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Social Sciences for a Digital Society, Master Degree, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

the Netherlands

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Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
Master Degree	Full-time	2 years	September	EUR 2694 per year	EUR 17480 per year

About Social Sciences for a Digital Society, Master Degree - at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

How can we respond to discriminatory algorithms? What role do social media play in political polarisation? How can artificial intelligence be harnessed in healthcare? An increasingly digital society needs social scientists who can offer solutions to the challenges posed by digitalisation.

Through its unique focus on interdisciplinary and mixed methods approaches, the Research Master Social Sciences for a Digital Society trains students to anticipate, understand, and analyse the complex challenges of the digital society, and to meet them head-on.

With this degree under your belt, you’ll be ready for any role that involves analysing problems in social data science, offering solutions for societal issues using data, and responding to issues in the digital society – whether that’s in academia, government, the non-profit sector, or the corporate world.

Summer School

Apply to VU Amsterdam Summer School and develop your academic skills in a focused and inspiring study abroad experience.

Learn more about Social Sciences for a Digital Society, Master Degree - at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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Entry requirements

1. Academic requirements

Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years).

2. Programme specific requirements

The Research Master in Social Sciences for a Digital Society is a selective programme. Selection is done by the Admission Board, based on the admission requirements and the documents in the application form. To successfully follow the Research Master in Social Sciences for a Digital Society, you need to have sufficient knowledge of research methods at the level and load of an academic Social Sciences bachelor’s programme.

The Admission Board needs to establish that you meet all of the following admission requirements:

A bachelor’s degree in social or behavioural sciences*, equivalent to a Dutch academic (WO) bachelor and therefore must be completed at a research university
At least 12 ECTS in social science research methods
A GPA of at least 7.5 out of 10 (Dutch grading system) or the international equivalent. Please be aware that a 7.5 is very high in the Dutch higher education system

* You can also apply with a degree in other fields such as mathematics, informatics, econometrics, operations research, computational linguistics, digital humanities and geography. It is important that you can demonstrate that you have a clear interest and background in social issues, as demonstrated by relevant elective courses, minors, internships or other extra-curricular activities. The Admission Board will assess if your interest and background in social issues is strong enough.

In all cases, your bachelor must be equivalent to a Dutch academic (WO) bachelor and therefore must be completed at a research university.

3. English language proficiency requirements

You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.

Fees, Funding and Scholarships at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Need financial assistance? Read about scholarships: Scholarships for Master's programmes

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Masters Webinar

Each year, we organise an online session for aspiring Master's students that covers everything you need to know about the application process and beyond. This year, the International Master's webinar took place on Tuesday, October 15, at 16:00 (CET). You can watch the recordings all year.

During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Discover what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam;
Learn everything you need to know about the admission and application process;
Get the latest insights on scholarship opportunities;
Hear first-hand experiences from one of our current international students about being a student in the Netherlands' dynamic capital city.

Bachelors Webinar

Each year we organise an online session for aspiring Bachelor's students that covers all you need to know about the application process and beyond. This year, the International Bachelor's webinar took place on Thursday 24 October at 16:00 (CET). You can watch the recorder version all year.

During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Discover what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam;
Learn everything you need to know about the admission and application process;
Ask all your questions about the housing market in Amsterdam;
Hear first-hand experiences from one of our current international students about being a student in the Netherlands' dynamic capital city.