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

• A bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in Classics; or
• A bachelor’s degree from a research university, equivalent to the level of a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree in Classics or a comparable discipline; and
• With classes on Greek and Latin texts in the original language, equivalent to the 95 EC required in the Dutch system.

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 Classics on the basis of the requirements specified above.

For this purpose you are required to submit an overview of ancient Greek and Latin texts that you read in the original language during your undergraduate/graduate studies.

Students with a Bachelor in Classics 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 in Humanities, that does not meet all the requirements mentioned above, you may be eligible for a 30 EC pre-master’s programme tailored to your individual background. 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.

Once you have completed the imposed pre-master’s programme, you will be admitted to the relevant specialisation of the Master’s programme. Read more about the pre-master’s programme.

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 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.

• 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.