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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
Tips:
Validity:
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 (1 September, 2023):
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.
Test results from Commercial language tests accredited for CEMS
Formal proof of a Commercial language course at a CEMS accredited cultural institute
Validity:
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 (1 September, 2023):
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) |
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Third language | B1 (oral&written) |
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All language proof must be included in your application by the deadline – 31 January. Exemptions on this are not possible.
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 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.
You must always show sufficient proof for your language proficiency with a course certificate or previous education.