Communication Studies: Journalism and Media in Europe

Admission requirements

As a general rule, every study programme comes with its own set of conditions. You will find all the requirements for your chosen programme by clicking 'admission requirements' under the 'programme' tab.

Which degree is required?

Direct admission
If you have a Flemish ‘Bachelor of Science in Communicatiewetenschappen' (VUB or other) degree or a VUB Bachelor of Social Sciences degree you'll be directly admitted to the programme.

Admissions after screening
With a different degree, your application will be screened on your academic background, results, motivation and language skills. You must have an academic bachelor’s degree in Communication, Sociology, Political Science, Economics or a similar field. 

Should you have a different academic background, but preferably still in Humanities, the selection committee may assign an ad hoc preparatory programme as a condition of admission. This programme can be combined with the master's programme in the same year and typically consists of one or two additional courses to be taken in the first semester. These courses are 'Introduction to Communication Studies' and/or 'Research Methods for Social Sciences'.

What are the language requirements?

We accept the following proofs of English language proficiency:

• A Belgian high school degree;
• A certificate from the institution where you finished secondary or higher education, stating that English was the language of instruction;
• A certificate of one of the following language tests corresponding to the Common European Framework of Reference with minimum level B2:
  • TOEFL (only the internet-based test is accepted) with minimum level: 79
  • IELTS academic module, with minimum level: 6.5
  • Cambridge English minimum grade scale score of 170
  • ITACE with minimum level B2
     
• Please note that language test results cannot be older than 5 years at the moment of application.
• You must meet the language requirements before we can accept you. We do not issue letters of acceptance without it.
   

What are the required documents?
 

You'll need to upload the following documents during the online application procedure to start the screening process:

• Proof of identity (Passport or ID-card)
• Headshot picture 
• All higher education degrees (official documents, both original and translations)
• All higher education transcripts of records (official documents, both original and translations)
• Motivational letter
• Two recommendation letters (optional) 
• Proof of English language proficiency
   

Eager to apply? 

Convinced about the program and decided to apply? Find out more about the administrative formalities governing your enrolment as an international student at our university:

Check the most important steps to consider

Contact us

Do you have any questions? Contact the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School at admissions.es@vub.be.