Applying with an international degree
Source: https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/spatial-systems-society/admission-applications/international-degree/ Parent: https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/spatial-systems-society/admission-applications/
Are you an international student and do you want to study Spatial Systems & Society at the University of Twente (UT) Follow the step-by-step plan below!
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How to start your application
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Step 1 | Studielink account
Create an account with Studielink. You will receive a usernameand a password. - Step 2 | Start application
Apply via Studielink by choosing the University of Twente as institution and your Master's Spatial Systems & Society with astarting date.
Note: the programme Spatial Systems & Society is listed in Studielink as Spatial Engineering with code 60962, so make sure you select that one when you apply.
After the initial steps in Studielink you will receive another e-mail with login credentials for the OSIRIS application where you can upload your documents. - Step 3 | Continue with provided logins
Continue your application via the OSIRIS application, using the login credentials provided to you via e-mail.
You may be admitted to this Master's on the condition that you still have to pass. Therefore, know that you can apply even if you have not yet obtained your diploma.
Admission requirements
Required diplomas or knowledge
Your application will be judged based on an individual educational curriculum/portfolio and motivation letter. The admission board will review your application and decide, based on the bachelor’s education (technical focus), if you are directly admissible, admissible under conditions (pre-masters) or not admissible.
Applicants for the Master's in Spatial Engineering should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised university or accredited academic institution in a discipline related to the Master's. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields you can be directly admissible:
- Civil engineering
- Geo-engineering
- Geographical sciences
- Earth sciences
- Water and agriculture sciences
- Geographical information systems
Also, students with broad engineering bachelor's (such as Advanced Technology or Creative Technology), students from urban (spatial) planning and governance and (technical) University Colleges and students with a relevant bachelor’s degree from a university of applied sciences are invited to put in their application.
Direct access for UT Bachelor's
Students who successfully completed their Bachelor's at the University of Twente and followed at least one of the following minors have direct and unconditional access to the Master’s Spatial Engineering
- Earth Observation
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Adapting to Climate Change with Spatial Engineering.
Required knowledge
To allow students to meet the final qualifications of the Spatial Engineering programme, incoming students must have knowledge at the bachelor's level of a research university in at least three of the following topics:
- Water, weather and climate (hydrology, meteorology)
- Earth sciences (geo-engineering, geology, earth surface processes)
- Civil engineering (infrastructure, building, hydraulics, hard interventions)
- Spatial planning and governance (urban and or rural environments)
- Spatial information and visualization (GIS, Remote Sensing)
- Software engineering.
Language skills
Success in your studies requires a high level of English proficiency. Therefore, prospective master's students with an international degree must meet the English language requirement. The application will only be processed when the English language requirements have been met, the University of Twente does not offer possible conditional admission if the English language requirement is not met.
If you take the test after the application deadline, or you do not have the official English certificate before the application deadline, the University of Twente will not process your application. Therefore, make sure to do the test in advance, as it will take time for you to get the official certificate.
As proof that you meet this requirement, you will be asked in the application procedure to upload one of the requested language certificates below. Only these internationally recognised test results will be accepted.
| - IELTS (academic) certificate, not older than two years, with an overall band score of at least 6.5, and a minimum score on each section of at least 6.0. The IELTS Online test, IELTS Indicator test, IELTS One Skill Retake, and IELTS General Training are not accepted by the University of Twente. |
| - Before January 2026:TOEFL iBT (internet-based) certificate, not older than two years, with an overall score of 90, and a minimum score on each section of at least 21. Please note that the University of Twente does not accept the MyBest scores of the TOEFL test. By exception, you can also take the TOEFL iBT (Special) Home Edition test (only valid for the February & September 2026 and February 2027 intake). This is only the case when you cannot use a regular language test as listed in this table, because the on-site language test centre is closed due to unsafe situations in your country. - After January 2026: TOEFL iBT (internet-based) certificate, not older than two years, with an overall score of 4.5, and a minimum score of 4.5 on reading, listening and writing. For speaking a minimum score of 4 is required. Please note that the University of Twente does not accept the MyBest scores of the TOEFL test. By exception, you can also take theTOEFL iBT (Special) Home Edition test (only valid for the September 2026 and February 2027 intake). This is only the case when you cannot use a regular language test as listed in this table, because the on-site language test centre is closed due to unsafe situations in your country. |
| - Cambridge C1 Advanced, formerly known as; Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) from 2015 onwards (when the subscores were introduced). Obtained with an overall score of at least 176 and a minimum score on each section of at least 169. Both the ‘digital or paper-based’ are accepted by the University of Twente. |
| - Cambridge C2 Proficiency, formerly known as; Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE) from 2015 onwards (when the subscores were introduced). Obtained an A, B or C grade, with an overall score of at least 176 and a minimum score on each section of at least 169. Both the ‘digital or paper-based’ are accepted by the University of Twente. |
| - PTE Academic certificate, not older than two years, with an overall score of at least 63, and a minimum score on each section of 59 (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking). Only the standard PTE Academic test is accepted. The PTE Core and PTE Academic Online are not accepted by the University of Twente. Please note: PTE Academic will only be accepted from the September 2026 intake onwards. |
| - LANGUAGECERT Academiccertificate, not older than two years, with an overall score (band score/minimum score) of 70, and minimum subscores of 65 in Reading and Listening, and 70 in Speaking and Writing. Only the standard LANGUAGECERT Academic (in-person) test is accepted. |
KEEP IN MIND
- During your application, the University of Twente will verify your proof of English proficiency. The IELTS (academic) and TOEFL iBT are only accepted once it is not older than two years. Since your application will not be immediately reviewed, please kindly make sure that your English certificate is still valid for at least one month after you have submitted your application to Osiris. Please note: In some cases, it might take longer before your application is reviewed.
- The language requirements when applying for a scholarship may be different because scholarship providers may have different requirements.
- If you are a native English speaker and/or you have (fully) completed your education in English, you also have to meet the specific English language requirement.
English language exemptions
All officially recognised exemptions to the standard English language requirements are clearly outlined on the University's website. Please consult the English Language Tool to determine whether any of the listed exceptions may apply to your situation.
Please note that individual requests for waivers outside the stated exceptions cannot be considered, as the University of Twente does not offer English waivers.
Make sure to answer the follow-up questions after selecting your country. Selecting your country alone does not automatically entitle you to an exemption, as it forms only one part of the overall assessment.
Am I exempted from taking an English test?
Required documents
- Copy of diploma
- Transcript of records
- Motivation letter (max 1,000 words)
- Resume (Europass)
Stuck in the application process?
Ask the chatbot for all the details you need to apply for the master’s of your choice.
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Do I need to apply for a pre-master's?
You cannot apply directly for a pre-master’s programme. Instead, you must apply for your chosen master’s programme through Studielink. UT will review your application and, if you do not meet the requirements for direct admission to the master’s, you may be offered a place in a pre-master’s programme. In some cases, your application may be rejected. Please note that a rejection applies to both the master’s and pre-master’s programmes.
If you are currently pursuing a Dutch bachelor’s degree, you can apply for a transfer minor via the Kies Op Maatwebsite.
Starting dates and application deadlines
You can start this Master's in September. If you want to apply, make sure to check the application deadlines beforehand!
Laptop requirements
When you study at the Spatial Systems & Society, you need a laptop that meets or exceeds certain specifications.