Required Qualifications

You are eligible for admission to the MSc. Public Administration if you have obtained:

1) a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Public Management, Public Economics or a similar program closely related to Public Administration from a research university (WO) and can show competence in the methodology of social science research as evidenced by prior course work, or  

2) a Bachelor’s degree from a research university (WO) in another field, provided that you have completed the minor ‘Public Administration: Multi-Level Governance’ or the minor ‘Bestuurskunde: Openbaar Bestuur, Beleid en Management’ at Leiden University, and can show competence in the methodology of social science research as evidenced by prior course work.

If you have a Bachelor's degree from a research university (WO) in another field (for example Cultural Anthropology, Pedagogical Sciences, Law, and Public Health), or if you have a Bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences (HBO) in a relevant field, such as Public Administration or European Studies, you may be admitted to the pre-master's programme. After successfully completing the pre-master's programme, you will be eligible for admission to the MSc. Public Administration.

Please visit the pre-master’s webpage for more information about the possibilities and admission requirements of the 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.