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How to apply?

Application procedure 

Follow the ONLINE APPLICATION procedure

The UGent exchange application consists of two steps:

  1. Create a Ghent University account and register via the Oasis website.
    Make sure to insert an e-mail address you check regularly, as this address will be used for most pre-arrival communication.
  2. Select the correct academic year of your exchange and click on the link ‘Exchange’ under ‘Curriculum’.

The exchange application consists of different elements. Your application will only be considered if your file is complete and submitted before the application deadline. If the Faculty Officer responsible for Internationalisation approves your application, you will receive an acceptance email with your signed Learning Agreement (provisionally approved) and your official invitation letter. The invitation letter is required for registration upon arrival and for your visa application (if applicable). The approval procedure can take several weeks.

Application deadlines

advisable to apply earlier

  • Study exchange first semester/year (start in September): 15 May
  • Study exchange second semester (start February): 15 November
  • Exchange in the framework of a PhD: no deadlines
  • Traineeship: flexible deadlines

Academic calendar

The academic year is divided into two semesters.

Selecting courses

Course offer

You can select:

If you master Dutch, min. B2 level, you can select courses from the whole offer in our faculty (not only the course offer in English) if you meet the initial competences.

You CANNOT select courses from the Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences, unless they are part of the Exchange Programme in Political and Social Sciences as well. 

Course requirements

  • A standard workload at Ghent University is 30 ECTS per semester or 60 ECTS per year. You must select courses for a minimum of 20 ECTS per semester.  
  • At least half of your selected credits must be from the field of study of your exchange (Communication Sciences, Political Sciences or Sociology). The remaining credits may be related to other the other study fields within our faculty or even to study fields from other faculties.
  • Courses listed under "General courses" in the study guide are related to multiple study fields. Check the pdf-file with course specifications of the course to find out the specific field of study. 
  • Bachelor students can include max 2 Master courses in their curriculum per semester, provided they meet the initial competences required for the course(s) concerned. Please note that Master courses are assessed at Master level., not at Bachelor level. No different assessment level will be applied. Master students have no limitation on the number of Bachelor or Master courses they can select. 
  • Courses listed under "Bachelor/Master Courses" in the study guide are taught on both Bachelor and Master level. Bachelor students can include these courses in their programme, counting as Bachelor courses.
  • You can include one Dutch language course for exchange students offered by the University Language Centre (UCT) in your curriculum as part of the required 20 ECTS. Other language courses from UCT cannot be added to your curriculum.
  • Courses listed as part of the ‘Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences (main subject…)'  in the pdf-file with course specifications or course codes starting with KBSOSC, are not available for exchange students unless explicitly part of the Exchange Programme in Political and Social Sciences as well. Such courses CANNOT be added to your curriculum. 
Unsure about the field of study of a course? Want to know more about the level, content and required initial competences of each course? Click on a course title in the study guide and on the pdf-icon. A pdf-file with course specifications will pop up. 

Additional approval of the lecturer 

  • Some courses require an additional approval by the lecturer to follow the course. Here you can find an overview of the courses that require this additional approval during academic year 2024/2025.
  • If a course requires this additional approval, you must contact the lecturer at the start of the semester. The lecturer will evaluate your starting competences and motivation to decide whether you can follow the course or not.
  • This means that all signed Learning Agreements (before mobility) are considered provisionally approved.

Language courses 

Filling out your (online) Learning Agreement

  • For exchanges in the context of Erasmus+ studies: We highly recommend applying via your digital learning agreement. You should initiate your digital learning agreement via your home institution. When your digital learning agreement is signed by yourself and your home institution, it will be sent to Ghent University in a digital manner. Upon receiving the digital learning agreement you will get an invitation to complete your exchange application in our system. Ghent University will approve your learning agreement or provide comments. You can consult the status via the document section in your exchange application or via the online learning agreement tool at your home institution. Any updates of your digital learning agreement should be initiated in the system at your home institution.
Make sure that your name in the application is the same as your name on the Learning Agreement (accents, second names,…). If your name is not the same, this may create double applications and some delay in evaluating your file. Also double check the course codes and the names of the courses. 
  • For exchanges outside the context of Erasmus+ studies: We will need to sign the Learning Agreement based on a pdf file (Other exchanges > Learning Agreement for studies). You can upload the Learning Agreement in pdf, signed by you and your home university, in Oasis > exchange application > document section.

Contact details

Code Erasmus UGent: B GENT 01

Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Campus Ufo - Technicum
Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41
B- 9000 Ghent
Belgium

Administrative contact Faculty: RIO -  Rio.psw@ugent.be

Academic coordinators

Study programme at the receiving institution

Select the courses you would like to follow, based on our course offer and course requirements. Fill in these courses on the online/digital Learning Agreement (exchanges in the context of Erasmus+ studies) or the Learning Agreement in pdf (exchanges outside the context of Erasmus+ studies).

Signatures 

Make sure the Learning Agreement is signed by both you and your home university before submitting your exchange application. A signature of Ghent University is not required at the time of submission. Once the Faculty Officer responsible for Internationalisation reviews and approves your exchange application, they will also sign your Learning Agreement. After approval, you will receive a signed version of your Learning Agreement (provisionally approved), along with your official invitation letter via email.

Accommodation

Looking for a comfortable and high quality living unit to rent at a competitive price? The Housing Office rents out rooms, studios and flats to international students, staff and visitors and can inform and advise you about the private rented market. Do note that finding a suitable and comfortable housing unit is strenuous and will take a lot of time and energy due to the shortage of student accommodation.

Housing applications for the academic year 2024 -2025 are possible from May 1st onwards. In order to apply for housing, you have to initialize the application exchange procedure in Oasis. The Housing Office will be able to process your housing application once you have been accepted as an exchange student at Ghent University, but you can already apply for Ghent University accommodation before your exchange application has been approved. We recommend you to apply for accommodation as soon as possible, as the demand for accommodation exceeds the offer.