules only, on paper or on computer: 6.5 overall, with at least 6.0 for each separate component score.
- We do not accept IELTS Academic online.
- We do not accept IELTS General Training, IELTS Indicator, or IELTS One Skill Retake
- TOEFL internet based: 90 overall, with at least 20 for each separate component.
- We are not able to accept The TOEFL IBT Home Edition™, except in the following situation only:
You are unable to take an in-person test on location because test centres are inaccessible or closed due to unsafe conditions in a country. - We do not accept the following types of test: TOEFL My Best™ scores (multiple test scores combined), TOEFL Essentials™ or institutional tests such as ITP.
- We are not able to accept The TOEFL IBT Home Edition™, except in the following situation only:
- Cambridge English Exam C2 Proficiency, or C1 Advanced (180), with a minimum score of 169 for each separate component.
Note that English test results may not be more than two years old and must be obtained in one single test.
*You do not have to submit an English proficiency test if you have completed your education in the USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada (except French-taught programmes in Canada) Singapore, South-Africa or Malta; or if you have obtained an English-taught International Baccalaureate™; or if you have completed a Dutch VWO diploma or an English-taught bachelor at a Dutch research university or (for September intake) a diploma of an English-taught higher professional education (hbo) programme completed at a Dutch university of applied sciences.
For detailed information, including exemption criteria and methods of submission, refer to English language proficiency.
The education component of this master's programme is taught in Dutch. All applicants that have not achieved a Secondary Education qualification in the Netherlands, have to demonstrate their Dutch communication skills. The level of Dutch is assessed through an advanced Dutch language exam. For more information about the exam: Admission Exam TUL Advanced.
A Dutch as a Second Language Certificate (Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal) at Educatief Startbekwaam or Educatief Professioneel level is also sufficient to meet the language requirement.
Mind: after completion of the Education specialisation you obtain a first degree teaching qualification to be a teacher in the Netherlands.
Additional information
We expect students to bring a regular laptop running Windows (or running Linux for certain study programmes). MacOS may in most cases also suffice (with Parallels for Windows installed), but not all specialized applications may be supported, and less support may be available.
• Windows 11 compatible – 64-bits (or Linux for some study programmes)
• Processor/CPU – modern, medium range
• Memory/RAM – 8 GB, if possible 16 GB
• Storage – 512 GB, if possible 1 TB