Bachelor of Fine Art and Design

About the course

A practical four-year art and design degree at an arts academy. Everyone starts with a shared Basicyear, then moves into one of 12 departments for years 2 to 4, such as Fine Arts, Photography, Graphic Design, Fashion, Ceramics, Jewellery or Architectural Design. Graduates may use the title Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• The institution assesses the Irish Leaving Certificate individually and does not publish a fixed Irish requirement. Contact admissions to confirm. The general rule is a secondary school diploma at EQF level 4 or higher (equivalent to a Dutch HAVO or MBO 4 diploma), which you must have before you start in September 2027.
• There are no subject or maths requirements. Admission depends on your artistic ability: an online consultation with a portfolio PDF of at least 20-30 pieces from the past three years (including sketches and process work), followed by an entrance exam in Amsterdam.
• You need proof of English: a European secondary school diploma with English as an exam subject at B2 level or higher, or proof that English is your mother tongue and you finished school in an English-speaking country. Otherwise you need Academic IELTS 6.0 overall, with at least 6.0 for Speaking. TOEFL and Cambridge tests are not accepted.

How to apply

1. Register in StudielinkStudielink opens for applications in mid-November 2026. Apply for the full-time Bachelor Fine Art and Design, then complete the Academie’s own application.
2. Online consultationBook an online consultation on Microsoft Teams (at most 3 weeks ahead) and show a portfolio PDF of at least 20-30 pieces. Book before Christmas if you can. The last regular Basicyear slots are in mid-February 2027.
3. Entrance examIf the consultation goes well, you are invited to the entrance exam in Amsterdam: 15-19 March 2027, with an extra round in April.
4. Decision and enrolmentResults come within 5 weeks of the exam week. Send your Leaving Cert results before 1 August if possible, and pay your tuition fee to complete enrolment.

Costs

• €3,245 a year (2026/27). This is the Dutch statutory fee plus a government-approved supplement for small-scale, intensive programmes, so it is higher than the standard Dutch EU fee. It applies if you have not already completed a Dutch bachelor’s degree (otherwise the institutional fee of €9,816 applies). The 2027/28 amount is not yet published. The Academie also advises budgeting extra each year for materials and excursions: its tuition fees page says at least €800 to €1,100, and its FAQ says at least €900 to €1,500.
• EU students may be eligible for a Dutch tuition-fee loan (DUO).

At a glance