Colloquium Doctum FASoS - Entrance Exam

Programmes:

Bachelor Arts and Culture
Bachelor Digital Society
Bachelor European Studies
Bachelor Global Studies

If you want to register for a FASoS programme at the University Maastricht but you do not meet the regular admission requirements for one of the above-mentioned programmes, you may qualify for an entrance exam, the ‘Colloquium Doctum’.

You can take a Colloquium Doctum if you meet the following conditions:

You are at least 21 years old at the start of the academic year you want to register for.
You apply via Studielink and send the Colloquium Doctum application form before the requested dates, see the topic Applications for further information.

Location of the exam

The exam will take place at location of the FASoS faculty.
Grote Gracht 90-92, 6211 SZ Maastricht.

It is NOT possible to join the exam online.

Exam date and participation costs

The Colloquium Doctum Exam 2026-2027 will take place on Thursday 11 June 2026, from 13.00-15.30PM.
The participation costs for the Colloquium Doctum exam are €100,- .
The payment can be made by bank transfer only. You will receive information and an invoice in the 1st week of June 2026.

Application process for the following bachelor's programmes:

Bachelor Arts and Culture
Bachelor Digital Society
Bachelor European Studies

Applications process BSc Global Studies

For the Bachelor Global Studies, UM strives to select students with a profound interest in one or more specific topics by a certain level of motivation. A wide range of criteria is used to determine the compatibility between your interests and the study program. You therefore need to submit a motivation letter and an essay and have to be accepted by the Board of Admissions into the programme before you take the Colloquium Doctum Admissions exam.

What will be tested?

During the Colloquium Doctum, we will test your understanding of several assigned articles (dealing with major themes in the history of the Western world). You will have to pass a written exam with essay questions. The exam will be about the readings and the arguments in these readings. We will not ask questions about historical developments that are outside the scope of the articles. It is important to read the three articles carefully and to understand their major ideas and reasoning. The exam will also test your ability to write and communicate ideas in the English language. In case the Colloquium Doctum committee has doubts about your English language proficiency, you are then required to submit (examsesc-fasos@maastrichtuniversity.nl) a language test certificate before 1 August 2026. Please find detailed information on our language requirements here.

Recommended literature:

William Cronon (ed.) Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature (New York and London: Norton, 1996) 69-90.
Boyd, d., & Crawford, K. (2012). Critical questions for big data: Provocations for a cultural, technological, and scholarly phenomenon. Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 662-679.
Sierp, A. (2020). EU Memory Politics and Europe’s Forgotten Colonial Past. Interventions, 22(6), 686–702. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369801X.2020.1749701

The result

If you pass the Colloquium Doctum exam, the Colloquium Doctum committee will send you a letter of acceptance for the program. After you meet all other registration requirements, we will finalize your registration.
In case you fail the Colloquium Doctum, the Colloquium Doctum committee will send you a rejection letter, meaning that we cannot admit you to the program.
The Faculty does not offer a resit for the Colloquium Doctum 2026-2027.
A candidate may re-take the Colloquium Doctum in a next academic year.

Questions?

Should you have any questions, please send an e-mail with your question to:
examsesc-fasos@maastrichtuniversity.nl. We will answer your e-mail as soon as possible.
We are happy to welcome you as a future student at our faculty.

Step 1	Apply for the preferred program via Studielink before 1 April 2026 23:59 CET for non-EU/EER students and 1 May 2026 23:59 CET for EU-students. Choose the option “Colloquium Doctum” in the drop down list. Upload the diploma’s/certificates/grade list(s) you received for your previous education.
Step 2	Apply for the Colloquium Doctum exam by filling out the application form before 31 May 2026. Please submit this form via e-mail.
Step 3	You will receive practical information (including a PDF files of the recommended literature) about the Colloquium Doctum on 2 June 2026 the latest.

Step 1	Apply for Global Studies via Studielink before 1 April 2026 23:59 CET for non-EU/EER students and 1 May 2026 23:59 CET for EU-students. Choose the option “Colloquium Doctum” in the drop down list. Upload the diploma’s/certificates/grade list(s) you received for your previous education
Step 2	Upload your motivation letter and an essay via Studielink before 1 April 2026 23:59 CET for non-EU/EER students and 1 May 2026 23:59 CET for EU students.
Step 3	Apply for the Colloquium Doctum exam by filling out the application form before 1 May 2026. Please submit this form via e-mail.
Step 4	You will receive practical information (including a PDF files of the recommended literature) about the Colloquium Doctum on 2 June 2026 the latest.