Language requirements

  • General
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For the study programmes in English and German, a minimum English language proficiency level is required. You must prove your proficiency by submitting a test score from an approved English language test.

Proof of proficiency

To meet the language requirements, you must submit an English test score approved by Code of Conduct Higher Education, such as IELTS (Academic), TOEFL, Cambridge ESOL , TOEIC, Pearson PTE (Academic) or LanguageCert (Academic).

Please note: IELTS,TOEFL, Pearson and LanguageCert test scores that are more than two years old at the start of the programme will not be accepted. We do not accept IELTS online and we only accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition in special cases.

The general English criteria are:

  • Bachelor: IELTS 6.0. Some programmes require minimum subscores. For subscore requirements, please check (the website of) the study programme
  • Master: IELTS 6.0. There are some exceptions. For (subscore) requirements, please check (the website of) the study programme

For IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge ESOL and TOEIC equivalents please refer to the table below.

Language Test Scores

*The table is not meant to mutually compare language tests and/or scores. It is only meant to formulate the minimum scores for the accepted language tests referred to for the admission of international students.

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Admission to Bachelor's programmes

  • All language scores must contain four subjects: reading, writing, listening and speaking
  • IELTS score: minimum of 6.0 (original results); some programmes require minimum subscores. Please check the study programme of your choice for subscore requirements
  • TOEFL internet (iBT) score: minimum of 80 points (original results) with no sub-score below 17 (Please indicate Hanze University of Applied Sciences to check your TOEFL score from ETS in your test taker profile; the institution code is 2165)
  • Cambridge ESOL score: check the table for the minimum score. For verification of your results, please send Hanze the results via the online Cambridge Candidate Results Portal.
  • Pearson PTE (Academic): minimum of 61 (original results); some programmes require minimum subscores. Please check the study programme of your choice for subscore requirements.
  • LanguageCert (Academic): minimum of 65 (original results); some programmes require minimum subscores. Please check the study programme of your choice for subscore requirements.

Admission to the Master's programmes

Please check the study programme of your choice for information about the language requirements.

English proficiency exemptions

There are reasons you may be exempt from submitting an English language proficiency test. For applying to a Bachelor's programme these are:

  • You have obtained your secondary education diploma in a country that has been included in the following diploma list.
  • You have a havo-/ vwo- / mbo 4-diploma.
  • You have obtained a diploma from Curacao, Aruba, Saint-Martin or Suriname.
  • You have obtained a diploma at an English-taught institution within the EER and you can prove that the education you have received there was full time English-taught (you must be able to provide a statement from the school, signed and stamped, confirming that the medium of instruction and examination of your prior education was entirely in English)
  • Your prior education was English-taught and you have obtained a diploma in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada (English speaking part), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America
  • You have obtained an International Baccalaureate or European Baccalaureate

For applying to a Master's programme: please check the (the website of) the study programme of your choice for information about exemptions from the English language proficiency test.

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