UCLouvain application requirements

Conditions d'acc猫s de l'inscription 脿 l'UCLouvain

Are you interested in one of the courses in our catalogue? To apply for our courses, check that you meet the following requirements:

You meet the course admission requirements
You have a good command of French
Your course is fundable

Still have doubts or questions about our university鈥檚 admission requirements? Contact the Enrolment Office of the campus on which your course takes place.

What are your course admission requirements?

On this page you will find information on how to apply for the following courses:

Bachelor

General eligibility requirements

To apply for a bachelor鈥檚 course, you must submit one of the following documents:

an FWB upper secondary education certificate
- awarded by a fully accredited secondary education institution or a secondary education institution for social advancement (鈥減romotion sociale鈥�) in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) from the 1993-94 school year onwards;
- issued, at the latest, at the end of the 1992-93 school year, together with the dipl么me d鈥檃ptitude 脿 acc茅der 脿 l鈥檈nseignement sup茅rieur (鈥渄iploma of aptitude for access to higher education鈥�);
a higher education diploma
- awarded by a Belgian university or haute 茅cole;
- awarded by a Belgian secondary education institution for social advancement.
proof of passing an entrance exam organised by higher education establishments or an exam board of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
a secondary school diploma, either
- national, awarded by the Flemish Community, the German-speaking Community or the Royal Military School; or
- foreign, recognised as equivalent to those mentioned above and conferring eligibility for the chosen course (two qualifications are automatically recognised as equivalent: the European Baccalaureate and the Geneva International Baccalaureate).
a dipl么me d鈥檃ptitude 脿 acc茅der 脿 l鈥檈nseignement sup茅rieur (DAES) (鈥�diploma of aptitude for access to higher education鈥�) awarded by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation exam board.

Diploma equivalency application If you need to provide an equivalency decision, contact the of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Eligibility requirements for certain student profiles

Specific conditions may apply depending on your student degree.

Are you from outside the European Union and not considered as a European citizen?

In all cases, you must not already hold an undergraduate degree.

Then, depending on the nationality of your high school diploma, there are additional requirements :

Do you have a degree from outside the European Union ? You must :
- have obtained an overall average of at least 13/20,
- have obtained a non-European secondary school diploma in the three academic years preceding your application,
- must enclose the definitive equivalence of the diploma . Any application without a definitive equivalence, and depending on the case, the DAES, will be automatically rejected.
Do you have a secondary school diploma from a non-Belgian EU country? You must :
- enclose your diploma (or final transcript if you do not yet have your diploma) with your application,
- enclose proof of equivalence (or proof that your application has been submitted) of the diploma issued by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Do you have a Belgian secondary school diploma? You must :
- enclose your diploma with your application,
- enclose your high school transcripts for grades 5 and 6.

Are you a non-Belgian European citizen?

Depending on the nationality of your high school diploma, you are subject to different conditions :

Do you have a degree from outside the European Union ? You must :
- have obtained an overall average of at least 13/20,
- have obtained a non-European secondary school diploma in the three academic years preceding your application,
- must enclose the definitive equivalence of the diploma . Any application without a definitive equivalence, and depending on the case, the DAES, will be automatically rejected.
Do you have a secondary school diploma from a non-Belgian EU country? You must :
- enclose your diploma (or final transcript if you do not yet have your diploma) with your application,
- enclose proof of equivalence (or proof that your application has been submitted) of the diploma issued by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Do you have a Belgian secondary school diploma? You must :
- enclose your diploma with your application.

Are you a Belgian citizen?

Depending on the nationality of your high school diploma, you are subject to different conditions :

Do you have a degree from outside the European Union ? You must :
- must enclose the definitive equivalence of the diploma . Any application without a definitive equivalence, and depending on the case, the DAES, will be automatically rejected.
Do you have a secondary school diploma from a non-Belgian EU country? You must :
- enclose your diploma (or final transcript if you do not yet have your diploma) with your application,
- enclose proof of equivalence (or proof that your application has been submitted) of the diploma issued by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Do you have a Belgian secondary school diploma? You must :
- enclose your diploma with your application.

Validation of learning from experience (VAE)

You can be eligible for studies on the basis of knowledge and skills acquired through professional or personal experience.

To be valid, this experience must correspond to at least five years of activity.

Years of higher education are only taken into account at the rate of one year for every 60 credits acquired, up to a maximum of two years.

An exam board assesses your skills and knowledge in relation to the course you have applied for. If necessary, the board may establish additional requirements to be met in order to make you eligible for the desired studies.

Specific eligibility requirements for certain courses

Additional requirements apply for certain courses.

To qualify for the bachelor's course in engineering, majoring in civil and civil architectural engineering, you must pass the course entrance exam.
To qualify for the bachelor's course in veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and psychology and education, or speech therapy: the number of places is limited for non-residents (see our page on limited enrolment courses: this refers to courses for which the number of places is regulated for students who are not residents of Belgium and who are applying for the first time).
To qualify for a bachelor's course in medicine and dentistry, you must pass the organised by the Acad茅mie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Sup茅rieur (ARES, Academy for Research and Higher Education).
The Bachelor of Science in Business Engineering is a joint program organised by KU Leuven and UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles. In order to register, all candidate must first submit an application via the . The to this programme are specific.

Master

General eligibility requirements

In accordance with French Community of Belgium decree Article 111 搂1, you are eligible to apply for a master鈥檚 course if you have one of the following:

a bachelor鈥檚 degree in the same subject from a community university;
a master鈥檚 degree in the same subject but with a different focus from a community university;
a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree from a community university, haute 茅cole, or 茅cole superieure (鈥溍﹖udes sup茅rieures de type long鈥�), by virtue of a decision by the academic authorities and subject to the additional requirements they establish;
a degree similar to one of the above, awarded by a Belgian higher education establishment, by virtue of a decision by the academic authorities and subject to the additional requirements they establish;
a foreign degree recognised as equivalent to a master鈥檚 degree that confers eligibility in accordance with the above-mentioned decree, a European directive, an international convention or other legislation, and subject to the same requirements.

A foreign degree is similar to a degree awarded in the French Community of Belgium if the former leads to the same professional qualification or the same eligibility to pursue studies in the system of origin.

The additional eligibility requirements referred to in bullets three and four above are intended to ensure that the applicant has acquired the prerequisites for the course in question.

When these additional requirements consist of one or more additional classes, these may not represent more than 60 additional credits, taking into account all the credits the applicant would otherwise earn during the master鈥檚 course.

In particular, an applicant who holds a 60-credit master's degree as referred to in the relevant French Community of Belgium decree (Article 70 搂3) would have at least 45 credits credited upon admission to the corresponding 120-credit master's course.

Bridging course eligibility requirements for applicants with a short bachelor's degree

In accordance with French Community of Belgium decree Article 111 搂2, you are eligible to apply for a master鈥檚 course if you have:

a bachelor's degree from a community haute 茅cole or 茅cole sup茅rieure des arts (鈥溍﹖udes sup茅rieures de type court鈥�), by virtue of a decision by the community government or the academic authorities and subject to the additional requirements they lay down, without said requirements being more restrictive than those laid down by the community government or establishing any distinction between institutions that award the degree;
a degree similar to the above, awarded by a Belgian higher education establishment, by virtue of a decision by the academic authorities and subject to the additional requirements they lay down;
a foreign degree recognised as equivalent to those above, which confers eligibility in accordance with the above-mentioned decree, a European directive, an international convention or other legislation, and subject to the same requirements.

The additional eligibility requirements are intended to ensure that the applicant has acquired the prerequisites for the course in question. When these additional requirements consist of one or more additional classes, these may not represent more than 60 additional credits, taking into account all the credits the applicant may otherwise earn upon admission. These classes form part of the admitted applicant鈥檚 programme of study.

Bachelor鈥檚 to master鈥檚 transition (Transition BAC-MASTER)

This concerns students who still have to earn or transfer a maximum of 15 credits from their bachelor's course (from the academic year 2023-24).

In accordance with French Community of Belgium decree Article 100(3): at the end of the bachelor鈥檚 course, students who still have to earn or transfer a maximum of 15 bachelor鈥檚 course credits may supplement their annual programme with course units from the master鈥檚 course for which they meet the prerequisites.

They remain enrolled in the bachelor鈥檚 course. However, for the purposes of earning or transferring credits in the master鈥檚 course, they are deemed to be enrolled in the master鈥檚 course.
Students pay the bachelor鈥檚 course tuition fee and are exempt from paying the master鈥檚 course tuition fee.
The annual programme is validated by each exam board, but the total number of credits may not exceed 60.
Students who have not obtained their bachelor鈥檚 degree may not include in their annual programme master鈥檚 course units corresponding to their dissertation or final project, except in the case of 60-credit master's courses.

For students participating in this transition, bachelor鈥檚 course units are examined by the bachelor鈥檚 course exam board and master鈥檚 course units are examined by the master鈥檚 course exam board.

Eligibility via validation of learning from experience (VAE)

Course eligibility can be based on knowledge and skills acquired through professional or personal experience.

To be valid, such experience must correspond to at least five years of activity.

Years of higher education are only considered at the rate of one year for every 60 credits acquired, up to a maximum of two years.

An exam board assesses your skills and knowledge in relation to the course you have applied for. If necessary, the board may establish additional requirements to confer eligibility for the desired course.

Specific eligibility requirements for the master's degree in education

In accordance with the French Community of Belgium decree Article 113 搂1, no applicant can be admitted to the master's course in education or the course leading to an agr茅g茅 de l'enseignement secondaire sup茅rieur (AESS, upper secondary education teaching certificate), unless they have first demonstrated a thorough command of the French language.

This is demonstrated by providing one of the following:

a diploma or certificate mentioned in decree Article 107, paragraph 1, 1掳, 2掳, 4掳 and 8掳;
by passing a specific examination organised or co-organised by the higher education institutions, in accordance with the procedures established by ARES and with government provisions;
the certificate referred to in decree Article 107, paragraph 1, 5掳, when issued by a French Community exam board;
proof of successful completion of other French language proficiency tests, the list of which is drawn up by the government;
a foreign diploma, qualification or certificate attesting to studies that include sufficient instruction in the French language; the government shall establish the minimum requirements that such studies must meet;
a higher education diploma awarded in the French Community and certifying studies to which access is conditional on proof of sufficient mastery of the French language.

AESS

General eligibility requirements

In accordance with decree Article 113 搂2, access to studies leading to the agr茅g茅 de l'enseignement secondaire sup茅rieur (AESS, upper secondary education teaching certificate) is reserved for holders of:

a master鈥檚 degree awarded in the French Community, or
a master鈥檚 degree awarded in the German-speaking Community, the Flemish Community or by the Royal Military School and deemed similar by the academic authorities, or
a foreign degree recognised as equivalent pursuant to this decree, a European directive, an international convention or other legislation, and subject to the same requirements.

Students enrolled in at least 120 credits at the end of a master's course at an institution in the French Community may enrol simultaneously for studies leading to the AESS. However, students admitted under this provision cannot receive the certificate until they have obtained the necessary master's degree.

In view of the reform of initial teacher education, these eligibility requirements will be repealed for the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

Specific eligibility requirements

*Click the 鈥淓ligibility requirements鈥� tab for the specific requirements of each course (course catalogue).

French-language proficiency

No one may be admitted to the AESS course without having demonstrated a thorough command of the French language.

Reduced courseload

The AESS course consists of 30 credits. In exceptional circumstances, the faculty may approve a courseload of fewer than 30 credits for an academic year. This reduction is the subject of an agreement between the student and the faculty, drawn up at the time of application and subject to annual review. Reductions may only be approved for duly attested professional, academic, social or medical reasons. Reduced courseload requests must be submitted at the time of application. They must contain a reduced courseload proposal drawn up in accordance with the faculty's guidelines.

After-hours classes available

On the Louvain-la-Neuve campus:

Some classes are offered according to an after-hours schedule. Cross-disciplinary classes and seminars are offered in several series, with different timetables; students choose what suits them best.

On the Mons campus:

All classes (not internships) are offered after hours (weekday evenings and Saturdays).

CAPAES

For information specific to the certificat d'aptitude p茅dagogique appropri茅脿 l'enseignement sup茅rieur (CAPAES, higher education teacher training certificate), please consult this page.

Specialised master鈥檚 course

General eligibility requirements

In accordance with French Community of Belgium decree Article 112 搂1, and subject to the general requirements established by the academic authorities, eligibility for specialised master鈥檚 courses is based on one of the following:

a master鈥檚 degree awarded in the French Community of Belgium;
a degree similar to a master鈥檚 degree, awarded by a higher education establishment in the Flemish Community, in the German-speaking Community or by the Royal Military School, by virtue of a decision by the academic authorities and subject to any additional requirements they establish;
a foreign degree recognised as equivalent to those mentioned above pursuant to this decree, a European directive, an international convention or other legislation, and subject to the same requirements.

The additional eligibility requirements referred to in the second bullet point above are intended to ensure that the applicant has learned the subjects and acquired the skills required for the course in question. Where these additional eligibility requirements consist of one or more additional courses, these may not represent more than 60 additional credits, taking into account all the credits that the applicant may otherwise use upon admission. These classes form part of the admitted applicant's programme of study.

In accordance with French Community of Belgium decree Article 112 搂2, and subject to the general requirements established by the academic authorities, an applicant who holds a Belgian master鈥檚 level qualification, diploma or certificate, which does not confer eligibility for a specialised master's course by virtue of the preceding paragraph, may nevertheless be admitted by the exam board of the course in question, subject to the additional requirements it establishes, if the board values all of the applicant鈥檚 prior higher education studies or acquired skills as equivalent to at least 240 credits.

In accordance with French Community of Belgium decree Article 112 搂 3, the academic authorities may, by way of derogation from these general requirements and subject to the additional requirements they establish, admit to a specialised master's course holders of a qualification, diploma, or certificate awarded outside the French Community, which, in the system of origin, confers eligibility for doctoral studies, even if the courses leading to the aforementioned degrees are not organised separately or in at least five years.

Specific eligibility requirements

* Each programme鈥檚 specific requirements are set out under the 鈥淓ligibility requirements鈥� tab for each course (course catalogue).

PhD and doctoral training

Admission requirements must be met at the time of enrolment at the university.

Full details can be obtained from the Enrolment Office.

Subject to the general requirements established by the academic authorities, eligible applicants have:

completed a master's course of at least 120 credits;

a similar degree awarded by a higher education institution, in the French Community or outside it, by virtue of a decision by the academic authorities and subject to the additional requirements they establish. These additional eligibility requirements consist of one or more additional courses, which may not represent more than 60 additional credits for the applicant, considering all the credits that he or she may otherwise use at the time of admission; these courses form part of the student's programme of study;
a foreign degree recognised as equivalent to those mentioned in paragraphs 1掳 to 2掳 pursuant to the French Community of Belgium decree, a European directive, an international convention or other legislation, and subject to the same requirements;
a qualification, diploma, degree or certificate at the master鈥檚 level, from within or outside the French Community, which does not confer eligibility for doctoral studies by virtue of the preceding paragraph but may nevertheless be accepted by the exam board of the course to which the additional requirements established by the board apply, if the board assigns to all of the higher education studies the applicant has successfully completed a value of at least 300 credits.

By way of derogation from these general requirements, and subject to the additional requirements they establish, the academic authorities may also admit to doctoral studies holders of a qualification, diploma, degree or certificate awarded outside the French Community which, in the system of origin, confers eligibility for doctoral education or training and work relating to the preparation of a doctoral thesis, even if the studies attested by these qualifications or degrees are not organised separately or in at least five years.

This admission must be exceptional and duly justified on the basis, in particular, of formal and authentic proof of this capacity to pursue doctoral studies in the system of origin.

You can register for a doctorate on this page. You can find more information about doctorates at UCLouvain on this page.

Certificates

Eligibility requirements are specific to each certificate.

For more information, please consult the course catalogue.

Online registration obligation All applications for registration at UCLouvain must be made (with the exception of special registrations / doctorates).