The MSc Business Administration does not list a GMAT or GRE requirement. Admission rests on a relevant academic bachelor's (with at least 10 EC in research methods and 5 EC in business-administration subjects), your motivation, and proof of English — so applicants who would rather not sit a standardised test have a clean route onto a double-accredited management master's. Confirm the current requirements in the live application.
Not listed as a requirement. Admission rests on a relevant academic bachelor's — with at least 10 EC in research methods and 5 EC in business-administration subjects — together with your motivation and proof of English
| Test policy | Not listed as a requirement. Admission rests on a relevant academic bachelor's — with at least 10 EC in research methods and 5 EC in business-administration subjects — together with your motivation and proof of English |
|---|---|
| MiMs we track admitting without a required GMAT/GRE | 75 of 118 |
A GMAT or GRE is not required to apply to the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam – School of Business and Economics MiM — it is one of the 75 of 118 Master's in Management we track (about 64%) that admit without a required test. See every European MiM you can apply to without a GMAT on our MiM without the GMAT shortlist, or read how GMAT waivers work.
Most European MiM programs, including this one, accept the GRE and often the GMAT Focus Edition or a school-specific test as alternatives, and weigh the whole application — academics, internships, essays, and interview — rather than the score alone.
Frequently asked questions
Does the VU Amsterdam MSc Business Administration require a GMAT or GRE?
No. VU Amsterdam does not list a GMAT or GRE requirement for the MSc Business Administration. Admission rests on a relevant academic bachelor's degree — with at least 10 EC in research methods and 5 EC in business-administration subjects — plus your motivation and proof of English proficiency. That makes it a clean route onto a double-accredited management master's for applicants who would rather not sit a standardised test.
What are the English language requirements for the VU Amsterdam MSc Business Administration?
For 2026/27 VU publishes the figure by programme, and the row for Business Administration (all specialisations) is IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each of the four components, or TOEFL iBT 92 on the old scale (Reading 13, Listening 12, Speaking 18, Writing 20) or 4.5 on the scale in use from January 2026, or TOEFL ITP 580, or Cambridge CAE or CPE at 180. VU accepts only those tests plus its own EUR 150 in-house test, which non-EU/EEA students needing a study visa may not use; IELTS Online, the IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL Essentials, the TOEFL Home Edition and MyBestScore are all rejected. Whether you need a test at all depends on where you studied, not on how well you speak English: VU exempts a secondary or higher education fully taught in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA; a higher education fully taught in English in Singapore or South Africa; and a bachelor's or master's fully taught in English within the EU/EEA. An English-medium degree from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or Bangladesh is not on any of those lists, so plan on sitting the test.
Sources
- VU Amsterdam — Master's Business Administration (programme) ↗ — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- VU Amsterdam — Master's Business Administration: admissions ↗ — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- VU Amsterdam — Tuition fee rates (statutory) Master's programmes ↗ — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- VU Amsterdam — Institutional tuition fees Master's 2026-2027 (overview) ↗ — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- VU Amsterdam — How do I apply for a Master's programme? (central deadlines page: applications open "from the beginning of October"; the cycle still published is September 2026, dated 1 April 2026 for non-EU/EEA needing a visa and 1 June 2026 for EU/EEA. September 2027 dates not yet published). SCOPE CHECKED 2026-09-04: the table is headed "International Degree Holders — Application deadlines" and states "The following deadlines apply if you are applying to a Master's programme on the basis of a non-Dutch university degree" and "Applications received after the deadlines cannot be taken into consideration!" — so it is university-wide by applicant type, not by programme. It names its own exception list, "Extended Deadlines (pre)masters 2026-2027", granting 15 July to specified programmes and stating that "if a Master's programme is not mentioned below, the deadline is 1 June 2026"; MSc Business Administration is NOT on that list, so 1 June is this programme's date. CORRECTED on the same read: 1 December is described as "the advised programme application deadline for all students wishing to apply for one of the VU Amsterdam scholarships", NOT as the scholarship deadline — "The final application deadline for most scholarships is 1 February, but you can only apply for the VUFP, HSP and OTS scholarships after you have been conditionally admitted", and VU advises 1 December because a decision "may take up to around 6 weeks". EU/EEA applicants are also "encourage[d] … to apply before 1 April" for university housing ↗ — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- VU Amsterdam — Language proficiency requirements for Master's degrees, plus the linked 'English Language Proficiency Overview 26-27' PDF (6 pages, sha256:ab43d44ded5d1a56, read 2026-09-06 with npm run pdf:text), which is where the per-programme numbers actually live. ENGLISH EVIDENCE CHECKED 2026-09-06 (P33c, Dutch leg). Exemptions, verbatim: 'You are exempt from having to take an English Language test if you have completed: A secondary or higher education fully taught in English within Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA. A higher education fully taught in English within Singapore or South Africa. A Bachelor's or Master's degree fully taught in English within the EU/EEA. An International Baccalaureate Diploma (English-taught). A Dutch pre-university VWO diploma (including VWO English language and literature) or English at an international equivalent pre-university level.' Note the shape: three different geographies for three different levels of study, with Singapore and South Africa admitted at higher-education level only. India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Bangladesh reach none of them. Evidence: 'If it is clearly stated on a diploma/transcript that your degree was fully English-taught, then this will be sufficient proof. If it is not clearly stated, we request an official statement with stamp and signature from your previous university.' The PDF's row for 'Business Administration (all specialisations)' — this programme — reads IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking; TOEFL iBT 92 (Reading 13, Listening 12, Speaking 18, Writing 20) on the old scale or 4.5 (sections minimum 4) on the new one; TOEFL ITP 580 with no minimum section score; CAE 180; CPE 180. VU 'only accepts' IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, CAE, CPE and its own EUR 150 VU Taalloket test, and that in-house test 'is not accepted for non-EU/EEA students who require a study visa/residence permit'. IELTS Online, the IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and MyBestScore are all rejected ↗ — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam