ICT in Business and the Public Sector (MSc)
Admission requirements
To be eligible for ICT in Business and the Public Sector at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements. NOTE: in September 2025 this master programme will become _Computer Science and Business Studies_, i.e., a new Business Studies specialisation of the existing master Computer Science programme. The curriculum will remain mostly the same, with additional freedom in choosing electives from the master Computer Science.
Diploma Requirements
You are eligible to apply if you have
- A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Informatica) from any research university in the Netherlands.
OR - A bachelor’s degree in a Computer Science-related programme from a research university in the Netherlands, under the condition that you have accumulated at least 90 EC (or the equivalence thereof) in courses/projects belonging to the domain of Computer Science (including knowledge of mathematics, statistics, programming and software engineering skills).
The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the BSc degrees in Computer Science.
If you have a bachelor’s degree that does not meet the requirements specified above, you may be eligible for an individual Pre-Master’s Programme tailored to your individual background. A lack of (Python) programming and Software Engineering skills will need to be addressed in the Pre-Master’s Programme. If you have successfully met the requirements of the imposed, you will be admitted to the master’s programme.
For more information, please contact the ICT in Business and the Public Sector study advisor.
If you have a degree in Dutch higher vocational education (hbo) in a Computer Science- or Business Information Science-related programme, you are eligible to apply under the condition that you
- have obtained your diploma within a maximum of five years, and
- have an average final grade of at least 7.5
The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the BSc degrees in Computer Science and whether you meet the additional requirements.
If you have a bachelor’s degree that does not meet the requirements specified above, you may be eligible for an individual Pre-Master’s Programme tailored to your individual background. A lack of (Python) programming and Software Engineering skills will need to be addressed in the Pre-Master’s Programme. If you have successfully met the requirements of the imposed, you will be admitted to the master’s programme.
For more information, please contact the ICT in Business and the Public Sector study advisor.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or in a Computer Science-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 90 EC (or the equivalence thereof) in courses/projects belonging to the domain of Computer Science (including knowledge of mathematics, statistics, programming and software engineering skills).
The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the Dutch BSc degrees in Computer Science and whether you meet the additional requirements.
If you have a bachelor’s degree that does not meet the requirements specified above, you may be eligible for an individual Pre-Master’s Programme tailored to your individual background. A lack of (Python) programming and Software Engineering skills will need to be addressed in the Pre-Master’s Programme. If you have successfully met the requirements of the imposed, you will be admitted to the master’s programme.
For more information, please contact the ICT in Business and the Public Sector 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.
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