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Your route to a degree in the capital of Europe

Routes, intakes & more

Frequently asked questions

Answers on choosing a route, the UK degree pathways, language preparation, intakes and life in Brussels.

Choosing a route

Routes to a degree

Brussels College is the founding institution behind Northwood University - Brussels and BCBT - Brussels College of Business and Technology, and the Brussels hub for students choosing a route. With Brussels College you can follow a UK degree top-up pathway with WINC or prepare in English or Dutch, with advisers who help you find the route that fits your qualifications and goals.

No. Brussels College arranges the routes and supports students in choosing them. Degrees and qualifications are offered and awarded by the institution or partner named on each route, as set out below. Brussels College itself offers English and Dutch preparation courses.

That depends on your previous qualifications, your English level and the degree you are aiming for. Our route finder gives an overview, and an adviser can review your profile with you: contact us.

It depends on the route. U.S. degrees are awarded by Northwood University. The UK degree pathways lead to UK degrees awarded by the University of Greater Manchester via WINC. At BCBT, NCC Education qualifications are awarded by NCC Education (UK), offered through Brussels College’s NCC Education Accredited Partner Centre (SCH005), and French RNCP qualifications are awarded by Paris Education (ESTIAM).

Northwood University - Brussels, founded by Brussels College, is an authorized International Program Center of Northwood University (Midland, Michigan, USA). It runs its own programmes, admissions and accreditation.

BCBT - Brussels College of Business and Technology, founded by Brussels College, offers NCC Education qualifications from Level 3 to Level 6 and French RNCP qualifications, and runs its own admissions: explore BCBT or read about its accreditation. The Belgian VKS Level 6 programmes are in preparation and not yet open for enrollment.

Yes. Applications are welcome from across the EU, with one application deadline for every applicant. For the UK degree pathways and language preparation, Brussels College advisers guide you through the application; the institutions Brussels College founded handle applications to their own programmes.

EU nationals do not need a visa to study in Belgium. If you are not an EU national, contact admissions before applying.

The UK degree pathways start in February and September: the next intakes start on Monday 22 February 2027 (apply by 12 February 2027) and Monday 27 September 2027 (apply by 17 September 2027). One deadline applies to every applicant. See admissions for details. For language preparation, contact us for the next start date; the institutions Brussels College founded publish their own intakes. If a deadline has passed, contact the relevant admissions team: late applications are often considered case by case.

The academic year has two semesters of 16 weeks each: 14 teaching weeks, midterm assessments worth one week (spread across the teaching period) and a final exam week, with Flemish school holidays and Belgian public holidays as breaks. The UK Bachelor’s pathways run over six semesters (three years).

There is no strict upper age limit. The minimum age for undergraduate routes is generally 17/18 years old, and mature students who bring professional experience, especially in business and technology, are welcome.

UK degree pathways

Top up to a UK degree

You complete the core years in Brussels, then top up to a UK Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with our partner WINC. The degree is awarded by the University of Greater Manchester. See UK Degree Pathways and our WINC partnership.

Typically, you will need to submit:

  • A completed application form
  • Copy of your passport/ID
  • Certified copies of your high school diplomas and transcripts (or Bachelor's for Master's applicants)
  • Proof of English proficiency (e.g., IELTS)
  • A CV and motivation letter

The institutions Brussels College founded set their own document requirements.

Language preparation

English and Dutch

Requirements depend on the route. For the UK degree pathways (local & EU students), we typically require IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent). The institutions Brussels College founded set the English requirements for their own programmes.

Several other English tests are accepted as equivalents (TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge, Duolingo, and more) — contact us for the current equivalency table for your target route.

Brussels College offers intensive English preparation on campus, designed to bring your language skills up to the required level before you begin your main studies.

Yes. Brussels College offers Dutch courses for students who want to live and work in Flanders, a real advantage on Belgium’s bilingual labour market. See all English & Dutch preparation.

Visa, fees & documents

Before you start

EU nationals do not need a visa to study in Belgium. If you are not an EU national, contact admissions before applying.

An Offer Letter (or Admission Letter) confirms you meet the academic requirements. The Enrollment Certificate (Registration Letter) is the official confirmation of your place. It is issued only after you have paid the first semester fees in full.

Refund rules are set out in the terms and conditions of the institution you enrol with. For the routes arranged through Brussels College, see the Cancellation & Modification Policy: cancellations before the program start date are refunded in full, and program changes or intake deferrals can be requested before the program starts. Check the terms in your offer letter.

Living in Brussels

Living, working and travelling

Yes. Students in Belgium can take part-time student jobs:

  • Student work regime: up to 650 hours per year.
  • Wages: Typically €13-€18 per hour.

Brussels is very affordable compared to other major European capitals. You can live comfortably for approx. €1,000 - €1,500 per month (including rent, food, transport).

Healthcare is excellent and affordable. Student health insurance typically costs around €25 per month, covering most medical expenses.

  • Cost: Living costs and tuition are highly competitive compared to other major European student cities.
  • Location: As the EU capital, Brussels is home to major institutions, NATO, and hundreds of international companies.
  • Travel: You are 2 hours by train from London, Paris, and Amsterdam.
  • International qualifications: The routes in Brussels lead to U.S., UK and French-registered qualifications awarded by established awarding bodies.

Students in Brussels under the age of 24 can get a STIB/MIVB season ticket for just €12 per year, with unlimited travel on trams, buses and metro across the city. Student rates are also available for train travel across Belgium.

Start your search early, as demand in Brussels can be high. Students often find these independent platforms useful:

Partnerships & quality

Partners and quality marks

Brussels College is an NCC Education Accredited Partner Centre (SCH005), works with WINC on the UK degree top-up pathways, is an academic mobility and exchange partner of Paris Education (ESTIAM), an Associate Member of the Knowledgucate Education Consortium, and an official partner of Revistia. See all partnerships.

Brussels College holds the WSE Kwaliteitsregistratie, awarded by the Flemish policy domain Werk, Economie, Wetenschap, Innovatie en Sociale Economie, and the Qfor WSE certificate at conditional starter level, following an independent audit by CertUp. They recognise Brussels College as a quality-registered provider of training, guidance and labour market services; they are quality registrations, not degree accreditation.

Recognition

Legal status and NVAO

No, and that is by design. Brussels College does not award Belgian degrees, so it is not listed on the registers reserved for institutions that do.

Our model: transnational education. Most higher education in Belgium is state-funded and taught in French or Dutch, leading to a Belgian degree. Brussels College was established to connect students with English-taught routes that lead to international credentials, awarded by the institutions and partners named on each route.

Our legal status. Brussels College operates under Belgian law as a "Private Higher Education Institution" in Flanders, under Article II.75, §5 of the Higher Education Law ("Codex Hoger Onderwijs," 2013) — the standard legal basis for private higher-education providers in Flanders. This is a baseline operating status, not a quality accreditation. On this basis, students can study physically in Belgium on transnational routes that lead to degrees awarded by foreign institutions.

The recognition of your degree is determined by the institution that awards it: for example, UK degrees from the University of Greater Manchester (via WINC) on the UK pathways.

No, not currently. NVAO (Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie) accreditation is a long-term ambition of Brussels College, not a current credential: no formal NVAO procedure has started, and it should not factor into your decision to study here today. Brussels College does hold two achieved Flemish quality marks, the WSE Kwaliteitsregistratie and the Qfor WSE certification, which are quality registrations, not degree accreditation.

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