Q: How do I apply?
A: On this web page, you will find all the necessary information about our admissions procedure in 2 rounds.
All candidates for our bachelor programme first have to apply through Studielink (from November). So, to start your application, from November, go to the Studielink website: www.studielink.nl to read there and start your application according to the Studielink guidelines.
Once you registered for our programme through Studielink, you will receive automatic e-mails with information about the next steps in your application process.
- 1st round: portfolio assessment during online consultation interview; for EEA-applicants Basicyear & DOGtime;
- 1st round: submitting portfolio for assessment (no interview); for all non-EEA applicants Basicyear, and for all applicants for 2nd/3rd year fulltime;
Following a positive assessment of your work during the 1st round, you can proceed to the 2nd round.
- 2nd round: entrance examination.
NOTE: the admission procedure for the Preparatory Course en Orientation Course on Saturday is different, and does not go through Studielink, see our website for more info.
Q: Is the consultation interview live or online?
A: The consultation interview is conducted online via Microsoft Teams. The goal is to assess and discuss your potential suitability for our Academy through an online interview with a tutor. During the interview you will show as much of your work as possible on camera, and share a portfolio pdf with the tutor in Teams. You can create a PDF in advance with an overview of your work over the last few years.
Q. I’m not from the Netherlands. Can I still apply?
A: Yes, in principle candidates from all over the world can study at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, provided that they have sufficient prior education, have adequate command of the Dutch and/or English language and have successfully completed our admission procedure. All information about the admission procedure can be found on the website of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie.
Q: I’m now doing Dutch Vmbo and would prefer to go to the Rietveld immediately after this, without doing an Mbo course first. Is that possible?
A: No, you need at least a HAVO or MBO diploma (level 4) to study at the Rietveld Academie.
Q: When can I start directly in a higher year? I’ve already studied at an art academy, do I still need to apply?
A: Yes. You are eligible for applicatoin to a higher year if you have studied for at least 1 year at an art academy, university or higher professional education institution and have obtained your propaedeutic certificate/completed the 1st bachelor year of studies successfully (with 60 ECTS credits obtained) before the start of your possible study at the Rietveld Academie.
But you have to complete both admission rounds successfully before you can be admitted.
Q: I don’t have a portfolio yet. Can I still be admitted?
A: If you have not made any visual work at all, it makes no sense to register for our admissions procedure for the bachelor. We assume that applicants have already developed their visual skills and talents in various media. It’s comparable to applying to the conservatory to study the piano: if you cannot play the piano at all, you won’t be admitted and need to take time to develop skills first.
Q: I’m now in my final year of secondary school (high school graduation class). Can I apply now?
A: Yes. Our regular consultations run from November to mid-February. So you can make an appointment for an online consultation through the link you receive after starting your application in Studielink. If you pass on to the second round, you can participate in the entrance exam in March. If the result of the exam is positive, you will be conditionally admitted for the new academic year, the condition being that you obtain your secondary/high school diploma before August (definitely before the start of the academic year in September).
Please note: you can only start your studies at the Rietveld Academie if you actually obtain your secondary school (high school) diploma before the start of the new academic year.
Q: What previous education do you need to apply? Do I have to choose a special package of subjects or profile in preparation for the Gerrit Rietveld Academie?
A: No. Our prior education requirement is at least a Havo or Mbo-diploma (at level 4). There is no specific requirement for the profile or subject package.
Q: If I have an Mbo-4 diploma or Havo diploma, can I be admitted into a higher course year, or receive credits for certain components?
A: In principle, you can only skip the Basicyear and be admitted into a higher course year if you have studied for at least 1 year in a bachelor's programme at another art academy or university. If you've already studied in a bachelor's programme and start in a higher year, you cannot skip certain parts of the curriculum in that year because you have studied before. You must follow the full curriculum.
Q: What can I do to prepare myself properly for the admission procedure of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie?
A: It is important that you build a portfolio of visual and/or design work that is as varied as possible. You should be able to show work made in different media, so drawings, sketches, paintings, photography, graphic work, 3D work, design work, etc.
If, for example, you only take photos, and have not really worked with other media yet, there's a considerable chance that you will not be admitted because your body of work is too one-sided.
In addition, it is important that you can show more than just assignment-based work – for example, in school. We would like to see that you have developed or are experimenting with your own ideas. So make sure you can show as much of your own work as possible, in different media.
In addition, it is good to inform yourself about what is happening in the field of contemporary visual art and design. Visit museums and exhibitions to see what artists and designers are currently making. Get a good idea of what studying at the Rietveld Academie entails and whether that is really what you are looking for. Visit our open day on the last Friday in January and make sure you have read and viewed all the information on the website (including work by students from all departments). That way you can prepare yourself thoroughly for the admissions procedure.
Q: I don't live in the Netherlands and want to submit my portfolio, is this possible?
A: How you do the first admission round - either by online interview or by submitting your portfoliio pdf for assessment - depends on your choice of application and nationality.
- 1st round by online interview: for all DOGtime candidates, and Dutch and EAA candidates for the 1st bachelor Basicyeaar.
- 1st round by submitting portfolio pdf for assessment: for all non-EEA applicants for the Basicyear, and all 2nd/3rd year fulltime applicants.
If you are not sure which applies in your case, you can send an e-mail to: apply@rietveldacademie.nl to get a confirmation.
Q: I don't live in the Netherlands but would still prefer to participate in the online admission interview. Do I still have to submit my portfolio?
A: No. If you do have to do the first admission round via online consultation interview and have a consultation appointment, you will show your work to the tutor during your interview in Teams. You are not supposed to submit your portfolio in advance.
Q: When are the entrance exams and how long do they take?
A: The regular entrance exams for the full-time bachelor (Basicyear) take place annually in March, with an additional round in April. The entrance exams for DOGtime take place in April, with an extra round in May. The entrance exams for entry into a higher year take place in May.
The entrance exams consist of an admission interview with an admissions committee. The interviews take approximately 20 minutes. Basicyear candidates have 2 interviews (with 2 separate admissions committees), DOGtime candidates, and candidates for 2nd/3rd year entrance fulltime have 1 interview.
Q: What is the pass rate of the entrance exams?
A: This varies from year to year. Out of a total of 1000-1100 candidates who apply for our Bachelor's admission procedure every year, about 25-30% are eventually admitted, depending on the number of available study places per department in a given year.
Entrance exam candidates (second admission round), have an approximate chance over 50% to getting admitted.
Q: Can I also enroll halfway through the academic year?
A: No. All students are admitted before September 1 and start their studies on September 1. Candidates can start an application in Studielink from November. Our online consultations (1st admission round) start 10 months before the start of the new academic year. We complete all regular entrance exam rounds (2nd admission round) in May, so well before the summer holidays. You must register well in advance and preferably start your application in Studielink way before 1 March, to make sure you can still complete our admission procedure.
Q: Can I apply for multiple study programmes?
A: In Studielink, all candidates start an application for Fine Arts & Design bachelor. In the 1st bachelor Basicyear, all students follow the same curriculum. Only at the end of the 1st year do students choose the department where they continue their studies in year 2.
Candidates who want to apply for entrance into the 2nd or 3rd year of the 4-year fulltime bachelor's programme have to choose for one specific department that they want to enter and apply for.
If candidates want to be eligible for admission to the first bachelor Basicyear besides entrance into the 2nd/3rd year at one of our departments, an extra application has to be started in Studielink so they can go through the separate admission rounds for both the Basicyear and the department they chose.
Q: How long does the HBO/bachelor course at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie take?
A: Full-time studies take 4 years:
- Year 1: in the 1st bachelor Basicyear, all students follow the same curriculum. At the end of the first year, students choose the department where they will continue their studies in the second year.
- Year 2, 3 & 4: Students study at the chosen department for another 3 years before graduating.
Part-time studies take 5 years:
- DOGtime Year 1 & 2: all students follow the same curriculum. At the end of the 2nd year, DOGtime students choose the direction they want to take from the 3rd year onwards (there are only 2 choices here: Expanded Painting, or Unstable Media).
- DOGtime Year 3, 4 & 5: students study in the chosen direction for another 3 years before graduating.
Q: Can I also study part-time at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie?
A: Yes. In addition to the extensive full-time programme, the Gerrit Rietveld Academie also offers a part-time programme (DOGtime). Full-time studies take 4 years and the DOGtime studies take 5 years, because the propaedeutic phase lasts 2 years instead of 1 year.
After that, you can study Expanded Painting or Unstable Media part-time and continue studying for an additional 3 years before graduation, or move on to one of the 12 departments in the full-time degree programme (and continue for 3 years before graduating.
Q: Do you have a campus with rooms for students?
A: No, there is no campus with student rooms on the terrain of the Rietveld Academie. Admitted students must find their own place to live in (the vicinity of) Amsterdam Student accommodation is provided by www.studentenwoningweb.nl and www.room.nl . Register here as soon as possible, as they have a waiting list of at least 2 years: registration is already possible if you are not studying here yet.
The academy only offers some rooms (DUWO rooms) for short stay of maximally 1 year, for exchange students and new foreign students. Admitted students will receive more information about this.
If you have questions about housing, send an e-mail to housing[at]rietveldacademie.nl .
Q: Can I apply for student finance for your study programme?
A: It is an HBO/bachelor's degree, so if you are eligible for student finance, you can apply for it. Students within the EEA can also apply for student finance under certain conditions. For specific questions, see www.duo.nl and check here.
NB: Students of the Preparatory course, the Orientation course on Saturday, or the part-time bachelor course (DOGtime) are not eligible for student finance!
Q: When are the last online consultations?
A: BASICYEAR: the last regular consultations for the March entrance exams are mid-February. We offer limited extra consultations in March (for entrance exams in April).
DOGTIME: the last regular consultations for the April entrance exams are mid-March. We offer extra consultations in April (for entrance exams in May). If there are still study places available, we'll offer extra consultations in May as well.
Q: Can I get a scholarship from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie?
A: No. Unfortunately, the Rietveld Academie does not offer scholarships. Candidates who want to study here and need funding will therefore have to apply for a scholarship (in their own country) themselves. Only new non-EU/EEA bachelor students are awarded 3 (one-off) scholarships annually through the NL-Scholarship programme.
Q: Are the classes taught in Dutch or in English?
A: The courses offered at our academy are either in Dutch or bilingual. In our bilingual courses (like our bachelor program) the language of instruction is English. This means that the study and class materials and assessments are offered in English. If circumstances warrant this, bilingual courses may deviate from the language of instruction and switch to Dutch, as long as this does not lead to the exclusion of foreign-speaking students. These circumstances include: the language background of the teacher and the students present; individual contacts and personal assignments such as study guidance, internships and written assignments.
NOTE: Students who do not speak English cannot be admitted. Foreign students do not necessarily have to speak Dutch at the start of their studies. Of course, Dutch is useful if you live in the Netherlands for a longer period of time, but you can often get by in English as well.
Q: What’s the average age of bachelor students?
A: The average age of the undergraduate students is 25. The average age of students in the 1st bachelor Basicyear full-time is about 21. The average age of students in the 1st year of the part-time course (DOGtime) is about 33.
Q. Why are the statutory fees of the Rietveld Academie higher than the fees of other academies?
A: The Minister of Education granted the Rietveld Academie the distinctive feature of 'small-scale and intensive education'. This means we are allowed to ask for higher tuition fees in orde to keep our educational programme small-scale and intensive.
Q: Are there additional costs related to the study programme?
A: The costs related to the study programme depend on the department you're studying with. In the Basicyear the study costs are lower than the costs in the department years. Take into account at least € 900 - € 1500 extra costs per year for materials and excursions, in addtion to the annual tuition fees.
Q: Are there age limits for registration for the bachelor’s programme?
A: Due to the prior education requirement for an HBO/bachelor programme of at least a Havo or Mbo-4 diploma, candidates are at least 17 when they start the programme. Although there is no strict maximum age, students in the 1st bachelor full-time Basicyear are usually no older than 35. Older candidates are better off opting for the part-time evening course (DOGtime).
Q: What facilities does the Rietveld Academie offer?
A: There are a number of general workshops (wood, metal, computer, graphics, CAD-CAM) and a number of departmental workshops. Click here for more information.
Q: Can I sit in on the classes for a day?
A: No. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to structurally organize guided tours and it is important that classes for our current students run as smoothly as possible.
Q: Is an IELTS or TOEFL certificate required?
A: An Academic IELTS certificate is required with a minimum overall band score of 6.0, with at least 6.0 for Speaking, unless candidates have (or will obtain) a European high school diploma which provides access to baachelor or higher professional educatio (with English as exam subject and at least a B2 score), or if candidates are ‘native speakers’ with a high school diploma in their native country.
We do not accept the TOEFL-certificate, because oral proficiency is not sufficiently tested. In exceptional cases, granting exemption for the IELTS obligation may be possible. For more info: apply@rietveldacademie.nl
Q: Does the academy provide facilities for students with disabilities or impairments?
A: Students with disabilities or impairments may be eligible for adjustments. We consider the personal situation and what adjustments are necessary and possible. Standard facilities such as an extra hour of examination time are not available at the Rietveld Academie, simply because we do not work with standard examinations. Candidates wishing to find out what provisions might be possible should contact the student counsellor: mirjam.mazurel@rietveldacademie.nl.
Q: Are students covered by health insurance through the Rietveld Academie?
A: No, every student must have individual insurance. Students from the EU can usually use the European Health Insurance Card, through the insurance in their home country. Students from outside the EU will usually need to take out student travel insurance (e.g. AON or OOM).
NB: this insurance does not cover costs for pre-existing conditions (e.g. a chronic illness or mental condition). If you use medication, you will need to bring it from your home country.
Q: How many foreign students are studying at the academy?
A: In the running academic year over 60% of our bachelor students are from abroad, respresenting 52 nationalities. In the Basicyear about 70% of the students are from abroad, representing 35 different nationalities.