In 2014, the Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES)
will be launched, targeting exceptionally talented Master’s students from
outside Europe.
The AES is a full scholarship of € 25,000 covering
tuition and living expenses for one academic year, with the possibility of
extension for a second year for two-year Master’s programmes. Scholarship
recipients will join extracurricular activities and become part of a selective
community.
AES application deadline
The deadline for applications is 1 February
2014. The application process for the 2014-2015 academic year will open in
November 2013.
Requirements
Candidates wishing to apply for an AES scholarship
must meet the following requirements:
- Hold
a non-EU/EEA passport and not be eligible for support under the Dutch system
of study grants and loans. The scholarship office should be notified as
soon as possible of any change in nationality, type of residence permit,
and/or possibleStudiefinanciering support throughout the
academic year.
- Be
(provisionally) admitted to an English-taught MA programme at the Graduate
School of Humanities.
- Be
(provisionally) admitted to a Master's programme at the University of
Amsterdam for the first time. AES will not be awarded to candidates who
are admitted for a second Master's programme at the University of
Amsterdam.
- Be
able to comply with Dutch visa regulations as indicated by the IND (Dutch
Immigration Service).
- Be
enrolled at the UvA as a full-time student for the academic year and the
programme for which the scholarship is awarded. Scholarship continuation
is not guaranteed when a candidate changes his or her Master’s programme.
- The
candidate may not receive another scholarship for the same period of study
as the AES. Please notify the scholarships office when another scholarship
has been awarded and accepted.
Selection criteria
Eligible candidates are selected for a scholarship
on the basis of their academic excellence and promise in the proposed field as
evidenced by:
- the
candidate’s academic records. Students from any discipline belonging to
the top 10% of graduates from their class can apply;
- the
academic quality of the educational institute where the undergraduate (or
graduate) programme has been obtained;
- a
letter of recommendation by a dean, teacher or academic supervisor;
- the
quality of the letter of motivation (maximum 500 words) in which the
candidate explains the reasons for choosing the specific Master’s
programme (broader context, relevance for future career);
- a
description of extracurricular activities such as participation in student
commissions, international experience, sports or music at a high level or
volunteer work;
- proof
of English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL): TOEFL (internet-based) - overall
score of 100 (with a minimum score of 22 in each of the different components),
IELTS (academic) - overall score of 7.0 (with at least 7.0 in each of the
four components);
- the
quality of the application as a whole (completeness, accuracy,
consistency).
How to apply?
On the online application form for the Master's
programmes, all non-EU/EEA students have the option Application
Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship. Assemble the required documents,
and upload them as one document called Application Amsterdam Excellence
Scholarship + your first and last name before 1 February 2014.
Application documents
To apply for an AES scholarship we require the
following five documents:
Note that you might need to upload some of the
same documents for your Master's application as well.
- proof
that you belong to the 10% of graduates from your class. Please let your
dean fill in the form that we will provide.
- a
letter of recommendation by a dean, teacher or academic supervisor;
- an
AES letter of motivation (maximum 500 words) addressed to the director of
the Graduate School of Humanities, in which you explain the reasons for
choosing the specific MA programme in the Humanities (broader context,
relevance for future career);
- a
description of extracurricular activities such as participation in student
commissions, international experience, sports or music at a high level or
volunteer work;
- proof
of English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL): TOEFL (internet-based) - overall
score of 100 (with a minimum score of 22 in each of the different
components), IELTS (academic) - overall score of 7.0 (with at least 7.0 in
each of the four components).
