Rotterdam school of Management, Erasmus University compact logo

CEMS Language requirements

The International Management / CEMS programme brings together students from many countries, cultures, and academic backgrounds. Strong language skills are therefore an essential part of the CEMS experience. 

To benefit fully from this international environment, you must demonstrate - and further develop - your ability to work in multiple languages.

When you apply in the RSM Online Application Form (OLAF), you will be asked to indicate how you will prove your proficiency in English, as well as your second and third CEMS languages.

For CEMS 2nd language (L2):

  • If your mother tongue is not English, you can submit a Mother Tongue Statement as your CEMS language (L2).
  • If your mother tongue is English, you need to submit academic transcripts or language course certificates at B1 level as proof of your CEMS langguage (L2).

For CEMS 3rd language (L3):

  • You only need to indicate your preferred CEMS 3rd language (L3) in the online application form (OLAF). No proof is required at admission. 

All required proof must be submitted by the 31st of January. No exemptions can be made.

Required language levels (Admission & Graduation) How to prove your CEMS 2nd language (L2) Validity of your Language Proof Unaccepted Forms of Proof FAQ
Required language levels (Admission & Graduation)

All International Management/CEMS graduates must show competency in three languages. 

Language levels are defined by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR):

  • A1–A2: basic user (beginner)
  • B1–B2: independent user (intermediate)
  • C1–C2: proficient user (advanced)

 		At admissionAt graduation
EnglishC1 → See here for accepted proofs. Fulfilled at admission
CEMS 2nd Language (L2)
  • Upload the Mother Tongue Statement, if your mother tongue is not English.
  • If your mother tongue is English: provide proof of at least B1 in another language (certificate, transcript, course). If you don’t have proof yet, you must submit it by 31 January.
Fulfilled at admission
CEMS 3rd Language (L3)Indicate your chosen L3 in OLAF. No proof is required at this stage.Proof of at least A1 level required at graduation

 

Important notes: 

  • The Mother Tongue Statement can only be used if your mother tongue is not English.
  • While the CEMS 3rd language (L3) must be declared at admission; proof (A1 level) will only be checked at graduation.
  • All required documents must be submitted by 31 January.

 

How to prove your CEMS 2nd language (L2)

All possible proof for your CEMS 2nd Language (L2)are listed in the table below. You can choose either of the following to prove your CEMS language.

If your mother tongue is NOT English 

 ConditionsExample
Mother Tongue 
  • Complete the Mother Tongue Statement as a part of your application.
  • Your mother tongue (native language) must be a language you are fluent in.
If your mother tongue is Spanish, you declare Spanish as L2. 

 

If your mother tongue is English 

You must provide proof of at least B1 level in another language. Accepted options are:

Option 1ConditionsExample
High School Studies 
  • Completed entirely in that language
  • Language of instruction must be clear from your documents (add supporting evidence if needed)
  • Otherwise, please add additional documentation regarding the language of instruction.
English mother tongue + German high school diploma → German as L2
Option 2ConditionsExample
University Education
  • Completed entirely in that language
  • Same documentation rule as above
English mother tongue + bachelor’s degree fully in Korean → Korean as L2
Option 3ConditionsExample
University Formal Language Test
  • Test from a CEMS partner university or another university in the EU/EEA
  • Must show minimum B1 level and meet validity requirements (see Validity)
Erasmus University Language & Training Centre (LTC) test. Intake tests are accepted. 
Option 4ConditionsExample
University Language Course
  • From a CEMS partner university or university in the EU/EEA
  • Lower levels (A2, B1) must be at least 5 ECTS or 60 contact hours
  • Certificate must clearly state completed level (e.g. B1.2 needed, B1.1 alone not enough)
  • The course must be completed by 31 January
Course completed at Erasmus University Language & Training Centre (LTC)
Option 5Conditions
CEMS-accredited commercial test or course

 

 

 

Validity of your Language Proof

The following periods of validity apply for accredited language certificates and exams. The reference date for these periods of validity is the first day of the beginning of the programme (1st September 2026):

 

Proficiency Level
 
Validity Period
 
C2 and C1Valid indefinitely
B2

Valid for 5 years

(must be dated after 1 September 2021)

B1, A2 and A1

Valid for 2 years

(must be dated after 1 September 2024)

Unaccepted Forms of Proof
 
The following are not accepted as language proof:
  • Passport
  • Having lived in a country
  • Having completed an exchange semester
 
Languages that are not accepted:
  • Dead or inactive languages (e.g. Latin)
  • Regional dialects (these are not considered official languages)

  • Languages that are too similar to each other; they cannot be combined as your second and third CEMS languages. 

    Examples include:

    • Bosnian / Croatian / Serbian / Montenegrin / Slovenian
    • Czech / Slovak
    • Danish / Swedish / Norwegian
    • Danish / Faroese
    • Dutch / Flemish / Frisian / Afrikaans
    • German / Luxembourgish
    • Russian / Ukrainian / Belarusian
    • Russian / Kazakh
    • Spanish / Catalan
    • Spanish / Galician

     

    Note
    The restrictions on language combinations are set by the CEMS alliance and apply to all member schools, including RSM. We understand that in practice, some of these languages may not be mutually intelligible. However, these rules are part of the global CEMS policy and cannot be adjusted at the school level.

FAQ

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. 

All required proof must be submitted by the 31st of January. No exemptions can be made. 

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 this FAQ. You can also visit the general admissions requirements page to find out more.

Check general requirements for English

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.

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

In some cases, you may wish to choose a language that cannot be verified by an accredited language institution because no such institutions or exams are available. Unfortunately, this means you cannot use that language for your application.

For example, you cannot claim Hindi as your third language, as there are no accepted methods for verifying your proficiency. Please note that a passport alone is not sufficient proof of language proficiency.

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