Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

About Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is an independent Dutch higher-education institution rather than a department or campus of the University of Amsterdam. NVAO’s 2025 institutional audit records the Dutch legal name as Hogeschool van Amsterdam, uses AUAS for its English name, classifies it as government funded and gives its quality-assurance system a positive final judgment. The audit traces the current institution to a 1993 merger and notes that AUAS regained its own Executive Board in 2017 after a period of shared governance with the University of Amsterdam. AUAS is a large, professionally oriented institution. Its official organization page reports more than 44,000 students, approximately 4,800 staff, 57 bachelor’s programmes, 22 master’s programmes and nine Associate degree tracks. These figures describe the institution’s overall Dutch and English portfolio, not only the programmes available to international applicants. Education and practice-based research are organized through six faculties: Applied Social Sciences and Law; Business and Economics; Digital Media and Creative Industries; Education; Health, Sport and Physical Activity; and Technology. A prospective student should understand the Dutch distinction between a university of applied sciences and a research university. AUAS primarily prepares students for professional fields through applied coursework, internships, projects and research conducted with organizations. This can be attractive for students who want structured contact with professional practice. Those seeking a predominantly theoretical or research-intensive route, particularly toward doctoral research, should compare AUAS carefully with Dutch research universities.

Admission is programme-specific. For 2026–2027, applicants used Studielink, the national Dutch higher-education application system, and then completed AUAS account, document and credential-evaluation steps. Applicants educated outside the Netherlands must submit their qualifications for evaluation. AUAS compares prior education with the Dutch level required by the selected programme and checks relevant subjects and language evidence. Certified diplomas and transcripts are normally required, with official translations where applicable. Bachelor’s applicants with an international diploma are charged a €100 application fee under the published 2026–2027 procedure. For English-taught degrees, applicants must satisfy both the academic conditions and the English standard stated by the programme. AUAS’s central credential page publishes accepted tests and central reference scores, but individual programme requirements can be higher. Master’s applicants must consult their programme page because deadlines and prerequisites vary by degree. The principal 2026–2027 deadlines are now historical as of August 20, 2026: quota and selection programmes closed on January 15, 2026, and the general deadline for applicants needing a study visa was May 1, 2026. The published deadline for many other full-time, part-time and dual programmes was August 31, 2026, but late applicants still needed enough time to complete evaluation and enrolment. For a future intake, applicants should not reuse these dates; they should consult the newly published programme page and application roadmap. AUAS already states that selection-programme applications for 2027–2028 run from October 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027.

AUAS offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees alongside Associate degree tracks and shorter courses. Its official English-language overview separates degrees from courses and currently lists English-taught study options at both bachelor’s and master’s level. Examples visible in the current catalogue include International Business, the English programme at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, the International Sports, Management and Business track, Master Digital Design, Master Applied Artificial Intelligence, Master Applied Quantum Technology and Global Sustainable Business Management. Availability, language, start date and study mode vary, so applicants should treat the individual programme page and the 2026–2027 course catalogue as controlling sources. The academic model is applied rather than purely theoretical. AUAS explains that universities of applied sciences prepare students for defined professional areas and emphasize practical experience through internships and field-research projects with companies and organizations. The 2025 NVAO audit similarly describes the institution as connecting education, practice-based research and professional practice. This orientation affects both teaching and assessment: students should expect collaborative projects, professional assignments and programme-specific placements rather than assuming every course follows a lecture-and-examination model. The six-faculty structure provides broad subject coverage, but English availability is narrower than the total institutional portfolio. Some programmes are full-time, while selected degrees or professional offerings are part-time. Entry qualifications also differ substantially: bachelor’s applicants may need specified secondary-school subjects, while master’s programmes generally set relevant prior-degree and sometimes professional-experience requirements. Students should inspect the curriculum, accreditation, placement expectations and graduation requirements for their chosen degree rather than generalizing from another AUAS programme.

Key Highlights

• Public, independently governed Dutch university of applied sciences
• Current institution formed through a merger in 1993
• Positive NVAO institutional quality-assurance judgment in 2025
• Six faculties spanning professional fields from business and technology to health and education

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across an urban institution rather than concentrated on one residential campus. AUAS describes student networks, cultural and social events, student-support services and platforms serving groups including Dutch-Caribbean students, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities and refugee students. Its Global Connection Programme organizes activities intended to connect students across cultures. Students can also use the University Sports Centre and participate in creative courses, lectures, workshops and performances through CREA. Academic and personal support is available through student counsellors and other services. The official support information directs enrolled students to guidance for study progress or personal circumstances, including support relevant to international students, caregivers, elite athletes and entrepreneurs. Provision may differ by programme or personal situation, so students who need accommodations should contact AUAS before arrival. Housing is the major practical constraint. AUAS states that Amsterdam has a housing shortage and that it has only a limited number of rooms for eligible international bachelor’s and master’s students. For 2026–2027, rooms were allocated through a lottery that prioritized exchange and non-EU students; as of August 20, 2026, that process had closed. An offer of admission does not guarantee accommodation, and students who lack housing should not assume that AUAS can place them later.

Location & Surroundings

AUAS operates across four campuses in Amsterdam. The official organization page places the Amstel Campus around Wibautstraat, the Health Campus at the Amsterdam UMC site in southeast Amsterdam, the Sport and Nutrition Campus in Amsterdam New West, and the Business Campus in southeast Amsterdam near the ArenA. Individual teaching buildings are spread across these campus areas, so the daily experience depends strongly on the selected programme. This dispersed arrangement gives students contact with different parts of Amsterdam and supports AUAS’s emphasis on using the metropolitan region for professional projects and partnerships. It also means that applicants should identify their programme’s teaching location before choosing accommodation or estimating travel time. A room near one campus may be inconvenient for another, and programme activities or internships may take place elsewhere in the city or region. Amsterdam provides access to a large international professional and cultural environment, but location carries practical tradeoffs. Housing is scarce, living costs are substantial and AUAS cannot house every international student. Prospective students should plan around the actual campus, investigate transport connections and secure legitimate accommodation before committing to relocation.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027, AUAS lists a statutory tuition fee of €2,694 for students who meet the nationality, residence, first-degree and enrolment conditions. The general institutional fee is €10,648 for students who do not qualify for the statutory rate. Important exceptions exist: the European School of Physiotherapy charges higher statutory and institutional amounts, while several master’s degrees have programme-specific prices. Applicants should use the official fee page and their enrolment assessment rather than infer their category solely from citizenship. Non-EU students requiring a residence permit face additional liquidity requirements. AUAS’s current immigration page lists a €260 immigration amount and proof of financial means of €1,140 per study month, or €13,680 for a full academic year, separate from tuition. These amounts relate to the immigration process and should not be interpreted as a complete personal budget. Housing can require an administration charge, deposit and first month’s rent upfront. For 2026–2027, the limited AUAS housing allocation has already closed. The educational model is explicitly career-oriented. AUAS describes internships and company or organization projects as central features of applied-sciences education, though their timing and requirements vary by programme. Faculty internship offices connect selected fields with placements and graduation projects. The Career Center also offers graduating students and alumni workshops and coaching through activities such as the Career Café. No institution-wide salary or placement-rate claim was found in the selected official sources, so career value should be judged through the chosen programme’s curriculum, required placements and professional recognition.