Selection criteria for the IM/CEMS master programme
Next to meeting the minimum requirements for the MSc International Management, applicants also go through the CEMS selection interview. The interview focuses on 3 key competences:
- Motivation
- Result orientation
- Taking initiative
Selection steps
1. Interview
After the 31 January deadline, all eligible applicants will be ranked based on their Grade Point Average (GPA) or GMAT score (whichever is applicable).
Based on this ranking, approximately 100 applicants will be invited to the interview round. The exact number depends on the amount and quality of applications.
If your GPA / GMAT does not qualify you to join the interview, you will be offered alternative admission to our other MSc programmes. It's only possible to receive an offer of admission to programmes which still have spots available. Some programmes may have reached maximum capacity by the time the first ranking is finished.
The interview is done fully online, using the RIVS platform. In the RIVS platform you will be presented with written questions and you will record your answers using a webcam / mobiel device. This allows you to complete the interview at your convenience from anywhere in the world.
You do however need to complete the interview in one sitting, and you have limited time to prepare and answer each question.
In the online interview you will be asked about your motivation to participate in the programme as well as two key CEMS competencies: initiative taking and result orientation. You can contact current CEMS students to find out how they experienced the interview process.
During the interview, you should formulate your answers using the "STAR" interview method.
If you have work experience, you've done an internship or participated in other interesting projects, take some time to reflect on these experiences so you can use them to your advantage during the interview.
When recording the interviews, speak in a measured and articulated way. The right tempo, articulation, and volume are key to assessors understanding your words, especially when we are listening from a video clip. Avoid reading answers from a paper or a screen. While making notes is fine, an actual script never has a place during an interview. It reads as inauthentic and indicates a lack of spontaneity.
While there's no official dresscode for the interview, a neat appearance is appreciated.
Each interview is evaluated by 2 trained members of the CEMS selection team, consisting of RSM support - and academic staff. The scoring is executed following a tailor-made scoring rubric.
2. Ranking & results
Once all eligible applicants have completed their online interviews, the RSM Admissions Office will make a final ranking of the applicants.
The final ranking is based on scores given on the applicants Grade Point Average (GPA) or GMAT and the total score obtained from the interview:
- For applicants from Dutch research universities the GPA is used for the scoring.
- For applicants coming from universities outside the Netherlands the GMAT is used for the scoring. It's not possible to use the GPA as the quantitative factor for students coming from non-Dutch universities, as GPA's between different education systems vary greatly and are not directly comparable.
- The GPA / GMAT count for 50% of the final score and the interview for the other 50%.
The top 75 students will be selected for the programme and receive a (conditional) offer of admission. The allocation of the exchange destination is done based on the ranking.
Students will be notified of the outcome of the selection procedure, including the allotted exchange destination around the second week of March. The allocated exchange destination and semester will also be communicated together with the offer.
Applicants who are not selected for the IM/CEMS programme, will be offered alternative admission to our other MSc programmes. It's only possible to receive an offer of admission to programmes which still have spots available. Some programmes may have reached maximum capacity by the time the CEMS results are available.
Some general feedback may be offered to the group of applicants who are not selected to the master. RSM will also try to give an indication of how your GPA/GMAT scores and interview scores compared to the rest of the group (above average, average, below average).
3. Offers & denials
Applicants who are offered admission to the IM/CEMS programme must respond to the offer within 14 days via the Online Application Form (OLAF).
When accepting the offer of admission, you also accept the allocated exchange destination and semester. Upon confirmation MSc Programme Management will send the students' nominations to the CEMS partner universities.
Admitted IM/CEMS students will also be responsible for a separate CEMS-specific €100 registration and handling fee. This fee is entirely separate from tuition that is paid to EUR/RSM. Students will receive further payment instructions directly from the CEMS Global Office.
The exchange destinations are dealt based on your place in the final ranking and the top 12 destinations you indicated in OLAF.
If your position in the total ranking is low or you have chosen only the most popular destinations during your application, it's possible that all 12 exchange destinations you preferred were given away. In this case you will be assigned one of the remaining exchange spots.
It is not possible to switch to another destination/semester. When applying for the IM/CEMS programme, it's expected that you are ready to do your exchange semester at any of the partner schools available.
IM/CEMS applicants who are offered admission to the programme but decline their offer are not eligible for participation in the regular International Exchange Programme.
Students who are denied admission, will be placed on a waiting list. If a spot in the programme becomes available and you are next on the waiting list, you will be offered this spot along with the exchange destination of the applicant who did not accept the offer of admission.
The waiting list will be kept active until the end of April. After this it’s not possible to offer spots from the waiting list, as the exchange partners need to have their finalized list of students.
Applicants who are not selected for the IM/CEMS programme, will be offered alternative admission to our other MSc programmes. It's only possible to receive an offer of admission to programmes which still have spots available. Some programmes may have reached maximum capacity by the time the CEMS results are available.
Are you a current RSM student?
- If you are not selected for the IM/CEMS programme but meet all of the requirements for the regular International Master Exchange Programme you will still be eligible to apply for regular master exchange.
- The deadlines for master exchange nomination for most partner schools is 1 May, so students are advised to submit a complete master exchange application before mid-April. For more information on master exchange, please contact: Linda de Vries, Head of International Office (lvries@rsm.nl).
- IM/CEMS applicants who are offered admission to the programme but decline their offer are not eligible for participation in the regular International Exchange Programme.