Threshold
Students starting in the first year of a bachelor's programme must pass all the courses they took when they first enrolled in that bachelor's programme within two academic years. Students who do not meet this threshold will be refused to continue this specific programme at all Flemish universities.
This rule applies to students enrolling for the first time in Flemish higher education, as well as students who have started a new bachelor's programme from academic year 2023 - 2024.
The threshold, alongside the learning account, is a way for the Flemish government to immediately monitor students' study progress. By doing so, it wants to encourage students to focus on the fundamental courses of the bachelor's programme and prioritise them from the start. Through this system, the Flemish Government also wants to encourage students to change programme quickly if necessary and encourage institutions to facilitate rapid redirection.
There are some specific situations, which are explained lower on this page.
Programmes belonging to the same threshold
Here you can check which programmes in Flanders have the same threshold as our VUB bachelor's programmes. This has consequences in terms of study progress and threshold.
Reduced course load
Are you entitled to a reduced course load? Then your threshold package consists of the subjects you took in your first year of registration. You must have passed these subjects after two academic years.
Are you starting a new programme in the 2nd semester? Then your threshold package consists of the courses for which you are registered in the second semester. You must have completed this subject package after one and a half academic years.
Exemptions and/or transfer of credits
Check which programmes in Flanders have the same threshold as our VUB bachelor's programmes. This has consequences in terms of study progress and threshold. Check which programmes belong to the same threshold.
Have you started a new bachelor's programme and do you have exemptions or transfers within that bachelor's programme? Then you may already be taking courses from your second and/or third bachelor's programme. In this case, your threshold consists of all the courses you register in your first year of enrolment in this bachelor's programme (including the courses of the higher years).
Do your new bachelor's programme and your previous bachelor's programme belong to the same study field? Then be sure to check ground rule 5 of the study progress rules.
Want to know which programmes belong to the same study field? Contact your study path counselor for more info.
You previously followed the same programme at another university
Use this overview to find out which programmes in Flanders belong to the same threshold. Check the page for transfer students.
Programme started BEFORE 2023-2024
Does your previous programme at another university belong to the same threshold as the VUB programme you want to take, but did you start this programme at another university before academic year 2023-2024?
Example: You took a bachelor's degree in psychology at UGent in 2022-2023 and started your bachelor's degree in psychology at VUB in September 2023.
=> The threshold does not apply to you. The other study progress rules do .
Programme started AFTER 2023-2024
Did you start a bachelor's programme at another university starting from 2023-2024 and do you want to take the same programme at VUB in 2024-2025?
First check whether both programmes belong to the same threshold. You can find the possible scenarios on the right.
Programmes belong to the SAME threshold
This means you start the programme at VUB in your second threshold year. It then comes down to passing the VUB courses of your first bachelor's degree in 2024-2025. Therefore, we do not recommend transferring to another university between threshold year 1 and threshold year 2. There may be another study progress rule, so be sure to check ground rule 5 of the study progress rules.
Programmes do NOT belong to the same threshold
This means you start the programme at VUB in your first threshold year. In this case, after two academic years you have to pass all your courses taken at your first enrolment. Presumably, both programmes do belong to the same field of study, which is why it is important to check ground rule 5 of the study progress rules.
Proclamation code
Did you receive the proclamation code 'Threshold still to be reached' or 'Threshold not reached- Re-enrolment not allowed (INT)', what does this mean? And how do you interpret the combination of proclamation codes on your transcript of records?
Attention! Even if your proclamation code was ‘Achieved’ fore the threshold, the examination committee may have imposed additional study progress rules on you. Consult your transcript of records and check here everything you need to know about the VUB study progress rules.
How to check your threshold?
If you are subject to the threshold, you can consult the contents of your threshold package, the result of your threshold and your threshold year in your Student SelfService. Log in with your VUB e-mail address and then click on the ‘Study Overview’ tile. On the left-hand side, click on ‘Threshold’, after which you can see all the info.
