How do I compose my individual study path?
Inform yourself ahead of time:
- Read about the different factors influencing your study path on this webpage
- Check the online presentation on composing your individual study path
Additional explanation of the video:- Upon re-enrolment, you will be automatically registered for the compulsory courses you registered for but did not pass last academic year.
- From 2023-2024, there is a second kind of binding condition. If, as a student, you do not pass one or more courses after 2 registrations (usually 4 examination opportunities), you will receive binding conditions. This means that when you re-enrol in the same programme, you must pass these courses. More info here.
- Get started with this handy infographic
Did you go over all the details?
Compose your individual study path here
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Need more information? Feel free to join on of the
info sessions organised by your faculty's study path counselors
Factors that influence your study path
Study progress
At VUB different study progress rules apply. Attention, when you enroll for 2 programmes (ex. Bachelor's and Master's), the rules apply to each programme separately.
Before you get started on composing your individual study path, it is important to download your transcript of records with proclamation code in the Student Selfservice. After all, your proclamation code is a big indicator of how to continue your studies. When you have binding conditions or did not pass your threshold, then that is the most important factor to take into account when composing your study path.
Course order
Respect the course order and logical structure of your study programme. Finish lower year courses first before taking up higher year courses. If you are entitled to a reduced study load, do not de-register for first bachelor's courses in order to take up second bachelor's courses instead.
Amount of courses and credits per academic year
When you follow the standard study path, an academic year usually consists of 60 ECTS credits. When you follow an individual study path, you can partly determine the amount of credits you take in one academic year. However, you need to take the following into account:
- You need to be enrolled for a minimum of 27 credits per academic year to keep your child benefit and scholarships. More info and exceptions
Attention: If you have a student visa or VUB student room, you have to take minimum 54 ECTS credits!
- As a bachelor student with binding conditions because you did not achieve a 60% study progress, the maximum amount of ECTS credits you can register for is limited to 60. Upon re-enrolment, you will automatically be registrered for the compulsory courses you registered for but did not pass last academic year.
- You can take up a maximum of 72 credits per academic year. Exceptions to this rule can be requested from the dean of your faculty. Read here how to request an exception.
Even balance throughout your study path
It is important that you create a good balance between the first and second semesters. Put together your study path so that the two semesters are roughly proportionate.
Take into account the different types of courses as well. We recommend variation in terms of evaluation (e.g. paper vs. exam) and in theory vs. practice. Check the course descriptions for more information.
Enrolment requirements
In order to be eligible to take a course, you usually have to meet certain enrolment requirements. These requirements can be advisory and/or binding pre- and corequisites.
- Binding prerequisite
Due to certain risks and safety issues, you can only enrol in course X if you have passed, been exempted from or deliberated for course Y. It is not possible to register for courses if you do not meet the binding prerequisite.
- Advisory prerequisite
The curriculum council strongly recommends that you only enrol in course X if you have taken course Y. Although this prerequisite is not binding and it is possible to register for course X without having taken course Y, it is your own responsibility not to follow the programme's advice. This means that you do not have the required competencies.
- Binding corequisite
You can only enrol in course X if you are also simultaneously registered for (or have already passed/been exempted from) course Y. In order to achieve the learning results of course X in a safe/good way, a registration for course Y is necessary. It is not possible to register for courses if you do not meet the binding corequisite.
- Advisory corequisite
The curriculum council strongly recommends that you only enrol in course X if you are simultaneously registered for (or have already passed/been exempted from) course Y. Although this corequisite is not binding and it is possible to register for course X without simultaneously taking course Y, it is your own responsibility not to follow the programme's advice. This means that you do not have the required competencies.
You can find the enrolment requirements for your programme, on the webpage of your study path counselor.
Class and exam schedule
It is important to check when the classes take place and when exams are planned (conditionally) to see if they fit into your study path. If you combine courses from different years, make sure there is no overlap. VUB expects you to physically attend classes on campus. Why? Check it out here! Do your classes still overlap? Give priority to the course(s) from your lowest year.
Partial grades
A partial grade is a result you obtain for a certain part of a course. Partial grades are not transferred to the 2nd session, nor to a following academic year, unless otherwise stipulated. If a partial grade can be transferred to a following academic year, it is a partial exemption. You can ask the professor whether your partial grade can be transferred to the next academic year. Please note that, the next academic year, you have to register for the entire course, not just one part/parts of it. The credits of the entire course will be taken into account when composing your individual study path for the next academic year.
Attention: not all faculties grant partial exemptions! Check this with the study path counsellor of your faculty!
Learning account
The learning account is a tool of the Flemish government to monitor your study progress and to encourage you to make a conscious choice of study.
Exemptions
Do you have an exemption for a course? This is also important for your individual study path.