English-taught master's across Europe: which countries require zero local language

The English-taught landscape

You can earn a full master’s degree in English across most European countries. The question is not whether it exists, but how deep the catalogue runs and what doors stay closed without local language.

Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Norway lead the pack. Southern and Eastern Europe generally offer fewer programmes, though the picture is changing fast.

Country-by-country: what you can study without local language

Netherlands

The Netherlands has the highest density of English-taught master’s in continental Europe. All 14 research universities offer full English master’s programmes. At the University of Amsterdam, over 200 master’s tracks are taught in English. At Delft University of Technology, every master’s programme is English-medium.

Dutch universities have been running English programmes since the 1990s. Faculty are internationally recruited, and seminars default to English when a single non-Dutch speaker is present.

Bottom line: you can live and study in the Netherlands for two years without learning Dutch, though learning basic Dutch improves daily life and internship prospects.

Germany