IB Pathways
Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · Netherlands

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

How people live together and respond to change, from climate and migration to inequality and identity, studied from within through fieldwork and attention to culture, power and identity.

Image: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Where
AmsterdamNetherlands
Degree
BSc
Length
3 years
Taught in
English
Starts
Autumn 2027
Apply by
1 May 2027
Admission
Open to all who qualify
EU/EEA fee
€2,7712027/28 statutory fee
More facts
Degree
BSc
Length
3 years
Taught in
English
Starts
Autumn 2027

Deadlines

  1. 6 November 2026

    VU Bachelor's Day on campus (6 and 7 November)
    DetailsSource

  2. 1 May 2027

    Application deadline for EU/EEA students
    Hard deadline
    DetailsSource

  3. 31 August 2027

    Enrolment: tuition fee paid (15 July for numerus fixus programmes)
    Hard deadline
    DetailsSource
All dates for this programme (2 more)

  1. 1 December 2026*

    Create your Studielink account
    Your own plan
    Details

    Not an official deadline. With a Dutch address you log in with DigiD, which the government says takes about five days. Without one you upload a scan or photo of your passport or EU identity card and Studielink verifies it automatically. Either way, do it well before 15 January.

    Source

  2. 6 July 2027*

    IB results released
    Details

    Both Dutch deadlines fall well before this. How a conditional place pending results is handled is set by each institution; ask yours.

    Source

* Last year’s date, not yet confirmed.

Every date in the Netherlands

What it is

You study how culture, power and identity shape each other in issues such as climate, migration and inequality. Year one covers anthropological theory, ethnographic and social research methods, the global history of inequality and statistics, with masterclasses on three professional tracks: researcher, practitioner and creative professional. In year two you choose a profile and study development, political and economic anthropology, nation and migration, and urban studies. Year three centres on ethnographic fieldwork for a Bachelor Project in the Netherlands or abroad, including Colombia, ending in an academic article, a policy report or a documentary, photo or podcast project.

What you need

  • Full IB Diploma meets the entry rule. English: an English-taught or bilingual IB, or English A Lang & Lit SL 7/HL 6.
Requirements in full

Where it says so

Its entry requirements

Check it on vu.nl

How places are decided

    • Everyone eligible is admitted
    No cap: meet the requirements and you are admitted. Apply in Studielink by 1 May and complete your VU application.
Sources (2)
  1. Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at VU Amsterdam — checked 2026-09-30
  2. Entry requirements

Other degrees at VU Amsterdam