Admission

The Bachelor's degree programme in International Relations and International Organization (Croho 50627) is a quota programme (numerus fixus). The reason for this is the wide interest for the programme, which means that the programme gets more applications than that there are places available. A fixed number of places is available for quota programmes. For the IRIO Bachelor degree programme this number is 300.  Admission to the BA IRIO program for the academic year 2025-2026 will be based on a (unweighted) lottery system. Candidates with lottery numbers in the range 1-300 will be offered a study place. 

In order to have a chance to start the programme all candidates will have to complete the underneath application procedure before 15 January 2024.  Please read the below information carefully!

Application procedure 2024-2025

The application procedure for the start of the IRIO Bachelor programme for start in September 2024 will open on 15 October 2024. We encourage all candidates to complete the application procedure before 15 December 2024, the final deadline is 15 January 2025. The application procedure consists of several steps as outlined below. For applicants with a Dutch VWO diploma, step 1 needs to be completed. For all other applicants, steps 1 and 2 need to be completed. All necessary steps need to be completed in order to be considered for entry:

Step 1 : Registration in Studielink

All candidates have to apply for the Bachelor programme 50627 International Relations and International Organization (English) of the University of Groningen on Studielink > choose starting date: 1 September 2025.

Please follow the instructions in Studielink carefully! The deadline for this step is 15 January 2025

Studielink is the central registration platform for higher education in the Netherlands. For questions about registration in Studielink, please contact the University Student Desk.

Please note: As of academic year 2024-2025 all applicants with a non-Dutch qualification will have to pay an application fee. More information can be found on the Bachelor's admission pages.

Step 2 : Diploma validation on the RUG Progress Portaal

If you want to enter the Bachelor Programme IRIO with a Non-Dutch diploma or an International Baccalaureate, you will have to provide the Admissions Officer of the RUG with a copy of your passport, diploma, transcript of records, and if necessary an official English language test result through the RUG Progress Portaal. The admissions officer determines if your prior education is sufficient for principle admission to the University of Groningen. If applicable, you will receive instructions on how to proceed in Progress Portaal by email after you apply in Studielink. Candidates that have to undertake this step should also complete step 3. Please be aware that the diploma validation and the selection procedure are two separate processes and thus both need to be completed correctly in order to be included in the ranking. The deadline for this step is 15 January 2025.

For questions about diploma validation, please contact the RUG Admissions Office.

For questions regarding technical or procedural issues only, please contact selection.irio rug.nl (please include your full name and RUG student number in your email).

How does the lottery selection procedure work?

The IRIO department will review all individual applications of candidates that have

• successfully completed the steps above, and

• are in principle admissible to the University of Groningen based on their previous education

• Unweighted lottery: all candidates are selected by drawing lots, with everyone having an equal chance of being allocated a place.

The IRIO department will rank all these candidates through the lottery system and give them a unique place in the ranking. This ranking will be in the form of a number: 001 or higher. On 15 April all candidates that successfully participated in the lottery selection procedure will receive their individual ranking.

Selection check list

Have you taken the following steps?

• Applied for the BA IRIO through Studielink before the deadline
• Completed the application via the Progress Portal of the RUG in order to establish your principal eligibility to study at the RUG (not applicable to all applicants, please check step 2 above)
• Completed and submitted all the requested documents with evidence.

Timeline Application and Selection Procedure

15 October 2024 to 15 January 2025 – All candidates that wish to start the programme will have to complete the entire two-step application procedure.

15 January to 15 April 2025 – The Admission Office will determine if all candidates are in principle admissible to the University of Groningen.

15 April 2025 – All candidates receive their individual ranking from the lottery system.

15 April 2025 – Candidates with a number in ranking that falls within the Numerus Fixus (300) will be offered a place in the programme. Candidates have a maximum of two weeks to accept this place, after which this offered place is withdrawn and offered to the next candidate in the ranking (301 and over).

1 May – 15 August 2025 – places that are not accepted or rejected are offered to candidates next in the ranking.

1 September 2025 – Start of the programme.

For more information about the rules and regulation concerning the lottery selection and placement procedures within the University of Groningen, please see the Portal Fixed Quota Programmes of the University of Groningen.