A Master of Business Administration (M.B.A. degree) is, by definition, a general Management degree designed to educate business students in areas such as Finances, Human Resources, Marketing, Strategy, and Operations Management. The top international business schools offer you a master’s degree in business administration.

Many MBA schools require candidates to have at least 2-4 years of work experience before they can be admitted. That’s because MBAs prepare you for the next big step in your career. MBA degrees offered by top international business schools help you become a well-rounded business graduate, not just an expert in one area.

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how to study in belgium as an international student

Belgium is renowned for making the best wristwatches, the most delicious chocolate, and some of the best beer in the world. Did you know that a lot of international students choose this European country for their Master’s degrees? Choosing a Master’s degree from a foreign institution also gives you the chance to have a cultural experience in the heart of Europe.

If you want to study in Belgium as a International, you should learn more about the university application process. Luckily for you, we are here to help!

1. Decide on a Belgian university for your studies

Belgium has some of the best-ranked universities in the world. Seeing how the name of your institution may count on your CV, here are a few academic institutions we recommend:

• University of Leuven
• Antwerp Management School
• Vrije Universiteit Brussel
• University of Antwerp
• Vlerick Business School
• Hasselt University
• Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management

2. Prepare to apply

First things first: look for scholarships in Belgium. You have a lot of options to choose from and high chances that one of them is perfect for you.

Like any other country, learn more about the student visa requirements. If you’re from the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), you won’t need it. But all international students need to apply for a residence permit.

3. Figure out where to submit your application

If you want to apply, you can go on this list of Belgian Master’s programmes and access one of them. This will take you directly to the official programme page and you will see the details for the application.

4. Check the language requirements

Most courses in Belgium are either in French or in English. Each study programme page has more information about the grade and the proficiency tests they will accept.

Usually, for English, the tests accepted are:

• IELTS Academic
• TOEFL iBT
• C1 Advanced

For French, you will have to:

• take a language proficiency test upon arrival
• or submit a certificate, proving your language level (FLE)

For international students, Belgium universities organise special French courses, so if you wish to learn while you’re there, you should be covered.

5. Collect the required university application documents

General application documents

Some of the requirements are basic, like having a Bachelor’s before applying for a Master’s and that you must submit all your documents in either English, French or Dutch, but other requirements will be completely up to the university or will depend on your country of origin.

Other basic admission requirements include:

• Passport
• Passport picture
• Bachelor’s degree or transcript of records
• Proof of language proficiency

Specific entry requirements

Some universities or Master’s programmes will require you to submit:

• A motivation letter
• A reference letter

Like always, the number of characters or the number of reference letters may vary, so be prepared and follow the document checklist you will be given like it’s your own personal manifesto.

6. Meet the university application deadlines in Belgium

In Belgium, some deadlines are dependent on your visa status. Some of the rough deadlines you will need to take into account and mark on your calendar are:

• start of March: Application deadline for students who need a visa
• start of June: Application deadline for students who DO NOT need a visa
• October: Autumn semester starts
• Mid-January – late-January: 1st semester exams
• Mid-February: Spring semester starts
• Mid-June – late-June: 2nd semester exams
• July – September: Summer holiday

7. Final steps after receiving your acceptance letter

After being accepted, you have to actually enrol. To be properly enrolled, you will have to:

• Pay the tuition fee
• Send the proper documentation

When you land in Belgium, you will also have to pay a visit to the university, so you can finalise the process and party care-free, before starting your semester.

But don’t party too hard: after you get the enrolment certificate, you have to go and obtain a residence permit. This should happen 8 days after you arrive in Belgium, so the schedule is pretty tight. Also, on a more serious note, you should get all the contact details for your country’s diplomatic missions in Belgium. They will help you if you have any problems or just feel lonely in a new place.

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can international students work in belgium

In Belgium, all foreign students, even if from outside the European Economic Area, can work while studying. The only conditions are that they must be enrolled with a higher education institution in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and must have a valid residence permit. Since 2018, there is no longer any need to request a work permit, you only need the essential “single permit”. Note that a valid residence permit means that students must be registered with the Register of foreigners and have a certificate of registration there (C.I.R.E.). You can request this residence document from the local authority of the place of residence (resident and/or foreign services).

To find out when you can work in Belgium, take a look at your residence permit. Issued by the municipality, it states all the options you have to access the employment market in Belgium. Depending on the period you intend to work, the following options are open to you:

• During school holidays (Christmas, spring, summer – July, August, September): the student can work with no limit to the number of hours.
• During the school year: the student can work no more than 20 hours per week and the work must be compatible with study. Hope you are able to get the necessary information with studying in Belgium