The University
Welcome to VU University Amsterdam, a state-funded university with about 19,000 students and 2,000 academic staff. It opened its doors to students in 1880 and nowadays it comprises twelve faculties with 55 Bachelor’s degree programmes and almost 100 Master’s degree programmes. One of the most important values of VU University Amsterdam is the emphasis placed upon social involvement in the university’s teaching and research programmes. This is why we attach such great importance to our function in society. We feel that academic work cannot take place in isolation from what is going on in society in terms of norms and values, philosophy and religion.

Quality of the teaching and personal supervision
VU University Amsterdam has a sterling reputation for the fine quality of its teaching. You work in relatively small groups, in which considerable emphasis is placed on interaction and a personal approach. The teaching is well-organized. This is reflected, for instance, in the clear structure of the study programmes.  VU University Amsterdam devotes considerable attention to personal study advice. Right at the start of your course of study, you will be introduced to your programme’s study advisor. This individual will offer you advice about any problems that you might have with your course of study, and answer questions about the job market.

Ranking
A range of studies have shown VU University Amsterdam to be one of the best universities in the country. At VU University Amsterdam education and research are closely intertwined. High-quality teaching and cutting edge research have given the university a great deal of recognition, enabling it to attract prominent lecturers from within the Netherlands and abroad.

Well-known Alumni of VU University Amsterdam
Since making his space flight, astronaut André Kuipers has taken up a position as Professor of Space Travel and Medicine and lectures on the physics of life. Researchers at VU University Amsterdam such as biopsychologist Dorret Boomsma, cancer expert Bob Pinedo and economist Peter Nijkamp have obtained prestigious prizes and subsidy incentives for their groundbreaking work. The world famous clap skate, developed by VU’s human movement scientists, has turned the world of speed skating upside down. And of course we should not forget the appointments of Andrew Tanenbaum (Computer Science) and Gün Semin (Social Psychology) as Academy Professors, an honour that shows these researchers to be among the very best that the Netherlands has to offer.

Campus location and accessibility
Almost all of VU University Amsterdam's students, staff and programmes are located in a single building complex in the south part of Amsterdam, in one of the most dynamic and fast-growing business districts in the Netherlands. Accordingly, in the course of your studies, it is very easy to familiarize yourself with other disciplines. Besides, the international airport of Schiphol-Amsterdam is 10 kilometres away, just 8 minutes by train.

Lively Amsterdam
As a student of VU University Amsterdam, you stand to benefit from all the advantages offered by the capital.  Amsterdam has the largest concentration of students and youth in the Netherlands. Amsterdam is also one of Europe's leading financial centres, a city where almost everybody speaks English and the quality of life ranks among the best. It's no wonder more than 1,800 foreign companies have already chosen Amsterdam as their European base.

Amsterdam has a great deal to offer: a variety of residential areas, international schools, international social clubs, culture, (water)sports, golf courses and many other recreational facilities. For visitors, students and expatriates alike, it is easy to feel at home in a city that has such human proportions and is so well geared to meeting the needs of its many foreign residents. 'Amsterdammers' are friendly, tolerant and at ease with other cultures and languages.

As you will understand, this environment is a perfect base for an international Economic and Business Administration Faculty. See www.amsterdam.nl & www.IAmsterdam.com for more information.

Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
The Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (in Dutch: FEWEB) offers 4 BSc programmes, 8 MSc programmes and 1 Mphil programme in a wide range of economics and business fields. Since her establishment in 1948 the faculty has evolved into a medium-sized faculty with approximately 3000 bachelor- and master students, 1500 postgraduate students and about 400 academic and non-academic members of staff.

 The Faculty has its own library. The Economic and Social Institute has an extensive documentation library for research purposes. In addition to the library, the Faculty also has a reading room for study purposes. The reading room holds all the scientific journals to which the Faculty has subscriptions. The University's general reading rooms are also open to students of the faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

We also offer computer rooms to our students. All international students are given their own e-mail address and access to Internet facilities.

Two Student Associations and One International Student Organisation
The Faculty has two student associations: Aureus for Economics and Business Administration students (www.aureus-vu.nl) and Kraket for Econometricians (www.kraket.nl). These faculty associations represent students' interests. Students are members of the Faculty Council and the Faculty Board. The student associations sell study books at a discount, publish lecture notes and summaries of study material, and they maintain a database of old exams and tests. Furthermore, they organise field trips, company visits, symposia, theme days and courses. Relaxation and fun are also important: each year the student associations organize large numbers of sports and cultural events, drinks and parties.

ESN-VUniverse is an international student organization, based at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. Originally founded by a handful of Dutch students in 1992, it has since grown into one of the primary caretakers of foreign students at the VU. At the beginning of each semester, they organize the ISI Days (International Student Introduction Days), a 2-day long introduction through Amsterdam. Other activities can be as little as bowling nights and ice-skating trips, or as big as city trips and full-fledged weekends into the great outdoors (of the Netherlands). See www.esn-vuniverse.nl for more information.

Master programmes at the Graduate School of Economics and Business
Our master programmes have a strong focus on developing our students' research and analytical skills. A great amount of attention is also paid to translating theory into practice by means of case studies, practical assignments etc. Our staff consists of a mix of researchers and business managers. Students and staff are constantly challenged to further advance our knowledge through research and through the application of new insights into practice. This all combined will prepare you to become a balanced and analytical professional with great value on the job market.

To apply for one of our prestigious Master programmes you can contact the coordinator of the Master programmes, ms Drs. W. Maat MSc. She will help you with pleasure if you have any questions or problems regarding the Master programmes. She will also be involved with the organizational matters of your stay in the Netherlands during your Master programme. You can contact her by e-mail; masterprogramme@feweb.vu.nl  and find more information at www.feweb.vu.nl/masters .