Admission requirements
On this page, you will find important details of the application process (such as deadlines, admission requirements, required documents and application assessment) for the bachelor's programme in Brain Science for the academic year 2026-2027. Questions about admission? Contact us via study@maastrichtuniversity.nl
The information on this page is for students who would like to start in the academic year 2026-2027.
See the admission requirements for the academic year 2025-2026.
Non-EU students: make sure to check the study progress requirements.
Application deadlines
The bachelor’s programme in Brain Science starts in September.
The deadlines below are applicable for applicants who want to start their studies in September 2026.
Note: if you are viewing this webpage on your phone, we recommend using landscape mode.
| Date | What you need to know about this date |
|---|---|
| As soon as possible from 1 October 2025 | Apply via Studielink* (open for applications for the academic year 2026-2027 from 1 October) |
| 15 January 2026, 23:59 CET | Deadline for completing the entire application process for all applicants (both applicants who have a EU/EEA or Swiss nationality, and applicants who have a non-EU/EEA nationality) Note: in most cases, applicants with a non-EU/EEA nationality will need a visa and/or residence permit. |
| Before 31 January 2026, 23:59 CET | Deadline for submitting the required documents for the ‘sufficiency check’ (if applicable) A number of applicants can apply for a ‘sufficiency check’, if their knowledge in a specific subject needs to be assessed. Applicants notified of this in the MyApplication portal** will have the opportunity to upload a syllabus in the MyApplication portal before the deadline of 31 January 2026. |
| Around 1 February 2026 | The selection procedure will be accessible in the MyApplication portal** |
| 1 March 2026, 16:59 CET | Deadline for completing the selection exam |
| 15 April 2026 | Your ranking number will be published in Studielink Please note: you must accept your place in Studielink within two weeks (14 x 24 hrs). This is an absolute deadline! If you don't accept your placement by the deadline, you will forfeit the place you have been offered and the next candidate in the ranking is offered the opportunity to accept the placement. |
| 1 August 2026 | Strongly recommended deadline for paying the tuition fee |
| 31 August 2026, 23:59 CET | Deadline for completing all tasks in the MyApplication portal** If you need a visa and/or residence permit, you must complete most tasks before 1 July 2026. |
*Studielink is the national registration system for higher education,
**The MyApplication portal is Maastricht University’s application and enrolment platform.
Please note: If your diploma or degree is not on the list of non-Dutch Diplomas, Maastricht University (UM) will assess on an individual basis whether your previous education qualifies you for admission to this programme. This assessment will take extra time. Therefore, if your diploma is not on the list, we recommend you apply as early as possible, preferably before 1 November 2025. If you register after that date, you take the risk that your qualification for admission and/or the elimination of any deficiencies will not be completed in time, which would imply that you cannot start the study programme in the academic year 2026-2027.
Are you a non-EU/EEA nationality requiring a visa/residence permit for study?
Please note that Maastricht University can only formally apply for your visa/residence permit if you have met all admission and enrolment requirements.
This means you have to have completed all admission and enrolment tasks in the MyApplication portal (except the ‘visa/residence permit’-task and the ‘send certified copy of diploma’-task) before we can send your application to the IND (Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service).
We have to send the application to the IND before 1 July if you are starting your studies in September. Please note: a few pre-master and master programmes offer a start in February. If you’re study programme offers a start in February and you want to start your studies in February, we have to send the application to the IND before 1 December. You can find out if your study programme offers a start in February on the admission requirements web page of that programme (pre-master’s, master’s).
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you reconsider applying for this study programme if you are not sure that you will meet the following requirements before 1 July/1 December (if applicable in your situation):
- Having remedied all subject and/or language deficiencies (if applicable) ·
- Having qualified for admission to your study programme, including being selected (if applicable to your study programme) AND
- Having paid the tuition fee for your study programme
General requirements: previous education
The admission requirements for the academic year 2026-2027 for the bachelor’s programme in Brain Science depend on your previous education. Please check below which requirements apply to you.
Applicants with a Dutch diploma
UM will assess whether you qualify for admission based on your previous education. You need to prove that you hold at least one of the following Dutch diplomas:
- a new-style VWO diploma with profile Science and Health including the subject Physics,
- a new-style VWO diploma with profile Science and Engineering including the subject Biology,
- an Open University (OU) propaedeutic diploma, HBO propaedeutic diploma, HBO degree diploma, university propaedeutic diploma or university degree diploma.
Sufficient knowledge at VWO level of the subjects Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics is required.
Please note: an old-style VWO diploma (from before 2007) no longer qualifies for admission.
Applicants with a non-Dutch diploma
If you have a non-Dutch diploma equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma you qualify - in principle - for admission to this programme. Check whether this applies to your diploma on this list.
List of non-Dutch diplomas equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma 2026-2027
Please note: if your diploma is not on this list, UM must first assess the level of your diploma on an individual basis to see whether it qualifies for admission.
Additional subject requirements for non-Dutch applicants
In addition, your previous education must not only be equivalent to the Dutch VWO level, but must also include specific subjects all with a duration and depth equivalent to the Dutch VWO in particular, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Please see the diploma requirements for these required subjects for several foreign diplomas.
If your diploma or degree differs from this list, UM will assess whether you can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the four compulsory subjects (Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology) and therefore qualify for admission.
Please see the section ‘Applying for a sufficiency check’.
Applicants who do not meet the requirements and are 21 years of age or older
If you have not obtained the required diplomas, you may still qualify for admission based on the Colloquium Doctum. For this, you must be 21 years of age or older at the start of the study programme. In order to obtain the Colloquium Doctum, you must demonstrate with certificates that you have mastered the required subjects at Dutch VWO-level new style. This concerns the following subjects: English, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics (A or B) and Physics.
The Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience of the UM does not organise a Colloquium Doctum exam. You must demonstrate with certificates that you have mastered the required subjects at Dutch VWO-level new style.
You need to submit and complete your application before 15 January 2026 and indicate in Studielink that you want to be admitted based on Colloquium Doctum. The following documents need to be uploaded in the MyApplication Portal:
- a copy of your valid passport or your EU/EEA identity card;
- a statement in the MyApplication Portal in which you declare that it is a Colloquium Doctum application.
Please note: In order to be admitted based on Colloquium Doctum you must arrange obtaining the required certificates yourself.
- For the Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics exams, you can visit Boswell-Bèta and/or Central Committees for Entrance Exams (CCVX) – entrance exam
- For the English subject exams, please submit one of the following language-test certificates as part of your application.
- IELTS: 6.0
- TOEFL iBT: 80
- TOEIC listening and reading: 670; speaking and writing: 290
- Cambridge First B2: Grade B (scale 173-175) or, Grade C (scale 169-172)
- TOEFL Paper-delivered Test: Reading: 20-30; Listening: 20-30
Once you pass the exams, you must send the certificates to UM by postal mail or to a designated email address. You will find more information in the MyApplication portal under ‘Send certified copy of diploma’.
Applicants who do not meet the subject requirements
UM assesses for every application that is completed by the application deadline, whether it meets the admission requirements. You will be informed if you do not meet the admission requirements. If you do not (completely) satisfy the additional subject requirements for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology you must take (an) additional examination(s) to qualify for admission. These deficiencies have to be eliminated before the start of the academic year, by 31 August 2026.
- These examinations can be conducted both in Dutch and English at Centrale Commissies Voortentamen (CCVX) or Boswell-Bèta.
- German students can also opt to complete the so-called Vorsemester at the Rheinische Bildungszentrum in Cologne for deficiencies in Biology, Physics or Chemistry.
- For students proficient in Dutch, deficiencies can also be lifted by obtaining 'vwo-deelcertificaten'
Please note: you have to arrange these examinations yourself. Once you have successfully completed your examinations, you need to upload the certificates in the MyApplication portal.
Only certified copies of the CCVX or Boswell-Betà certificates are accepted!
Applying for a sufficiency check
From the evaluation of your previous education, it might not become entirely clear whether you truly meet the requirements in all key subjects. Since study programmes can vary widely, we may require additional information about the content of a specific subject you have taken in order to assess your knowledge level.
The knowledge requirements are based on the attainment levels for the final examination in Dutch pre-university education (VWO) and the national agreements made within the Dutch Central Committees for Entrance Exams (CCVX).
If applicable to you, we offer you the possibility to fill in a syllabus to have your knowledge of the specific subject assessed by the Colloquium Doctum committee. Guidelines and requirements of the syllabus can be found in the MyApplication portal.
The deadline for requesting the sufficiency check (and thus for uploading the syllabus) is 31 January 2026 (23:59 CET). Requests submitted after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Additional requirements
Language requirements for English-language programmes
As English is the language of instruction in this study programme, it is essential that your English language skills are sufficient for you to undertake intensive and challenging academic courses that are taught and examined in English.
Answer the questions below to find out if you meet the language requirements.
Applicants whose diploma is based on a non-EU-EEA curriculum (handling fee)
Applicants for this study programme whose diploma is based on a non-EU/EEA curriculum are required to pay a handling fee. This applies even if the educational institution is located within the EU/EEA, as the fee is based on the curriculum, not the location of the institution. More information on this handling fee and how to arrange this payment can be found on the handling fee page.
Documents required for the application process
During the application process for this study programme, you will need to complete a number of tasks for which you will often have to upload documents (for the most part in the MyApplication portal). The list below gives you an insight into what documents you will (and might) need to prepare.
Disclaimer
- Maastricht University will keep your personal information confidential.
- The information provided is stored in a secure environment and treated according to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Maastricht University will not share your information with third parties without your prior explicit permission.
Required documents for all applicants to this study programme
- A recent portrait picture
This picture must satisfy certain requirements. You can find these requirements in the task description 'Upload portrait picture' in the MyApplication portal
- A copy of your valid passport or your EU/EEA identity card
Make a copy of the page with your personal details. Save this copy as ‘passport copy’ and not as ‘passport picture’
- A copy of your most recent grades transcript AND/OR a copy of your diploma if you have obtained it.
Documents/actions that might be required depending on your (academic) background
- Check on the Handling fee page if you need to pay a handling fee (administration costs). Arrange the payment or submit the exemption form if you think that you are eligible for exemption.
- Check if your knowledge of Mathematics is sufficient and provide proof
- Check if your knowledge of Biology is sufficient and provide proof
- Check if your knowledge of Physics is sufficient and provide proof
- Check if your knowledge of Chemistry is sufficient and provide proof
- Check if your English proficiency is sufficient and provide proof
Permission for document verification form
If your previous education is not verified by DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch government agency responsible for education-related matters), you will need to upload the form ‘Permission for document verification’ in the MyApplication portal. This form allows Maastricht University to verify your diploma, grades transcript or other required documents directly with the issuing institution or relevant qualification registry.
How do we assess your application?
When you want to apply or are applying for this study programme, it is useful to know how we assess your application. You can find more information in this section.
Brain Science is a numerus fixus programme with selection by the educational institution. This means that you go through a selection process after applying. Due to the limited number of places, we cannot offer a place to every applicant who meets the admission requirements.
Selection
For the academic year 2026-2027, a maximum of 250 students can be enrolled. All available places will be allocated by means of selection.
In a first stage, your submitted application will undergo a preselection procedure to check whether you fulfill the admission criteria. Thereafter, students who qualify for admission are invited to take part in a selection procedure (see below) that will be used to rank applicants for admission.
The regulations for the selection procedure of the bachelor Brain Science can be found in appendix C of the UM Regulations on Selection of Bachelor’s Programmes with Restricted Intake.
See the Selection bachelor Brain Science Regulations for 2026-2027
Selection exam
The selection exam consists of an online questionnaire and an online test. It will be accessible on the MyApplication portal around 1 February 2026.
The selection exam covers the following subjects:
- study attitude
- motivation
- secondary education grades
- study orientation
- video lectures
- digital literature
- an online test, partly based on video lectures and digital literature
You can complete the selection exam in parts and even go back to change your answers.
You can do all of the parts online at a time that suits you. You must complete the selection exam before 1 March 2026, 16:59 CET. Make sure you start on time.
Please note: once you have submitted the selection exam, you cannot change or retake it anymore.
Assessment and ranking score
The criteria examined during your assessment are: your motivation, your secondary education grades, your study attitude, your study orientation, and your score on the online exam.
Based on the results, UM ranks the candidates. On 15 April 2026 you will be informed about your ranking number via Studielink.
Allocation begins with the highest-ranked candidates. Students who are offered a place based on their ranking number must confirm their acceptance in Studielink within 14 calendar days (14 x 24 hours) of receiving the offer. This deadline is strict and final.
Applicants who do not confirm their acceptance within this period will forfeit their place. The next candidate on the ranking list will then be offered a place.
Selection attempts
The selection procedure takes place once in every academic year. Over the years, you have three selection attempts. That means that you are allowed to participate in the selection procedure for this programme up to three times
Read more: Information on the selection procedure and selection criteria for 2026-2027
More information
- For questions about the selection procedure you can contact us via an email to fpn-bacheloradmissions@maastrichtuniversity.nl
- For general questions about application, enrolment and admission tasks/documents you can contact us via an email to study@maastrichtuniversity.nl