Admission requirements

The admission requirements for the bachelor’s programme European Law School depend on your prior qualifications. All applicants should meet the general requirements. Please check below whether additional requirements apply to you. A matching procedure is a mandatory admission requirement for all applicants.

Applicants with a Dutch diploma

If you have one of the diplomas stated below then, in principle, you qualify for admission:

Dutch VWO diploma
HBO or OU propaedeutic diploma
HBO diploma

Applicants with a non-Dutch diploma

If you have a non-Dutch diploma that is equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma then, in principle, you qualify for admission to this programme. Check if this applies for your diploma.

List of diplomas equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma 2025-2026

If your diploma is not included in this list, it must be evaluated by UM first.

Applicants who do not meet the requirements

Entrance exam, Colloquium Doctum
If you do not have the required diploma, or do not meet the additional requirements, you can still qualify for admission by passing an entrance exam (the so-called Colloquium Doctum).

If you pass the Colloquium Doctum and submit the requested proof of language proficiency, you will qualify for admission to the bachelor’s programme.

Language requirements English

This bachelor is taught in English. You must therefore have a thorough active and passive command of English. No additional evidence of sufficient command of the English language is required if you meet any of the following criteria:

you are a native English speaker
you finished your secondary education in an EU/EEA country
you have obtained an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma

If you do not meet any of these criteria, you have to provide evidence of sufficient command of the English language by either an IELTS, or a TOEFL test. You have to prepare and register for one of these tests yourself.

The required scores are:

IELTS test: minimum score overall 6
TOEFL test: overall, paper-based minimum score 550
TOEFL test: overall, internet-based minimum score 80
TOEFL test: overall, computer-based minimum score 213

Plan your test in time. It can take some time before you get the results.

Read more about the tests.

IELTS
TOEFL

Credit transfer

Students who are of the opinion that they have already obtained comparable subjects earlier can request exemptions. The subjects must be equivalent in terms of content, study hours and level.

A request for exemptions has to be submitted to the examinations committee of this programme by you. Your request will only be considered if you have already registered.

For further information about exemptions you can contact the faculty's examination committee by email: examslaw@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Binding Study Advice

This programme has a Binding Study Advice. This means that in your first year of the programme, you must obtain a minimum of 40 out of 60 ECTS credits. Students who fail to meet these criteria will receive a negative Binding Study Advice that leads to exclusion from the programme for a period of six years. All students who are at risk of receiving a negative Binding Study Advice will receive a warning after the first semester.