University of Amsterdam, Masters in Cultural and Social Anthropology
Reviewed on Apr 17, 2025(Enrolled 2024)What Students Say
Likes
- Good professors with expertise in their fields
- Active Department with numerous activities
- Well-resourced department and central administration with multiple events
Dislikes
- High fees
- Located in a very costly city with a housing crisis
- The program is one year which is too short, most of which is only focused on the thesis rather than classes
Course Curriculum
8
- It was pretty difficult. Dutch Universities are notoriously tough. My course was a mix of theory and praxis because I was in the applied track and we had 3 months of fieldwork with an applied output to submit along with our thesis for the course.
- It was academically challenging but also a bit unstructured at times. my course had about one class at a time divided amongst the 4 blocks.
- I have 1-2 classes per week. There are 2 Indian students in my course.
Admission Experience
- University of Amsterdam (Accepted),SOAS (accepted),Glasgow (accepted),Edinburgh (accepted)
- I did not get rejected from any of the places I applied to. I did get rejected from scholarships that I applied to. I think that my application was not uniquely strong. I was a good candidate to be accepted but not one of the best ones amongst every applicant for the University to want to reduce my tuition fees.
- I did not want to go to the USA or the UK. Europe and the Netherlands in specific seemed like the best fit for me. I also liked the applied anthropology program because it was unique and there weren't many others like it.
- I had a writing sample, my CV, IELTS, and an SOP. For my program, I did not have to write GMAT, SATs, etc.
- The admissions process was quite simple in my opinion.
- I applied in December 2023 and got in early February 2024. There were no rounds or intakes for the University of Amsterdam. Overall it look me 2 months to get my decision.
Faculty
6
- 1:25 is the ratio and we are given individual attention. this helps the quality of education.
- The professors are mostly skilled teachers.
- I am unaware of whether the faculty members assist students in finding jobs. However, networking definitely helps in academia. Sometimes professors will have projects and will need RAs for the same.
- I admire the program director, Yatun the most. She takes great care and attention with her students.
Campus Life
6
- Different clubs and societies exist, such as study associations, sports, etc, and it's easy to join. some are paid. I am not part of any. We have an off-campus library, as there are many campuses. We have a sports facility and gym.
- There is a cafeteria. There are no fests. only smaller events. It is a very politically active campus as well. Ultimately, you can be as much or as little involved as you want.
Part Time Jobs
- Very few master students are TAs and RAs. those are reserved for PhDs usually.
- The pay is decent in my opinion. minimum wage is 14 euros an hour and they usually get paid slightly more than that. for an international student from a non EU country, you are allowed to work only 16 hours per week and your employer must apply for a work permit for you. it is not easy to secure such jobs because there seem to not be as many opportunities. However this is mainly for my dept.
- 14 euros an hour which is minimum wage. it is not easy because employers prefer Dutch and European students. search for job openings, attend interviews, and your employer must apply for a work permit for you. Opportunities however do exist. Indian students usually work in Indian restaurants. however they can be quite exploitative in my opinion. However, cafes etc are usually hiring.
Placement
6
- I'm not sure. it's easy for Dutch nationals to find a job, as there is always availability and vacancy for them. However, it is more difficult when it comes to visa sponsorship. to get sponsorship you need to earn a minimum of 3000 euros per month.
- People find jobs through networks, the market is tight and there are no placements. Most people apply for a search year.
Accommodation
Off Campus
6
- There is no campus accommodation. I got my apartment through student housing. I live with a roommate 40 minutes by public transportation and 20 minutes biking away from university. i pay 500 euros a month. There is a very bad housing crisis in the Netherlands which makes finding accommodation extremely difficult but as a student, you stand a chance of getting it through UvA.
Exams
- I submitted my IELTS score. They asked for a CV, the names and contact info of two references, an SOP, and a writing sample. this may differ for different programs.
- There was no interview for the university of Amsterdam masters program.
Fees
- I had to pay 17000 euros at once. I pay around 500 euros for rent and an additional 500 euros for cost of living.
- Mine is a one year course. We do not have hostels. It is not credit based. In Amsterdam, people usually cycle so transport costs are less.
- If you live in a nearby area, you may incur train charged but that depends on where in the country you live.
Scholarship
- There is an Amsterdam merit scholarship which is very competitive. I did not receive any scholarship. Dutch students have extremely subsidized fees and usually take student loans out to pay them.
- I know other students funded by their home country, such as Filipinos. I do not know how many students receive scholarships each year. The Amsterdam merit scholarship covers the complete tuition fees.
