All IM/CEMS applicants must be competent in English and 2 additional languages

 

Entry: Minimum required level upon admission (oral & written)

Exit: Required level upon graduation (oral & written)

English

C1

C1

Second language (mothertongue or any other language)

B1*

B2

Third language (mothertongue or any other language)

A2*

B1

*If you only meet the entry requirement upon starting this master, you will need to take additional language courses and tests during the IM/CEMS programme to meet the required exit level before graduation.

Generally any language, that is actively used, is accepted as a second and third language.

NOT accepted: 

  • Dead / inactive languages such as Latin or  are not accepted.
  • Languages which are too similiar to each other are not allowed to be combined as the second and third language:
    • Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/Montenegrin/Slovenian
    • Czech/Slovak
    • Danish/Swedish/Norwegian
    • Danish/Faroese
    • Dutch/Flemish/Frisian/Afrikaans
    • German/Luxembourgischer
    • Russian/Ukrainian/Belarusian
    • Russian/Kazak
    • Spanish/Catalan

Frequently Asked Questions

When applying for the IM/CEMS programme, you will fill in the RSM Online Application Form. In this form you will be asked to indicate how you want to prove your proficiency in English and your second and third languages. You will also be asked to submit documentation such as academic transcripts or language course certificates as proof.

All proof must be submitted by the 31st of January.

RSM accepts the following proof for the second and third language:​​​​​​

High school / university studies as proof of 2nd language / native language: 

  • You can use your high school or university studies as proof for the 2nd language, if you completed the entire study in this language.
  • The language of instruction should be evident based on the documents you upload in your application. If this is not the case, please add additional documentation regarding the language of instruction. 

Example 1: If your mother tongue is German, and you completed your high school in German, you can upload your high school diploma as proof of your mother tongue.  

Example 2: If your mother tongue is Chinese, and you completed your university bachelor studies in Chinese, you can upload your current university transcript as proof of your mother tongue.

Language courses taken during high school (secondary education) - for 3rd language only:

  • high school level courses can be can only be used as proof for the Third language
  • high school level courses are only accepted if they were taken until the last year of study / were a part of your final exams and were completed with a passing grade. When filling in your application form, upload a copy of your final grade list from high school as proof. 
  • high school level courses will be considered equal to A2 level, even if the high school diploma states that the final obtained level was higher.
  • This form of proof is only accepted by RSM upon admission and considered to be comparable to A2 level, but it is not accepted towards the CEMS exit requirement.

Example 1: If you did your high school in Germany, and you studied French until the final year of high school, you can use this as proof for the 3rd language for the application.

Example 2: If you did your high school in the Netherlands, and you studied German during high school, you can use your final high school exam results (VWO) as proof for the 3rd language for the application.

Formal test result or course certificates are accepted under the following conditions:

  • the result was obtained at a CEMS partner university or a university within the EU/EEA
  • Language courses on the lower levels, (A2, B1) must have a minimum of 5 ECTS or 60 contact hours.
  • The obtained level must be clearly indicated in your course certificate / transcript.
  • The proof must meet the validity requirements set by CEMS (see below)
  • You need to have completed the level and be ready to enter the next level (for example an A2.1 course result is not sufficient for the third language, if the course also consists of a A2.2 course).

Tips:

  • The Erasmus University Language & Training Centre (LTC)* offers test and courses throughout the year. Assessment tests from the Language & Training Centre (LTC) at Erasmus University, as well as LTC course certificates, are accepted by RSM for entry to the programme, but not necessarily by CEMS upon completion of the master.
  • RSM accepts results of an intake test for the application process.
  • RSM also accepts the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) results for the application process.

Validity:

The following periods of validity apply for accredited language certificates and examsThe reference date for these periods of validity is the first day of the beginning of the programme (1 September, 2024):

  • C2 - (language evidence at C-level remains valid in perpetuity)
  • C1 - (language evidence at C-level remains valid in perpetuity)
  • B2 - 5 years (may not be older than 1 September 2019)
  • B1 - 2 years (may not be older than 1 September 2022)
  • A2 - 2 years (may not be older than 1 September 2022)

Example: in order for a student to be able to use an accredited B2 language certificate towards CEMS graduation, that certificate may not be older than 5 years calculating from the first day of the start of the IM/CEMS programme. 

Validity:

The following periods of validity apply for accredited language certificates and examsThe reference date for these periods of validity is the first day of the beginning of the programme (1 September, 2024):

  • C2 - (language evidence at C-level remains valid in perpetuity)
  • C1 - (language evidence at C-level remains valid in perpetuity)
  • B2 - 5 years (may not be older than 1 September 2019) 
  • B1 - 2 years (may not be older than 1 September 2022)
  • A2 - 2 years (may not be older than 1 September 2022)

Example: in order for a student to be able to use an accredited B2 language certificate towards CEMS graduation, that certificate may not be older than 5 years calculating from the first day of the start of the IM/CEMS programme. 

In order to guarantee the required minimum level of English proficiency, you must be able to show proof of proficiency on at least C1 level (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language - CEFR). The accepted forms of proof for English proficiency are listed in the general admissions requirements page.

The entry and exit requirements for English are nearly identical. In order to qualify for the exit requirements for the second language and third you may need to improve the language level with which you entered the programme (e.g. B1 -> B2).

Certain tests (such as intake tests and university language centre placement tests) are accepted by RSM for entry, but are NOT accepted by CEMS for exit. Therefore in some cases you may need to take a course or a higher-level exam simply to provide formal evidence that you meet the CEMS exit requirement.

Important note about the third language: Officially, students may meet the third language CEMS exit requirement in the form of a "CEMS-accredited elementary-level language course." RSM also abides by the same rule, bearing in mind that CEMS defines an "elementary level" as A1, A2, and B1. As RSM requires proficiency at A2 level for the third language upon admission, we require a minimum B1 oral and written level for the third language towards CEMS graduation.

Please refer to the table below for full details on acceptable forms of language evidence for CEMS exit requirements:

Language

CEMS exit requirement

Evidence accepted 

English

C1 (oral&written)

Entry requirement, successful completion of the compulsory Business Communication Skill Seminar (BCSS) during Term 1, and successful completion of the MSc International Management home degree

Second language

B2 (oral&written)

  • Secondary or university education completely taught in that language
  • Test for Management and Business Communication (MBC) (B2 oral/B1 written)
  • CEMS-accredited language course and/or test at a CEMS school (B2 or higher, oral and written)
  • CEMS-accredited commercial tests (B2 or higher, oral and written)

Third language

B1 (oral&written)

  • Secondary or university education completely taught in that language
  • Test for Management and Business Communication (MBC) (B1 or higher, oral/written)
  • CEMS-accredited language course and/or test at a CEMS school (B1 or higher, oral/written)
  • CEMS-accredited commercial tests (B1 or higher, oral/written)

My proof will not be in time for the 31 January deadline.

All language proof must be included in your application by the deadline – 31 January. Exemptions on this are not possible.

I’m not sure if my proof is ok. How will I know for sure?

Submit your application early – this way the RSM admissions office can notify you if any documents are missing or insufficient. Applications can be submitted from 1 October onwards.

I don’t have any of the accepted forms of proof. What can I do?

Contact a university language center (such as the EUR Language & Training Centre) to check wether they can give you an intake test to determine your current level.

In a few cases it may happen you wish to choose a language, which cannot be proven by an accredited language institution, simply because these institutions or exams are not available. This means that you cannot use this language for your application.

For example, if your secondary or university education was completely taught in Hindi, then you can claim Hindi as your third language. But if you did not have secondary or university education in Hindi, you cannot claim this language as your third language, because there are no accepted methods of proving your level. A passport alone is not proof of proficiency of a language.

What is not accepted as proof of proficiency?

You must always show sufficient proof for your language proficiency with a course certificate or previous education.

The following is not accepted as proof:

  • Passport
  • Having lived in a country
  • Speaking a language at home with your parents/ relatives
  • Having completed an exchange semester
  • Mother tongue statements

More information can be found on the IM/CEMS category in our general FAQ.