Practical information

A wide variety of aid is available to help pay for educational programmes.

Government aid may be granted, depending on the profile of the participant (paid educational leave, educational vouchers, etc.)
For further information on these forms of aid, see this page.

Certain programmes also offer aid :

• Reduced tuition for alumni and UCL employees
• Scholarships
• Reduced tuition for PhD students
• etc.

To see if a given programme offers aid, check the web page for that programme.

Tuition covers classes, lab work, and workshops, as well as well as instructional equipment. It allows access the University's facilities (libraries, computer rooms, etc.) and covers insurance for course participants.
When tuition covers meals or lodging for participants, this is clearly stated on the programme's web page.

The admission requirements for continuing education programmes are available on each programme's web page.

In most cases, to be accepted to into a programme, you must have a higher education degree (short or long course of study, depending on the case), and be active in the working world. If you do not have the required diplomas, you may be admitted on the basis of accreditation for work experience.

Some programmes have specific admission requirements. These are given on the programme’s web page.

For non-European Union nationals, three categories are authorised to register for certificate- or qualification-granting programmes, provided, of course, they meet the conditions for being accepted into the programme.

1. non-European Union nationals with “Belgian Student Status”
2. non-European Union nationals in possession of a visa obtained for a purpose other than the certificate- or qualification-granting programme in question, which must be valid until at least the end of the educational programme’s end date (assessment included).
3. non-European Union nationals who are able to obtain a visa (entry or multiple entry) if the length of the certificate- or qualification-granting programme in question does not exceed 90 days over a period of 180 days. In this case only, the university official responsible for the programme will issue a certificate of admission accompanied by a description of the length, scope, and course hours of the programme, which will allow the candidate to undertake the formalities needed to obtain a (type C) visa.

Registration for continuing education programmes takes place on the web page of each programme. In the “Registration” tab, you will find either a “show of interest” form or an “application for admission” form.

The show of interest form allows you to express your interest for a programme for which registration has not yet been opened. By filling out this form, you will be automatically alerted by e-mail when registration for the programme is opened.

The application for admission form allows you to apply once registration has been opened. Applications are then sent to those responsible for the programme, who examine and approve admissible applications. You will be informed by e-mail of your acceptance or refusal into the programme.

The hours for continuing education programmes are adapted to meet the requirements of individuals who are active in the working world. Several categories of course hours exist:

• Certain evenings during the week (6 PM-9:30 PM)
• Week-ends (generally on Saturdays)
• Friday during the work day
• One to 2 weeks of intensive daytime classes
• A combination of the different types listed above.

In addition to time spent in class, out-of-class work is strongly recommended. This workload (personal work, group work, case studies, practical work, etc.) will vary from one programme to the next and from one person to the next, depending on your personal drive and your will to take an active role in your education.

For an estimation of the total workload (class time and out-of-class work), you can refer to the number of ECTS credits awarded for the course. One credit corresponds to 30 hours of student work.

If a continuing education programme is worth 10 credits, that means that participants will need to spend 300 hours working to complete the programme.

Course hours are adjusted to adapt to the constraints of working life. Nevertheless, actively taking part in a programme will still have an impact on your work life and private life, as explained in the paragraph on the time spent to complete a continuing education programme.

As such, when considering registration for a programme, it is important to think about your goals and to make sure you have the support of your employer and your friends and family. The fact that the continuing education programme requires a commitment both on a personal and professional level helps convince employers to support the proposed programme.

More information on the added value provided by continuing education programmes (add link to paragraph above).

Participants who register for a continuing education programme at UCL make a commitment to :

• pay tuition required for the programme,
• attend the programme's courses. In most cases, you must attend at least 80% of a programme’s class sessions if you wish to take the final assessment.

In most cases, programmes are taught in French.
Depending on the target audience and theme of the class, some programmes are taught in another language (English, Dutch, Spanish, etc.). In these cases, this information will always be clearly stated on the programme’s web page?

Continuing education programmes are organised on different UCL sites and in other educational institutions in order to be closer to the target audience and meet all requirements for accessibility and quality in terms of how participants are accommodated.

Some programmes are even organised in locations that change from one time to the next in order to better meet participants’ expectations.

All information concerning the accessibility and location of each programme is available on the different programmes’ web pages.
Information concerning how to get to UCL sites and where to park is available on this page.