On this page
- What Maastricht actually asks for
- Question one — why this programme (and why it’s a fit test)
- Question two — why you can successfully complete it
- How the letter fits the rest of the application
- The mistakes that quietly sink strong letters
- Timing: two intakes, and a real reason to apply early
- Common questions
- Sources & how to confirm
Maastricht University’s MSc International Business is one of the best-value top-ranked Master in Management programmes in Europe — #1 in the Netherlands and #10 in the world for value for money on the Financial Times 2025 table, at a statutory EU fee under €2,700. And unlike the French and Spanish schools with their four- and five-prompt essay sets, its application looks almost spartan: a transcript, a CV, and one motivation letter.
That brevity is deceptive. A short letter is harder to win on, not easier — there is no second prompt to rescue a weak first one, and no generous word budget to bury a vague paragraph in. Maastricht’s brief asks you to argue just two things, and it means both of them literally. Here is what the motivation letter is really testing, and how to write it well. (Confirm the live requirements and any word guidance in Maastricht’s MyApplication portal first — the school can revise them between cycles — but the two questions below are the published brief, and the thinking behind them won’t change even if the wording does.)
What Maastricht actually asks for
The School of Business and Economics keeps its document list short. For the MSc International Business you upload an official grades transcript (signed and stamped, with a translation if it isn’t in English), a CV that lists your education, relevant extracurricular activities, internships and (professional) experience, and a motivation letter. The motivation letter’s published brief is admirably plain — it asks you to:
…provide good arguments for why you want to do this master’s programme at Maastricht University, and why you expect that you can successfully complete the programme.
That is the whole assignment: why this programme, and why you can complete it. There’s no separate timed essay and — in the standard process — no admissions interview, so this one letter carries the motivation-and-fit weight that elsewhere is spread across an essay set and an interview. Note too that you select your specialisation track (strategy and innovation, corporate finance, marketing, supply-chain management, entrepreneurship and others) on the application itself, so “this master’s programme” means a specific track, not just “Maastricht.”
Question one — why this programme (and why it’s a fit test)
This is where most letters go generic, and where Maastricht specifically rewards applicants who don’t. “Why this programme” at Maastricht has two concrete hooks that a strong letter engages with directly:
Problem-Based Learning. Maastricht’s signature teaching model isn’t a marketing line — it’s how almost every class runs. Students work in small tutorial groups on real business problems rather than sitting through large lectures, which means the programme genuinely suits some people more than others. A letter that names PBL and gives evidence you’ll thrive in it — a time you learned by doing, led a small team, drove a group project, or worked through ambiguity collaboratively — reads as someone who has actually understood what they’re applying to. A letter that would make equal sense addressed to a lecture-based programme has missed the single most distinctive thing about Maastricht.
Your specialisation choice. Because you pick the track on application, “why this programme” should include why this track. Tie it to a real, reasonably specific direction: here’s where I want to go, so this is the specialisation that serves it. A named, evidenced reason for choosing corporate finance over strategy (or supply chain over marketing) is one of the cheapest credibility signals in the whole letter, and one most applicants skip.
If your “why this programme” paragraph would still make sense with another university’s name and another track pasted in, you haven’t written this part yet. Read the full Maastricht MSc International Business profile so your references to PBL, the one-year 60-ECTS structure and the specialisation tracks are accurate.
Question two — why you can successfully complete it
The second half of the brief is an academic-readiness argument, and it’s there for a reason: the MSc International Business is an intensive, one-year, 60-ECTS master taught entirely in English, and Maastricht wants evidence you can carry that load. This is your case that you can both handle and finish the degree.
Make it with evidence, not adjectives. The programme is open to graduates of relevant disciplines, so “prepared” means: the quantitative and analytical grounding the core demands, the English-language ability to study and argue in it, and a track record of getting demanding things done. A strong sentence names a thing you did — a quantitative module or dissertation, a demanding internship, a research project — and lets the reader infer the capability. A weak one asserts you are “hardworking, analytical and a fast learner” and proves none of it. If your background has a gap relevant to your chosen track (say, limited finance coursework for the finance specialisation), address it honestly and show how you’ve closed or will close it; admissions readers trust a candidate who sees the gap more than one who pretends it isn’t there.
How the letter fits the rest of the application
The motivation letter doesn’t carry the file alone — and knowing what the other pieces do tells you what not to waste words on:
- Transcript. Proves you can handle the academic work. Don’t re-list grades in the letter; reference at most the one or two results that support your readiness argument.
- CV. Lists your education, extracurriculars, internships and experience. The letter should interpret the one or two CV items that matter for this programme, not duplicate the whole document.
- GMAT / GRE — or an exemption. A GMAT or GRE is required unless you’re exempt, and the exemptions are broad (a Dutch/Flemish NVAO bachelor’s, or any AACSB- or EQUIS-accredited bachelor’s, is waived). Those who must test need a GMAT Focus 515 (or 550 on the older version), or the GRE equivalent — a gate to clear, not something to discuss in the letter. If you’re unsure whether to sit a test, our GMAT vs GRE for a European MiM explainer and the MiM in Europe without the GMAT list are worth reading first.
- English proof. Required if your prior education wasn’t taught in English.
For the underlying mechanics of finding and structuring your story, see our essay-writing tips and how to write MiM application essays; the Edinburgh personal statement, decoded is the closest sibling guide if you’re also applying to single-statement schools; for positioning a profile that’s strong-but-not-perfect on paper, how to build a competitive MiM profile is the companion piece; and for the full document checklist across European MiMs, see MiM application requirements in Europe.
The mistakes that quietly sink strong letters
These are the avoidable ones — capable applicants losing ground they didn’t need to:
- Ignoring PBL. It’s the most distinctive thing about Maastricht. A letter that doesn’t engage with how you’ll learn there reads as a template.
- Skipping the track rationale. You chose a specialisation on the form; the letter should say why. “Maastricht is a great school” is not a reason to pick supply-chain over finance.
- Answering only the first question. The brief has two halves. Letters that pour everything into motivation and forget the “why I can complete it” readiness argument leave half the assignment undone.
- Telling instead of showing. “I am analytical and collaborative” is an assertion; a one-sentence example of each is proof. In a one-page letter you can’t afford un-evidenced adjectives.
- The interchangeable letter. If you could submit it to three other universities by swapping the name, it’s generic — and generic is exactly what a short, two-question brief is designed to expose.
Timing: two intakes, and a real reason to apply early
Maastricht runs September and February starts, with deadlines that differ by nationality: for September, 1 May (non-EU/EEA) and 1 June (EU/EEA); for February, 1 November and 1 December respectively. Non-EU/EEA applicants typically also pay a €100 handling fee. The two-intake structure gives you flexibility, but don’t read the deadline as a target — if you need a GMAT or GRE, you must book and sit it (and have the official report sent) before the file is complete, and non-EU applicants need time for a visa. For the strategy behind when to apply, see Round 1 vs Round 2, map the live dates on our deadline tracker, and weigh Maastricht against its national peers in the best MiM in the Netherlands.
Common questions
Does Maastricht require essays? Not a set — one motivation letter, arguing why you want the programme and why you can complete it, alongside a transcript and CV. Confirm the live brief in the application portal.
How long should it be? No strict published count; treat it as a focused one-page letter (~400–600 words). Confirm any specific guidance for your track and cycle.
What does Maastricht want? Specific, evidenced answers to both halves — a real fit case (PBL + your specialisation) and a real readiness case — from someone who clearly understands what they’re applying to.
Does it need a GMAT or GRE? Only if you’re not exempt. A Dutch/Flemish NVAO or AACSB-/EQUIS-accredited bachelor’s is waived; otherwise GMAT Focus 515 / GRE equivalent.
When should I apply? September deadlines are 1 May (non-EU) / 1 June (EU); February are 1 Nov / 1 Dec. Apply early enough to fit in any test and a visa.
Sources & how to confirm
The motivation-letter brief (the “why this programme / why you can complete it” wording) and the required-document list (transcript, CV with education/extracurriculars/internships/experience, motivation letter) are drawn from Maastricht University’s official SBE application/admission-requirements pages for the MSc International Business; the GMAT/GRE minimum and exemptions, the two-intake deadline structure, the EU/non-EU tuition, the one-year 60-ECTS PBL structure, the specialisation tracks and the FT 2025 ranking/outcomes are from the school’s own pages and the FT table, as recorded in our full Maastricht profile. Maastricht can revise its brief, word guidance and document list between cycles and across specialisations, so confirm the current motivation-letter instructions and deadlines in the MyApplication portal before you write. Last checked June 2026.