Exchange in Law

When can you go on exchange during your studies?

Students can go on an exchange in their first or second master's year (Erasmus+: first semester/ Erasmus Belgica: first semester or both semesters).

Conditions to go on exchange

Students are selected by the RC Faculty Exchange Committee. This Exchange Committee consists of the Exchange Coordinator and Exchange Assistants. If you are not selected for your first choice, the committee will refer you to your second and then to your third choice. The committee evaluates the selection file for accuracy and completeness, taking into account exam results, cover letter and any language certificates. Although exam results are considered, they are not the sole or decisive factor in the decision-making process.

The selection period takes place between February 15 and March 15 of the academic year preceding the exchange period. On March 15, each selected student will be notified of the assigned host university for the exchange by email.

Please note that the March 15 selection does not yet give a final decision on your participation in the exchange. The final approval for participation in Erasmus or another exchange depends on the exam results in June, and possibly in September. The following rules apply here:

 After the first session, second period (June):

• Green light: You may participate in the exchange if you have 2 or fewer retakes. 
• Orange light: For more than 2, but no more than 4 retakes, participation depends on the results of your retakes
• Red light: For more than 4 retakes, the exchange will not take place. 

 After the second session (August):

• Green light: You may participate in the exchange if you have 2 or fewer failing grades. 
• Red light: With more than 2 failing grades, participation in the exchange is permanently rejected. 

How to apply for an exchange?

You must apply by completing the selection form of the Faculty of Law and Criminology:.

Download the selection form

Before you submit your application, it is important that you inform yourself about the host universities you are applying to. After all, you are applying to a specific university, not just a destination. Therefore, first check the course offerings for Erasmus students on the websites of the host universities. If necessary, you can contact the university to request additional information. Make sure that the courses offered match your major, before specifying the university as your choice.

In addition, it is important to check when the academic year at the host university starts. If you have retakes, it is strongly discouraged to apply for a university that starts as early as August.

You can choose up to three host universities. If you are not selected for your first choice, you may still be considered for your second or third choice.

Submit your application for these host universities, along with the required supporting documents, as one merged PDF at mobility.rc@vub.be no later than February 15. This must be done during the academic year prior to the exchange period. 

Composing your selection file

Your application file should be a merged pdf consisting of the completed selection form, your resume, a cover letter, your official transcript of records, proof of any language skills, and other relevant documents. You can download the transcript of records through Student Selfservice.

Your cover letter focuses on your personal ambitions and why this host university is the ideal choice for you. A personal and tailored cover letter has more impact than just listing the general benefits of an Erasmus exchange. 

When you've been selected

When you receive the good news on March 15 that you have been selected for a host university, the next step is to put together a concrete study program. This program determines which course units you will take during your exchange, which course units at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel will be replaced by this program, and which courses you will continue to take at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Once the Exchange Assistant approves your study program, you must include it in your Learning Agreement and submit it to IRMO, together with a completed 'Student Application Form'. Finally, you must also add English-language transcripts to your file. See below for more information on these documents. 

Destinations

 Below is a list of host universities, listed alphabetically by country, with which the Faculty of Law has a bilateral agreement. This is the final list of universities from which you can choose. Therefore, it is not possible to apply to any university not included in this list. 

Study programme

What is the study programme?

There are several factors to consider when putting together your program of study. It is therefore important that you consciously choose a particular major when creating your program of study. This will give you a clear overview of what your master program will look like and which courses you can exchange at the host university. Around mid-April, an information session will be organized in collaboration with the study program guidance. During this session you will also have the opportunity to ask questions about your individual study program. 

Download the faculty study programme template

Download the checklist for the Master's Program in Law

The formatted study program and the final Learning Agreement must match. When you complete your program of study in Mobility Online, the course units chosen must be identical to those you specified in both the program of study and the Learning Agreement. 

ECTS credits

Every university in Europe has to grade its course units with ECTS credits. In every European university, an academic year consists of 60 ECTS credits. The ECTS credits of the course unit indicate the load of a course unit compared to the entire year programme.

Your study programme must therefore comprise at least 60 ECTS credits. Within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, your study programme is split into two semesters: the first semester at the host university and the second semester at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Each semester represents approximately 30 ECTS credits. Within the framework of the Erasmus Belgica programme, two formulas are possible (a semester or a full academic year). It is sometimes difficult to divide the semesters into two equal halves. But we strongly advise you to do this calculation exercise as well as possible, so that the workload is evenly spread. In any case, you need to take at least 21 credits at the host university, and the rule of thumb is that you take 21 ECTS in return at the VUB.

Course units

Your study program for the exchange period includes a number of course units that replace the courses you would normally take at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. You can replace course units from both the first and the second semester at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a course unit at the host university. The course units to be replaced do not necessarily have to come from the first semester. Moreover, one course unit at the host university can replace several courses, and vice versa.

The content of the courses (based on the ECTS sheets) that you will take at the host university should in principle largely correspond to the content of the courses to be replaced at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel - although some flexibility is possible: electives and reflection courses may be flexibly exchanged. If you are not sure what can or cannot be done, do not hesitate to contact us.  

Remember that the better prepared your file is, the smoother your stay at the host university will be.

Documents to be enclosed

Your program of study will be checked by the Faculty Exchange Committee to verify that the content of the course units you have chosen is sufficiently similar to that of the VUB for them to be approved. To make this assessment possible, it is important that you attach a copy of the available information about the course units at the host university (similar to the ECTS sheet at the VUB). This information includes a short description of the content, the number of credits and possibly the name of the lecturer. You can usually find this information on the website of the host university.

If you cannot find the information, you can report this to the Exchange Team and contact the host university to request the necessary information. 

Approval

Approval of your prepared program of study is done by the Faculty Exchange Committee. Once you are nominated for a host university, it is best to start putting together your program of study right away. This program will be reviewed by the Committee at the end of April, and by the end of May you should have a final version ready for your departure. Your approved program of study is then converted into a Learning Agreement, which is digitally signed by the student, faculty and host university through Mobility Online. 

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