International Business

Admission requirements

Direct admission
 

Prospective students with a Flemish 'Bachelor's degree in de toegepaste economische wetenschappen', 'toegepaste economische wetenschappen: bedrijfskunde', 'handelsingenieur', or a 'Bachelor of Science in Business Economics' have direct admission to the programme. 

Admission after screening

Prospective students with different degrees will undergo an evaluation based on their academic background, results, motivation, and language skills. Prospective students must have an academic bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, International Business, Business Economics or a similar field with a certain minimum number of credits in the following domains:

• Law (6 ECTS)
• Business/management (24 ECTS)
• Economics (15 ECTS)
• Quantitative methods (24 ECTS)
   

Prospective students who are just missing a few credits (max. 18 ECTS) may still be eligible to join the programme by means of an ad hoc preparatory programme consisting of courses from the list below: 

• Law (6 ECTS): Business Law I (6 ECTS)
• Business/management (24 ECTS): Marketing (6 ECTS); Management (6 ECTS); Financial Accounting (6 ECTS), Managerial Accounting (6 ECTS)
• Economics (15 ECTS): Economics for Business (3 ECTS); Microeconomics (6 ECTS); Macroeconomics (6 ECTS)
• Quantitative methods (24 ECTS): Statistics for Business and Economics II (6 ECTS); Econometrics (6 ECTS); Mathematics for Business and Economics II (6 ECTS)

Prospective students should always apply directly to the master's programme, not the preparatory programme. 

Grade requirements

As a general rule, we only accept students with a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0, or 70% average or higher for this programme. 

Language requirements

We acknowledge the following as evidence of English language proficiency:

• A Belgian high school degree
• A certificate from the institution where you completed secondary or higher education, affirming English as the language of instruction
• A certificate from one of the following language tests corresponding to the Common European Framework of Reference with a minimum level of B2:
  • TOEFL (only the internet-based test is accepted) with a minimum level of 79
  • IELTS academic module, with a minimum level of 6.5
  • Cambridge English minimum grade scale score of 170
  • ITACE with a minimum level of B2

Please note that language test results must not be older than 5 years at the time of application. Meeting the language requirements is obligatory for acceptance. Letters of acceptance will not be issued without proof of language proficiency.

Required documents

During the online application procedure, you will need to upload the following documents to initiate the screening process:

• Proof of identity (Passport or ID card)
• Headshot photograph
• Official documents for all higher education degrees (both original and translated versions)
• Official transcripts of records for all higher education (both original and translated versions)
• Motivational letter
• Two recommendation letters (optional)
• Proof of English language proficiency
   

Contact us

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