Admission requirements
We welcome applications from prospective students with a wide variety of backgrounds, all related to the field of urban management and development. Each application is considered carefully, taking the individual potential of the applicant into account. Before you start your application, please read the application procedure and admissions information carefully. The requirements and the procedure apply to all six specialisation tracks.
We require candidates to have at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university in a field related to urban development. Below you can find an overview of all relevant fields.
The following studies are considered fully relevant to the track:
- Architecture
- Civil Engineering
- Development Studies
- Economics
- Geography
- Infrastructure
- International Relations
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Urban Management
- Urban Planning
- Urban Studies
The following studies are considered partially relevant depending on the subjects listed in your transcripts and the specialisation track that you are applying for:
- Environmental studies
- Gender Studies
- Law
- Real estate
If your degree is not listed on this page, please feel free to contact the Admissions Office for advice.
Please do keep in mind that this is not a pre-check service, nor offering a pre-admission.
Option 1: Email admission@ihs.nl with your background information. We usually reply within 2-3 working days.
Option 2: Make a 10-minute appointment via this link for an online talk to discuss your case.
We require our candidates to have obtained at least 6.5 (Dutch grading system), 3.0 (out of 4.0), second class lower, B or an equivalent.
Tip: Please make sure the information about your grading system is included in your grade transcripts or upload a supporting document providing information on this topic so that we can evaluate your performance as fairly as possible.
If English is not your mother tongue, an English language test or, in some cases, other proof of English proficiency is required.
We only accept certificates from TOEFL and IELTS as official language tests. The test report should be valid within two years by the starting date of the master programme.
You can submit your application while still waiting for your test result. As a non-EU/EEA candidate, you should upload the proof of your test registration, and the test should take place no later than 1 May 2026. For EU applicants, the test results can be uploaded by 1 August 2026.
Kindly note that we only accept test reports that meets all of our minimum requirements as the sufficient proof of English language proficiency. This is not negotiable.
Exemptions from English language testing are possible, but not guaranteed, if:
You have previously completed a full university degree through the English medium less than 3 years prior to the starting date of the master programme and the duration of your degree programme is minimum 1 year. In such cases students can submit the following two compulsory documents for consideration (not guaranteed):
- An example of a previously submitted, substantial essay or thesis in English.
- Confirmation from the institution that the language of instruction was entirely in the English medium.
Required scores:
- 90 Internet-based test with a minimum of 20 on each sub-test
Important note:
- For the TOEFL IBT test, MyBest™ scores report is accepted as a supporting document. If your sub-test score is lower than the minimum requirement, we use this report to evaluate whether you can be exempted from taking a new test.
- TOEFL ITP test is NOT accepted as an official test
We require a result of 6.5 overall for IELTS Academic test, with a minimum of 6 on each sub-test.
Working experience in a relevant field is considered an important asset during the selection procedure especially if you do not possess a fully relevant degree. However, it is not a prerequisite.
Each year our programme welcomes participants from more than 45 countries. It is important to have the ability to interact and work with people from very diverse cultures and backgrounds.
In addition, it is important that each participant has adequate knowledge on Microsoft Office tools as they will be used on regular basis during the study. Should you be not so confident with your knowledge on these, please make sure to have completed some courses yourself before the programme starts.
Application procedure and deadlines
You can find the step-by-step application procedure, detailed instructions on each application document, and the important dates and deadlines on this page.
Disclaimer: Due to the limited capacity per master track, the admission might be closed earlier than the scheduled deadlines (for both EU and Non-EU applicants) when a master track has reached the maximum number of applicants/participants.