Professional schools focus on practical training designed to prepare students for a profession requiring advanced study, such as law, medicine, engineering, architecture or agriculture. Universities are devoted to theoretical training in a subject area, and degrees or diplomas normally lead to teaching or doing ‘pure’ research in a university setting, although a few Belgian and Dutch universities have business, medical or law schools offering ‘practical’ degrees.
Belgium offers a number of different types of higher education as part of the state educational system and, as with primary and secondary schools, there’s a wide range of secular and denominational (mostly Catholic) institutes offering higher education to all graduates of the national secondary school systems.
Admission to some form of higher education is guaranteed to all holders of the appropriate school leaving certificate. Belgium adheres to the European conventions regarding higher education qualifications and will admit students with British A-level or International Baccalaureate certificates. American students generally require one year of US college or university study before admission to a European higher education programme.
The French and Flemish communities each operate their own system of higher education, the primary difference being linguistic. Institutions in the French-speaking part of Belgium conduct all classes in French, while those in Flemish-speaking areas may offer classes in either Dutch or English. Enrolment in most courses is open to all holders of the appropriate secondary school certificate, but certain areas of study, e.g. specialise medical courses and some civil engineering subjects, are subject to competitive entrance examinations. Foreign students must have the equivalent of the CESS ( Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur) and may be required to pass an entrance examination, as well as demonstrating adequate knowledge of French or Dutch.
Most universities organise summer language classes for foreign students before the start of the academic year. Belgian students pay annual tuition fees. Foreign students may have to pay higher fees, and may be required to provide proof of adequate financial resources while they’re studying in Belgium.
Belgium’s universities offer four cycles of study. The first cycle ( candidature/kandidaat) covers a broad, multi-disciplinary field of studies and takes two or three years to complete. In the second cycle, students focus on a single subject or area of study for a period of at least two or three years. This second cycle can result in the award of a licence/licentiaat or a professional title such as pharmacist, medical doctor or veterinarian. The third cycle is usually that of a doctorate ( doctorat/doctor), which requires five or six additional years of study and research in a specific discipline. At the end of this period, the candidate prepares a doctoral level thesis, which he must formally defend in a public presentation. The fourth cycle consists of an examination open only to students with a doctorate giving them a special qualification to teach at higher education level, although a doctorate is sufficient. (There’s also a teaching certification curriculum, which is limited to local nationals.)
Non-university higher education normally consists of either ‘short-cycle’ or ‘long-cycle’ programmes. Short-cycle programmes run for three years and lead to qualifications in industry, commerce, agriculture, teaching, etc. Long-cycle courses run for at least four years and lead to diplomas or degrees. They may be divided into shorter cycles with intermediate certificates or qualifications.
To apply for admission to a Belgian university or institute of higher education, contact the institution directly. The National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) provides information about recognition of foreign academic qualifications: for the French community, contact the Direction générale de l’Enseignement supérieur, Ministère de l’Education et de la Recherché scientifique et de la Formation de la Communauté française, Quartier des Arcades, 6ème étage, rue Royale 204, 1010 Brussels (Tel 02-210 5577, www.cfwb.be/infosup): for the Flemish region, contact the Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Henri Consciencegebous Tower A7, Koning Albert II Laan 15, 1210 Brussels (Tel. 02-553 9819, www.ond.vlaanderen.be).
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