Going back to school in Belgium

One advantage that is often overlooked when making Belgium your roost for a few years – or even a lifetime, as the case may be – is easy access to one of the best, oldest and most affordable university systems in Europe.

With a little extra time, and often not much money, you can study nearly anything you’ve ever dreamed of. Just a little perusing of the course offerings of the many universities and schools in and around Brussels will almost certainly turn up something that piques your interest, whether it’s the business degree to up your salary or get you a better job, or that degree in German philosophy you’ve always wanted to do.

Schools and universities

Even if you don’t speak a word of one of the local languages in Belgium, with English you have scores of programmes to choose from at several universities, both Belgian and international.

To start, both the French- and Dutch-speaking Free Universities of Brussels (the ULB and VUB, respectively), offer dozens of programmes taught entirely in English; most are programmes related to engineering, the natural sciences or business and communications.

Then there are the schools with specific focuses. If you’re interested in journalism and media, the Institute of Social Communication Higher Studies (IHECS), run by the French-speaking Community, offers an English-language Executive Masters in European Journalism.

For business, Vlerick Business School, with campuses in Brussels, Ghent and Leuven, offers English master's programmes in management, finance and marketing, as well as an MBA and many intensive short courses. Also, the ULB’s Solvay Business School of Economics and Management has about half of its master's programmes in English.

There is also the Brussels School of International Studies run by the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. They offer an array of graduate and doctorate degrees in fields such as law, international relations, conflict and security, migration and international development.

If there’s not a programme in Brussels that appeals to you, both the University of Leuven and Ghent University are easy train commutes from Brussels. These universities offer a full spectrum of English programmes, including bachelor's and master's degrees. There, you are likely to find a broader range of programmes, including degrees in the humanities, such as social sciences, philosophy and arts.

Types of degrees

Given the international nature of much research today, it is quite common to find PhD programmes being taught in English. However, more and more, Belgian universities are working hard to develop other degrees where the main teaching language is English, including numerous master's degrees and a growing number of bachelor's degrees. For most degrees, you can choose to follow the course full-time or part-time.

A staple of the English-language offerings is the advanced master's. Called a MA-na-MA – a “master's-after-master's” – in Dutch, these are typically one-year programmes aimed at those who already hold a first master's degree. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t already have a graduate degree: this requirement is not always strictly enforced, so it’s always worth asking if you would be eligible for a programme.

While the word “advanced” sounds challenging, the advanced master's are shorter than the often two-year master's programmes. And while they are technically intended to deepen one's knowledge of in a particular subject, they assume not everyone will have the same background in the subject and are designed to start from the basics. It's also important to note that most other countries are unfamiliar with the concept of an advanced master's, so the degrees are valued the same as regular master's programmes.

What it costs

In general fees for undergraduate and graduate programmes at Belgian universities and schools will be lower than degree programmes in English-speaking countries.

At the Belgian universities, including the VUB, ULB, Ghent and Leuven, a master's degree can cost as little as €600. But, while they’re higher-end degrees might have tuition fees that run as high as €7,500, they are more likely to be between €1,400 and €4,500. Studying journalism at IHECS costs €3250 – still well below the cost of a master's at a university in most English-speaking countries.

A further advantage is that, with the exception of some Erasmus Mundus programmes, Belgian universities generally don’t charge higher fees for students coming from outside the European Economic Area. So students coming from Australia or Zimbabwe will pay the same as Belgian and other European students.

But it takes money to make money, as they say, so the smaller, private schools, such as the international business schools, tend to be significantly pricier. At Vlerick Business School, for example, a one-year master's costs €14,000, while a full-time MBA programme will run you €37,000. 

Photo courtesy WikiCommons

For more information on studying in Belgium, see The Bulletin Newcomer & Education Guide