Hospitality Management (AD Work & Study) fees & admissions

To be admitted to one of our 2 year Associate Degree programmes, you will need to meet the admission requirements as outlined in Dutch Higher Education law. For a 2 year Associate Degree programme at NHL Stenden, you need a diploma that is at least equivalent to an NLQF 4/EQF 4 level (Dutch/European Qualifications Framework)* and comparable to the required Dutch diploma.

The Central Student Administration at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences carries out an assessment on every individual application to our 2 year Associate Degree programmes. It generally recognises the international qualifications listed here**

If the qualification you will obtain or have obtained is not listed as a recognised qualification, you may still be eligible to study at NHL Stenden and should also apply for the programme through Studielink. Your qualifications will be assessed by an Admissions Officer at the Central Student Administration (CSA) department at NHL Stenden once you have submitted your application.

If it is unclear what the equivalent level of your secondary school diploma is within the Dutch education system, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences will have your diploma evaluated by Nuffic, a Dutch organisation specialised in the assessment of international qualifications. For an indication of how your educational system compares to the Dutch system, please visit the Nuffic website.

* The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is a tool for understanding and comparing qualifications awarded in different countries and by different education and training systems. Its eight levels are described in terms of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills and competences. The levels of the Dutch Qualification Framework (NLQF) are linked to the levels of the EQF.

** All applications are assessed on an individual basis by the Central Student Administration (CSA) even if your diploma is listed as a recognised qualification. Although this document has been composed carefully by NHL Stenden, rights cannot be derived from this overview.

All non-EU/EEA applicants are required to submit an English proficiency test with their application to show that their English language skills are at a high enough level to succeed in their studies.

Exceptions can be made for students who have had their preparatory education in a country where English is the only official educational language.

If you are applying for an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or master's degree and hold a diploma from a European institution listed here, and English was included as part of the final exam curriculum, then the additional English language test is not required. The same applies to students who have attained General Certificates of Secondary Education (enough O and A/AS levels with the sufficient score), the European Baccalaureate Certificate, International Baccalaureate Diploma, or an IB career-related programme taught fully in English.

All other applicants need to submit a valid and adequate English language test result with their application.

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences accepts official language tests in accordance with the Code of Conduct International Student in Dutch Higher Education: 

• IELTS academic with a minimum overall band score of 6.0** (with an advised minimum of 5.0 for each skill). We do not accept the online version of the Academic IELTS results.*
• TOEFL *** iBT with a minimum required score taken before January 21, 2026: Minimum total score: 80 (0–120 scale) or after January 21, 2026: Minimum total score: 4.5 (1–6 scale).
• Cambridge English grades and scale* with the score First FCE–Grade B (scale 173–175) or First FCE–Grade C (scale 169–172)
• TOEIC score 865* (Listening and Reading) and 335 (Speaking and Writing). 
• LanguageCert academic ** with a minimum score of 65. We do not accept the online version of the LanguageCert academic results. 
• Pearson PTE Academic ** with a minimum score of 61. We do not accept the online version of the Pearson PTE academic results. 

* We only accept TOEIC®, TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, LanguageCert and Pearson PTE certificates from public programmes and not from institutional programmes. Public programmes are organised in public centres and deliver an official score report which is recognised worldwide. 
** IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, LanguageCert and Pearson PTE certificates more than 2 years old (at the start date of the study), will not be accepted. 
***TOEFL iBT Traditional and Paper Edition -  Before registering for this test, you can include our TOEFL institution code of C652 for the verification process. Original test results must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to NHL Stenden.

English Language Course
If you haven't met the English language requirements mentioned above, NHL Stenden offers an English language course that you can participate in before starting your Bachelor's or Master's program at NHL Stenden. For more details, check this link.

• It is a mandatory requirement to have a job in the hospitality industry in the Netherlands to be admitted to this Work & Study programme.
• In addition a company coach/workplace coach has to be available for you as your supervisor and sparring partner.
• A workplace scan will be made by our Work & Study team after the mandatory intake.

Accreditation
The programme Hospitality Management is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). The Hotel Management School is also the first hotel management school in Europe to hold the Certificate for Quality in Internationalisation (CeQuInt) and is recognised by the prestigious Institute of Hospitality in the UK. The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education has accredited our Hotel Management School as the second-ranked institution in Europe with its outstanding programmes.

Join one of our Open Days for an information session—check our upcoming events. 

If you meet the admission requirements and have applied via Studielink, we'll email you an invitation to sign up for a mandatory intake day within 5 working days. 

In the email, select the intake day you want to attend and upload your cv and a short personal vlog or moodboard. The email includes clear instructions on how you do this. You can register for an intake day up to two weeks in advance but remember there is a limited number of places available for each day. We’ll confirm your attendance and send practical information, including location, 2 to 5 weeks before the intake day. 

During the intake day, you’ll have interviews with a lecturer and an industry professional. We'll take note of your motivation, the way you present yourself, your work experience and how you have prepared in choosing your study. Together, we’ll also discuss your practical learning journey.   

The intake day includes a workshop, an information session, and lunch, offering a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with the programme. Even if you still need to complete an admission test, you are welcome to attend.

 We strongly recommend attending an Open Day before starting the intake procedure (check our events page) Tip: find out about design-based education, as you can expect us to ask you questions about it. You can learn more about design-based education during an Open Day and you can find information about our educational concept on our website. 

At the end of the intake interview, we will let you know if we believe the associate degree programme is the right match for you. Your intake result applies to both the September and February start of the programme.

Costs: there are no costs for taking part in the intake day 

Questions?  If you have any questions about your application, the intake procedure or starting your studies, then contact the Student Service Centre at Hotel Management School Leeuwarden by phone on +31 6 23 14 80 56 or email [email protected].