The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship (UES) is a highly selective program for talented international students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA = the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) who wish to study for a master’s degree at Utrecht University.
The funds for the scholarships come from the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship Fund, established by Utrecht University, and contributions from Utrecht University alumni.
Founded in 1636 and located in the heart of the Netherlands, Utrecht University is one of Europe’s leading research universities. They are recognized internationally for their high-quality, innovative approach to research and teaching.
As international students, students will be in good company at Utrecht University. Every year, around 1,500 international students come to the university to join English-taught degree programs and other courses. Students work and study closely together and learn to operate in an international environment from the outset. This is an essential skill for scientists and scholars in our increasingly globalized world.
Utrecht University has signed the Dutch Code of Conduct for international students, which guarantees proper recruitment, selection, and coaching of international students.
The university has over 35,000 students from 110 countries. In 2022, these included 9,946 1st year students and 5,785 international students.
They offer 155 graduate programs, 109 of which are taught in English. This represents the widest range of English-taught graduate programs in the Netherlands.
Studying at Utrecht University means studying at one of the world’s best universities. Utrecht University has been the top Dutch university in the Shanghai Rankings since 2010.
Innovative, high-quality, and future-proof: these qualities typify the education offered by Utrecht University.
For years Utrecht University has been at the forefront of educational innovation and it creates challenging programs for groups of extra-talented and motivated students, in order to meet the international need for outstanding graduates. This is illustrated in a number of Utrecht initiatives, such as University College Utrecht and Utrecht Law College. The university is constantly working on creating an even better education, with inspiring lecturers and ambitious students.
Throughout Utrecht University, students are offered interactive, small-group learning experiences provided by enthusiastic lecturers who actively contribute to improving the programs where necessary.
Utrecht University develops programs that meet the demands of both students and society: examples are the Selective Utrecht Medical Master’s programme (SUMMA), the Academic Teacher Training for Primary Education (Academische lerarenopleiding primair onderwijs, ALPO), and a minor program in education. The university continues to invest in innovations in teaching via the Utrecht Education Stimulus Fund.
The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious prize in science. The prize, which was first awarded in 1901, has been awarded to twelve Utrecht scholars.
Location:
Netherlands, EuropeBenefits
- The Utrecht Excellence scholarship can be awarded as:
- the tuition fee, or
- the tuition fee plus the income required for a period of one year linked to a residence permit for study as determined by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service).
- The scholarship can be renewed for the second year of a two-year master’s program.
Eligibilities
- To be eligible for a Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, students must meet the following criteria:
- They must belong to the top 10% of their graduating class.
- They must not hold an EU/EEA passport and not be eligible for support under the Dutch study grant and loan system.
- They must have completed their secondary school and/or bachelor’s degree outside the Netherlands.
- They must have applied for an international master’s program with a start date of 1 September 2023. Not all programs participate. Please check Master’s program> Tuition fees and financial support to see if the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship is mentioned as a scholarship opportunity.
Application Process
- After submitting an application (or applications) for a UES-eligible master’s program before the stated deadline, non-EU/EEA students will have the opportunity to submit an application for one Utrecht Excellence Scholarship from 1 November 2022.
- They will see the UES application(s) in their OSIRIS Online Application account dashboard. Click view/edit for the UES linked (related process) to the program the student wishes to apply for,
- Upload the requested proof of belonging to the top 10% of the class,
- Answer the questions
- Submit the application
- Eligible candidates will be selected for a scholarship based on the following criteria:
- Academic quality and promise in the proposed field of study, as evidenced by the master’s application.
- Academic excellence, as evidenced by proof of belonging to the top 10% of the graduating class (class ranking certificate, GPA with grade distribution summary, statement/reference letter signed and stamped by the candidate’s university).
- The quality and relevance of the candidate’s motivation letter for the master’s program (academic content, intercultural and communication skills, personal motivation).
- The quality of the application for the master’s program itself (completeness, accuracy, consistency).
Application Deadline: February 1, 2024
Application ClosedOfficial link
