Admission and application

Admission

In order to qualify for participation in the Master’s programme River Delta Development, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification from a recognized university (of applied sciences) or accredited academic institution in a discipline related to that of the master’s programme (certified copy of a diploma together with the official transcript of academic records).

Students with the following (Dutch) Bachelor’s degrees are welcome anyway:

  • Urban Planning
  • Water Systems Engineering
  • Urban Water Engineering
  • Water Management
  • Water Resources Management
  • Environmental Water Management
  • Flood Risk Management
  • Flood and Coastal Risk Management

It is also important that you have a good command of the English language

  • Academic IELTS overall band score of at least 6.0
  • TOEFL, internet based (TOEFL-iBT) of at least 90
  • Cambridge CAE-C (CPE)

Admission and registration

The River Delta Development Master’s programme is a joint degree offered by three universities of applied sciences. A letter of motivation and an intake interview with the admission committee are also part of the selection procedure. The HZ student office will inform you about this. If your letter of motivation and intake interview are both positively assessed, you will be sent confirmation of your admission. You can use this to request any grants you will need.

Letter of motivation and intake interview

We select students based on several criteria. These should be addressed in your (English) letter of motivation of ± 750 words:

  • your interest in and knowledge of river deltas and your goals for the master’s programme;
  • your capacity for self-reflection on your current knowledge and skills;
  • your capacity for becoming a facilitator of change - demonstrate your willingness to apply change, innovation and creativity in complex processes.

The intake interview will be about the goals you have set yourself based on your background, and your interest in and knowledge of river deltas. Also we expect you to give an elevator pitch about a river delta case. The intake interview will be in English, so we can assess your proficiency in English.

Applying for a Masters programme

To start your study programme, you must first apply online via Studielink, the online application system for higher education in the Netherlands. The procedure is quite easy, just follow the instructions below. Please note that the application procedure is processed by HZ University of Applied Sciences, so make sure you select this university of applied sciences within Studielink to enroll for the River Delta Development programme.

We advise you to apply as soon as possible so that you have enough time to prepare for your study. Please note that a letter of motivation and an intake interview with the admission committee are also part of the selection procedure. The HZ student office will inform you about this within three business days, after receiving your application.

Application procedure

Follow the procedure below:

  1. Apply via Studielink
    Apply for a username and password, so you can register. Log in with your new username and password and apply for the River Delta Development programme within HZ University of Applied Sciences. 

  2. Submit required documents to HZ's International Student Administration System 
    Once you have applied, you will receive an e-mail from our administration system. This e-mail will contain a link to our International Student Administration System. This e-mail will be sent to you within three business days from the date of your application on Studielink.  

Documents

Complete your application by attaching the following documents to your file:

  • A copy of your bachelor’s degree or certificate equal to a bachelor’s degree, including a transcript of records (list of grades). If you have not yet graduated or have not yet received your diploma, please upload an official recent transcript of records.
  • A copy of your valid passport or ID-card
  • An official English language test (IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge)
  • Your motivation letter

All above mentioned documents must be in Dutch, English, French, Spanish or German. If this is not the case, you must upload a translation in one of these languages. Students who have already graduated should upload an official (sworn) translation of their educational background documents. 

For students who have not yet graduated a good translation suffices. However, after graduation an official (sworn) translation must be provided 

Interview and Letter of Acceptance

If your application file is complete, we will inform you about your acceptance within one week. When your motivation letter is approved, you will get an invitation for an interview (this could be a face-to-face interview or a virtual meeting). If your letter of motivation and intake interview are both positively assessed, you will be sent a conditional letter of acceptance. You can use this to request any grants you will need. 

Deadline

Closing dates for applicatants starting in September are:

  • August 1, EU students
  • June 1, Non-EU students

Because of the visa-procedure, the deadline to apply for non-EU students is earlier than the deadline for EU students.

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