The admission requirements depend on the level of studies and field of study chosen.
To access first cycle studies (Bachelor), you must hold a secondary school leaving certificate recognised to be equivalent to the upper secondary education certificate issued in Wallonia-Brussels.
Students holding a foreign upper secondary education certificate must therefore submit an application for equivalence of their diploma or certificate of completion of secondary education to the Equivalencies Service of the Ministry of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (link is external) to gain access to the Bachelor degree programmes.
Please note: In some areas of study, as is the case for Belgian students, international students must also pass an entrance exam (arts colleges, engineering) or a competitive examination at the end of a first year of study (medicine and dentistry).
If you wish to follow a first study cycle course (Bachelor), you need to select a specific course and get in touch with the university, higher education institution or arts college of your choice to find out about the terms of admission.
To be admitted to the specialised studies of the first study cycle (Specialised bachelor), the student must already hold a first study cycle higher education degree (Bachelor).
To be admitted to the second study cycle (Master), foreign students must generally hold a first study cycle degree (Bachelor’s degree – 180 credits) within the same field, generally obtained in 3 years of study.
A personal or professional experience validated by the Admission Jury according to a specific assessment procedure can also pave the way for second study cycle studies.
Holders of a higher education qualification obtained abroad who wish to pursue second study cycle studies in Wallonia-Brussels generally do not need a decision on the equivalence of their diploma from the Ministry of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
We suggest you to contact the higher education institution of your choice to find out the terms of admission.
To be admitted to second study cycle specialisation studies (Specialised Master), the student must hold a second study cycle higher education degree (Master) corresponding to at least 120 credits.
Admission to third study cycle (Doctorate) is reserved to holders of a second study cycle degree (Master) corresponding to at least 120 ECTS credits or a similar degree (foreign or not) and recognised as equivalent by the Admission Jury.
It is important to know that a doctoral thesis is written under the guidance of a supervisor (advisor). To apply, the student must have a thesis project that is sufficiently defined and the written consent of an advisor.
If you wish to study for a doctorate, the first step is therefore to identify a professor working in your field of study and to contact him in order to present your research project for approval. To do so, we advise you to consult the universities websites. To find out more about postgraduate studies, consult the Doctoral Studies section.
If your admission application is accepted, a last step remains to be completed before gaining student status: enrolment with the institution of your choice.
To be properly enrolled, the student must:
- fulfil the admission requirements,
- pay the tuition fees.
Each higher education institution has its own admissions and enrolments department. We advise you to get in touch with this department in order to obtain precise information on the admission and enrolment procedures you have to follow.
Important note for students from the PR of China
Since the 2007-2008 academic year, Chinese students must generally obtain a certificate from the Center for Academic Assessment (APS) in Beijing to obtain a student visa and therefore pursue higher studies in a higher education institution in Wallonia-Brussels, based on graduate studies in PR China.
For more information on the APS procedure, please consult the following webpage: APS procedure for Chinese students