Language requirements

Exemptions may be granted – in the specific sections you will find more information. 

International students who apply for a Dutch-taught programme must provide proof of Dutch proficiency of at least CEFR level B2. Scroll to the bottom of this page to read more about the accepted documents.

HU accepts one of the following documents as proof of English proficiency:

Some international students are granted exemption from the English language test based on their high school diploma:

• Students who have obtained a secondary school diploma in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
• Students who receive the South-African National Senior Certificate and have taken English as their Home Language.
• Students with an accredited international American high-school diploma or British international GCSE/A-levels.
• Students with the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, the Caribbean Examinations Council certificate, or European Baccalaureate with English as first or second language.
• Students with a secondary education diploma mentioned in the Nuffic Diploma list (download as PDF-file), including English language as part of the curriculum. This only applies if you actually took English as an exam subject in your final year.

All other students must submit a proof of English proficiency by submitting one of the abovementioned certificates.

For our English-taught Master's programmes Data-Driven Design, Next-Level Engineering, Sustainable Business Transition and Master of Engineering you can find the requirements below: 

• Certificate of TOEFL 
  iBT Test at a test center: minimum overall score 90, no sub-score under 20.
  iBT Test on paper: minimum overall score 90, no sub-score under 20. 
• Certificate of IELTS
  Academic: minimum overall score of 6.5, no sub-score under 6.0. 
• TOEIC
  Listening and Reading: minimum score of 720
  Speaking and Writing: minimum score of 310
• Cambridge English
  Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): minimum score of 180
  Cambridge English First (FCE): minimum score of 176

Some international students are granted exemption from the English language test for these Master's programmes.

• Students who have obtained their Bachelor's diploma in The Netherlands. 
• Students who have obtained a Bachelor's diploma in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
• Students who have obtained a Bachelor's diploma from an English-taught programme in South Africa.
• Students with an accredited international American or British Bachelor's Diploma.

For our English-taught Master's programmes Integrated Care Design, Teacher Education in English, German or French, you can find the specific requirements on their own websites. 

Do you need to take an English-language exam?

You can get information on test dates, scheduling and costs at the respective websites of TOEFL or IELTS, or Cambridge English. When taking the TOEFL or IELTS exam, please use HU's institutional code 9942 for your results to be copied to us directly.

Students with a foreign diploma must show proof of Dutch proficiency to enrol into a Dutch-taught programme. This also applies to students with a Dutch nationality who have obtained their high school diploma outside of the Netherlands.
HU accepts the following documents as proof of Dutch proficiency:

• NT2 Diploma Programme II (CEFR level B2). The NT2-II test is centrally administered through DUO; check their website for information on test dates, scheduling and costs.
• As an alternative to the Staatsexamen NT2-II, HU offers its own language tests before the start of the academic year. More information and dates can be found on this page.
• Certificate Dutch as a Foreign Language (CVaNT in Dutch): either certificate 'STRT' (CEFR level B2) or certificate 'EDUP' (CEFR level C1).

Some international students are granted exemption from the Dutch language test based on their former diploma:

• Students who have obtained a MBO-4, HAVO or VWO diploma in Suriname, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, BES Islands or Aruba.
• Students with an EPI diploma taught in Dutch.
• Students who have obtained a diplomas from the Dutch-taught education system in Belgium.
• Students with the International Baccalaureate (IB) with Dutch Language A (SL or HL) or Language B (HL).
• Students with the European Baccalaureate (EB) with Dutch as Language 1 or 2.