You are eligible to apply for the MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations: Assyriology if you have:

• A bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in Ancient Near Eastern Studies/Ancient Cultures of the Mediterranean World: Assyriology; or
• A bachelor’s degree from a research university, equivalent to the level of a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree; and
• Detailed knowledge at the level of an academic Bachelor’s degree of at least 30 EC in one of the following: 
  • the grammar of the most important phases of the Akkadian, Hittite or Sumerian language, of the relevant scripts and of the historical development of the language and scripts; 
  • the archaeology, the material culture and art history of the region involved;
  • the cultural history of the region involved, including its literature, its religion, its social structure and its material culture. 

The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the level and content of a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in Ancient Near Eastern Studies: Assyriology on the basis of the requirements specified above.

Students with a Bachelor in Ancient Near Eastern Studies: Assyriology from Leiden University are directly eligible for admission. Students can apply in Studielink. There is no need to submit an application for admission using the online application portal.

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a research university that does not meet all the requirements mentioned above, you may be eligible for a pre-master’s programme tailored to your individual background. For students with a BA in Humanities or Archaeology this is a 30 EC programme, and for students with a BA in a different field the premaster’s programme consists of 60 EC.  After submitting your application in Studielink, the Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be directly admitted to the master’s programme, whether you will first need to complete a pre-master’s programme, or whether your deficiencies are considered too extensive and you can therefore not be admitted at all. It is not possible to directly apply for a pre-master’s programme.

The English language requirements for a pre-master's programme are identical to the language requirements for the master's programme for which admission has been requested. These requirements must be met before the start of the premaster.

The premaster programme of 30 EC takes place in the first semester, starting in September. The premaster programme of 60 EC takes two semesters, starting in September.

Once you have completed the imposed pre-master’s programme, you will be admitted to the master’s programme. For more information about the individual pre-master’s programme, please contact the Coordinator of Studies.

Applicants with a degree from a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO) or equivalent are not eligible for admission to the Master’s and pre-master’s programme.

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 situations only:
    You took the test before 1 Sept 2022 (and it is not more than 2 years old), or 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.

• 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.

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.

For detailed information, including exemption criteria and methods of submission, refer to English language proficiency.