This depends on the programme you are interested in. Admission requirements for each MSc programme are listed on the Admission & Application pages.

RSM accepts applicants with a bachelor degree obtained at an accredited University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands (HBO), Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. These students are required to first follow a pre-master year at RSM.

A certified copy of your diploma and transcript can be acquired at the institution where you obtained the diploma or at a notary. Certified means that the photocopy of the original diploma/transcript, needs to be stamped and signed by your institution (director, course coordinator, registrar) or notary. When making your offer unconditional, make sure you send us the original document or certified hard copy. Photocopies and scans will not be accepted because their authenticity cannot be verified.

Yes, you can add more than one diploma in each section of the application form (secondary, bachelor and/or master).

We ask for your secondary school diploma for two reasons. The first being that it is good practice in the world of credential evaluation to always ask for the underlying diploma when evaluating an academic credential. This gives additional insight into the academic career of an applicant and can tell us more about the level of the bachelor diploma. The second reason has to do with fraud prevention. The more documents someone has to fabricate, the greater the chance that they will be discovered.  Students who completed their secondary school in the Netherlands (havo or vwo) do not need to submit these documents. They will be verified by DUO when you register in studielink.

There are two types of higher education in the Netherlands: research-oriented (WO) and profession-oriented (HBO):

Research-oriented education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) is traditionally offered by research universities, such as Erasmus University which Rotterdam School of Management is a part of.

• Programmes at research universities focus on theoretical aspects of the field of study.
• Prepares students for undertaking independent research.
• Lead to a bachelor’s or master’s degree. At research universities you can also pursue a PhD degree.
• Fewer contact hours and more course material to study independently.
• A Bachelor's program at a research university requires the completion of 180 credits (three years of study) and graduates obtain the degree of Bachelor of Arts, of Science, or of Laws (BA/BSc/LLB), depending on the discipline.

Higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO) is offered by universities of applied sciences (hogescholen)

• Programmes at universities of applied sciences prepare students for particular professions
• Tend to be more practically-oriented.
• They lead to either a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
• More contact hours (e.g. lectures / tutorials) during which course material is taught in a classical setting.
• A Bachelor's degree in the applied arts and sciences requires 240 credits (four years of study); in most cases, graduates obtain a degree indicating the field of study (for example, Bachelor of Engineering, B Eng, or Bachelor of Nursing, B Nursing).

More information on the Dutch higher education system can be found on the Study in Holland website or you can check out this video made by Nuffic. 

How does RSM determine whether my study is considered to be comparable to that obtained at a Dutch research university?

When evaluating your academic background, it needs to be categorized in one of the two types of higher education offered in the Netherlands: research-oriented (WO) or profession-oriented (HBO).

Sometimes the comparison is very straight forward as the country has a similar binary education system such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. Applicants who have a degree from a University of Applied Sciences from one of these countries must first complete a pre-master year before they are eligible for admission to the master.

If you want to get an idea of the equivalent Dutch level of your diploma, you can check the list of common diplomas from your country on the Nuffic website. Nuffic is the central Dutch organization for the evaluation of foreign diplomas awarded in higher education.

For example for Diplomas obtained in India it is concluded that a 3 year bachelor of Commerce is comparable to an Applied Sciences Degree (HBO) in the Netherlands. This means that applicants from India with this diploma are not eligible for RSM master programmes.

India: Honours Bachelor of Commerce

• Dutch comparison: HBO bachelor’s degree (NLQF 6/EQF 6).
• Duration of schooling: 3 years.

It's possible to follow a limited selection of additional courses from RSM Bachelor programmes, for example if you are missing courses in your current bachelor curriculum for a master you are interested in.

These courses are only available for students who are currently enrolled in a Bachelor programme from a Dutch research university.

On the general website of the Erasmus University you can find the information and the registration form for elective courses from our Dutch language Bedrifskunde bachelor programme.

If your bachelor is/was taught in English, you can also follow elective courses from our International Business Administration bachelor.

If you have any questions please contact the Bachelor Programme Management via bsc.pm@rsm.nl.

Yes, students who have a bachelor degree from a research university in a subject other than business administration may apply for our MSc programmes as long as they have taken a sufficient number of required courses during their bachelor programme. The course requirements are different for each MSc programme and are listed in the admission requirements table for each MSc programme.

The Master in Management (English, Full-Time) and the Master in Management (Dutch, Part-Time) programmes are specially designed for students with a bachelor degree in any discipline other than business.