OpenFieldVU Fellowship Programme (VUFP) & Holland Scholarship
Prestigious merit scholarship awarded to outstanding international students from outside the EU/EEA pursuing full-time master's degree programs at VU Amsterdam.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Established in 1880 in Amsterdam, North Holland, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) is a world-class European research university consistently ranked in the global top 120 institutions. Known for its values-driven societal impact, VU Amsterdam is internationally celebrated for computer systems and cybersecurity (the world-famous VUSec group), artificial intelligence, medical informatics, and molecular biophysics. Explore verified degree pathways, salaried doctoral employment under Dutch national agreements, and distinguished faculty profiles.
Verified degree programs and opportunities
Review checked academic pathways and funding options below:
VU Amsterdam Salaried PhD Positions (Promovendi under CAO-NU)
Four-year salaried doctoral research positions in computer science, artificial intelligence, and systems security, providing full statutory social benefits and pension contributions.
VU Amsterdam Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence
Leading two-year English-taught master's degree focusing on knowledge representation, machine learning, human-aware AI systems, and natural language technologies.
VU Amsterdam Master of Science in Computer Science (Joint Degree with UvA)
Elite joint master's program with the University of Amsterdam, offering specializations in Computer Systems & Security, Big Data Engineering, and Foundations of Computing.
Systems and Network Security Group (VUSec) Research Placements
Research placements inside one of the world's most acclaimed computer security labs, uncovering microarchitectural CPU flaws, cache side channels, and binary exploitation.
Amsterdam Science Park & Zuidas Academic-Corporate Internships
Practical research internships embedded inside leading international technology firms and research institutes in the Amsterdam metropolitan area for Master's thesis projects.
VU Student Assistantships (Student-Assistenten)
Paid academic teaching positions for master's and advanced bachelor's students, leading exercise sessions, grading code submissions, and mentoring junior scholars.
Admissions, language requirements & application process
- Master's admission eligibility
- Accredited Bachelor of Science degree from a recognized research university (WO) with equivalent to a Dutch university GPA (typically GPA 3.0+ / 4.0 or 75%+).
- Doctoral admission eligibility
- Completed Master of Science degree in relevant discipline; appointments occur via competitive application to advertised salaried PhD vacancies or approved external fellowships.
- Language proficiency
- Demonstrated English proficiency: Academic IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all subscores) or TOEFL iBT 92 overall (minimum 21 in all subscores).
- Research statement / Proposal
- Detailed motivation letter and scientific exposé explaining project methodology and research alignment.
- Application fee
- €100 non-refundable application fee for international students with non-Dutch diplomas.
- Required documentation
- Complete certified academic transcripts, degree certificate, CV, 2 academic reference letters, and statement of research motivation.
Tuition fees and verified scholarship systems
Tuition is charged for master's programs (€16,000 to €19,500/year for non-EEA students, with VUFP scholarships providing 100% tuition waivers). Doctoral candidates (Promovendi) are not students but salaried university staff employed under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU), earning gross monthly salaries of €2,872 (Year 1) rising to €3,670 (Year 4), plus 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
Verified faculty profiles and research leaders
Distinguished researchers and laboratory heads at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam:
Prof. Dr. Herbert Bos
Professor of Systems Security, Head of the VUSec Group, ACM Fellow; specializing in Systems Security, Hardware Vulnerabilities, Binary Analysis.
Prof. Dr. Frank van Harmelen
Professor of Knowledge Representation & Reasoning, Member of KNAW; specializing in Knowledge Representation, Semantic Web, Symbolic AI.
Prof. Dr. Gijs Wuite
Professor of Physics of Living Systems; specializing in Biophysics, Optical Tweezers, Atomic Force Microscopy.
Important verification note
Facts reflect official Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam documentation reviewed 2026-10-14. Degree admissions, scholarship awards, and employment positions are subject to formal university review. OpenField does not charge students application fees.
Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Editorial standards · Report an issue