How to Come to Belgium as a Student

If you are interested in coming to Europe to study abroad and get your self a degree at a school in Belgium you have two choices for higher education in the country. Universities and professional schools are the two Belgian options available for students interested in getting a degree overseas in Belgium.

If you want to attend a university or professional school in Belgium then you will first need to contact that educational institution directly. You will need to apply for admission with them and get your foreign academic credentials validated. The National Academic Recognition Centre can provide guidance on foreign academic qualifications for admissions. If you will be attending an educational institution in the French region of Belgium you can contact the Ministère de l'Education et de la Recherché scientifique et de la Formation de la Communauté française on their website. And if you will be attending classes in the Flemish region you can contact the Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap through their website as well.

Foreign students may also need to show proof of sufficient financial resources in order to obtain a student visa to come to Belgium. Tuition will also need to be paid for before the student will be granted the Belgian student visa.

If you are attending a program in the Flemish region of Belgium classes will be taught in either Dutch or English. And if you are enrolled in a program in the French speaking region of Belgium all classes will be taught in French only. Most of the universities and schools have summer language courses for foreign students before the academic year begins.

Professional schools in Belgium are aimed at preparing students for careers in law, medicine, architecture, engineering or agriculture. For admission to a professional school some form of higher education is typically required. Students that have received an International Baccalaureate certificate of a British A-level certificate meet admission requirements. And American students are expected to have at least one year of college or university studies to be admitted.

Universities in Belgium offer four different paths of study. The first path offers a broad coverage of multiple disciplines and takes two to three years to complete. The second path takes two to three years and has a focus on a single area of study. The third path is a doctorate program that takes five to six years and requires research in a particular field. The fourth path has an exam that is only open to students with a doctorate.