Masters in Belgium

Groeten! Salut! Wie geht es dir?

Belgium, or the much cooler sounding Kingdom of Belgium, is a medium-sized country located in Western Europe. With a population of just over 11 million people spread around picturesque towns and cities, the monarch state is currently one of the world’s leading cultural, economic and political centers. 

Home to a handful of leading international institutions and organizations, Belgium is one of the proud founders of the European Union. As a matter of fact, the city of Brussels is officially both the national and EU capital but also, unofficially, the chocolate capital of the globe! Remember – in Belgium, everything comes in threes!

Fun fact: Did you overlook the first heading? That’s Dutch, French and German – the three official languages in Belgium!

Choosing Belgium as a Masters destination

Have you already thought about three reasons to choose Belgium as a Masters destination? Of course you haven’t – there are much more than that! 

For starters, the Belgian higher education system is organized in two regions – the Flemish Community and the French Community. These function and operate as separate entities within Belgium, thus offering entirely different languages of instruction, tuition, fees and of course – universities. 

There is also the third region known as the German-speaking Community of Belgium which, however, does not regulate a higher education system. 

Secondly, there are two main types of educational organizations – universities and university colleges. There are no notable differences between them except for the more complex research that you would be involved with at a university college. Another additional type of institution are the colleges of art focusing mainly in the areas of the arts, music and theater. 

Together, the Belgian higher education ranks among the best.

Admission requirements and application

In order to be successfully admitted at a higher education institution in Belgium, you will have to prepare a certain amount of documentary beforehand. By default, your Bachelors is an absolute must but you should also bear in mind the following:

• Application form
• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of recommendation and/or motivation
• Proof of knowledge in Dutch, English, French or German

From the above, your language proficiency can be decisive upon application for a Masters in Belgium. Make sure that you can present one or more of the certificates below depending on your chosen language of instruction:

• For Dutch – State Examination of Dutch as a Second Language (Staatsexamen Nederlands als tweede) or Certificate of Dutch as a Foreign Language (Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal)
• For English – IELTS, TOEFL or CAE
• For French – DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française) or DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française)
• For German – TestDaF, Goethe-Zertifikat or DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber)

And of course there are also deadlines. Most universities and university colleges set their academic calendars from September to July/August which is why it is highly recommended that you prepare and submit your application by February or March. Note that online application is available for most institutions.