2 Degrees in 2 Years, how does it work?
The Double Degree Programme is a 2-year Master's level programme. Students will spend one academic year of their Master's programme at their home university and one academic year at the host university. After these two years, if the student has met the academic requirements of both universities, she/he will get two Master's degrees: one from their home university and one from their host university.
IMPORTANT: In order to get these 2 Master's degrees, students will have to follow the respective study programme structures, administrative procedures and requirements of each university.
To Get the LSM Degree as a Double Degree Student
To graduate from LSM, you must earn within 2 years, at least :
- 20 credits of Master's thesis
- 5 credits of Seminars
- 30 credits of LSM professional focus courses
- 25 credits of one LSM Major
- 40 credits of master courses (i.e. Majors, elective courses, core courses).
These 120 credits will be spread over the 2 years, with an average of 60 credits done in each university.
At LSM, you will get the Master 120 credits in Management, professional focus OR the Master 120 credits in Business Engineering, professional focus, depending on your academic background and the agreement with the Partner University.
Please note:
> The Double Degree LSM/KULeuven is available only for students in Business Engineering and in Handelsingenieur.
> The Double Degree LSM/Instituto Superior Tecnico is available only for students in Business Engineering and in Industrial Engineering and Management.
LSM: Course and Exam Registrations, Schedules, Rules
- Course and Exam Registration: As a DD student, you must respect the LSM administrative procedures.
- Detailed LSM Administrative/Academic Calendar
- Course and Exam Schedule: The course schedule is published about 2 months before the start of the term. The exam schedule is published a few weeks before the start of the exam session.
- Please read carefully the UCL rules: General Academic and Examination Regulations
- Double Registration: As you will follow two academic programmes at the same time, the Double Degree requires a double registration (at the home university first then at the host university).
To Get the Partner University Degree as a Double Degree Student
To graduate from the Partner University Double Degree, you must earn, within the 2 years, all the mandatory credits requested by the Partner University. The course load can vary depending on the activities they validate to deliver their degree.
For further information on each Double Degree, please consult the dedicated pages.
A Master's thesis
You will only have to write one Master's thesis even if you receive two degrees. You will have to find a supervisor from one of the two universities of your double degree. This professor will supervise, and guide the student throughout the realisation of the Master's thesis and will be present at the oral defense. In addition, a reader from a university other than the supervisor’s will be assigned. The role of the reader is to read the final work, be present at the oral defence as a member of the jury and therefore be an evaluator of the work.
The supervisor can therefore be from LSM or from the partner university and vice versa for the reader.
In relation to the master thesis itself, you will have to follow the requirements of the university of your supervisor (on content, methodology, deadlines, calendar,...).
The Master's thesis will be written in English (in Dutch for those who are doing the Master's degree in Dutch at KUL).
An oral defence is compulsory (for your LSM degree, even if the partner university does not organise one), and must be done, usually by videoconference, in the presence of the 2 professors (supervisor and reader).
All information (guidelines, deposit) and requirements (format) for a LSM Master's thesis are detailed on the LSM Master's thesis intranet webpage.
Please inquire about the information and requirements of the Partner University.
Cost Consideration: tuition fee, grant
Tuition Fees must be paid at the home university only; some administrative fees may be required by the host university. Further information on UCLouvain tuition fees. (The UCLouvain administrative fees, for 2023-2024, amounted to 66 euros.)
Mobility grant
For students with UCLouvain as their home university, the UCLouvain mobility grant is not an entitlement but financial support for your exchange. This grant will not cover, at all, all of your expenses.
- "Erasmus+" for mobility in Europe: grant financed by the European Union.
- "Erasmus Belgica" for mobility in Belgium
Note:
- A request for additional support can be introduced in early July to the UCLouvain Social Service (given based on family income).
- Note that even if you have already received a mobility grant during your bachelor's, you can still benefit from a mobility grant for mobility during your Master's.
For students with UCLouvain as a host university, please take information about eventual grants alongside your home university.