
Your study path counsellor can inform, advise and guide you during your studies
He or she can:
- give you advice on composing your individual study path
- inform you on your learning account
- help you with questions about deliberations and your study progress
- inform you on the exemption procedure for a course
- talk about your studies in times of corona measures
- help you when you are going through a difficult situation during your academic career

Guidance
Our team can be reached at one e-mail address: studypath.es@vub.be. Behind the scenes, each e-mail is assigned to the counsellor concerned. Please mention your student number and study programme for a smooth processing.
Individual meeting
Scroll down to find out the availability of your counsellor. Make sure to check the information if this meeting will be organized digitally or on campus! On campus meetings take place at Pleinlaan 5, 3th floor, room 3.03.
Chat moments for short questions
Every colleague provides sufficient chat moments. Check the availability below.
Come by the study guidance meeting point
If you have a general question about your study programme, go to the Study Guidance Meeting Point! You can drop by without an appointment. Check the opening hours.
Go to work yourself!
Take a look at our Canvas Room.
If you combine courses from different modules
Compose your own study pathCombining BA-courses (or prep courses) with MA-courses?
You go for a 'combined enrolment'Study guidance has worked out study related
Tips and tricksIoanna Athanassiu
Social Sciences
Political Science: European and International Governance
Communication Studies: New Media and Society in Europe
Communication Studies: Journalism and Media in Europe
Eline de Bruijn
Management
Lieselot Caes
Business Economics
International Business
Janneke van den Hoven
Business and Technology
Keep track of the full picture, and the options
When composing your study path, it is important to keep in mind:
- the pre- and corequisites for the course (if any)
- the spreading possibilities
- the programme overview.
All information can be found below, next to your study programme.
PRE- AND COREQUISITES
In order to be able to register for some courses, you need to meet certain enrolment requirements first. These requirements can be either pre- or corequisites.
A prerequisite is a course that you must have completed before being able to enrol in a subsequent course, and which indicates that you master the competencies attributed to it.
A corequisite is a course that, in case if you have not completed it yet, you must enrol in together with a subsequent course.
Programme overview (2022-2023)
-
Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences Bachelor of Science in Business Economics Master of Science in Communication Studies: Digital Media in Europe Master of Science in Communication Studies: Journalism and Media in Europe Master of Science in Political Science: European & International Governance Master of Science in Business and Technology Master of Science in International Business Master of Science in Management
- Programme overview
- Prerequisites
- How to put together your individual study path?
- Programme overview
- Pre-requisites
- Programme overview
- Programme changes and transition measures 2022-2023
- Programme overview
- Programme changes and transition measures 2022-2023
- Programme overview
- Programme overview
- Pre- and corequisites
- Programme changes 2022-2023
- Programme overview
- Pre- and corequisites
- Programme overview
- Corequisites
- Spreading scenarios
- Transition measures Preparatory Programme 2022-2023
- BA1 and BA2
- BA3 - orientation Communication Studies
- BA3 - orientation Political Science
- BA3 - orientation Sociology
- BBE specialisation International Business
- BBE specialisation Business and Technology
- Digital Media in Europe
- Master
- Prepatory programme
- Preparatory Programme Management for Academic Bachelors (27 ECTS)
- Preparatory Programme Management for Academic Masters (21 ECTS)
- Master of Science in Management (60 ECTS)
Your individual Study Path
Your individual study path might diverge from the standard study path a bit. At the VUB you can determine your individual study path by choosing the amount of courses you take in a semester or by combining courses from different bachelor years.
How do I compose my individual study path?
You can easily create your individual study path using this form.
When composing your individual study path for an academic year, please take the following into account:
- The amount of courses you can take per academic year
- Pre- and corequisites
- Timetables
- An even balance throughout your study path
- Exemptions
- Your study progress
- Your learning account
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 at least 27 credits per academic year if you are entitled to child benefits and/or sholarship in Belgium. More info and exceptions here.
- Attention: if you have a student visa, you have to register at least 54 credits per academic year (except in your graduation year, where you can register 25 credits). If you have questions about your student visa, please reach out to irmo@vub.be (international relations office).
- You can take up a maximum of 72 credits per academic year, as long as you meet the pre- and corequisites. Exceptions to this rule can be requested from the dean.
Pre- and corequisites
In order to be eligible to take a course, you usually have to meet certain enrolment requirements. These requirements can be both pre- and corequisites.
A prerequisite is a course of which you have shown that you have mastered the competences attributed to it before being able to enrol for a subsequent course.
A corequisite is a course that, if you have not passed it yet, you must enrol for together with a subsequent course.
Besides these prerequisites and corequisites, some courses may need an additional enrolment requirement. For these courses you must already have passed a minimum of credits during your study path.
Faculty regulations
Students who fail to pass at least 30 ECTS credits within the first bachelor's programme are not (or only to a very limited extent) eligible for an individual study path. These students can not (or hardly) supplement their first bachelor's programme with programme components from the second and/or third bachelor's programme. Students in this situation have to first obtain at least 30 credits in BA1 before they can add higher year courses.
Students who are allowed to register higher year courses need to take into account the 'pre-and corequisites'. Only when you are able to graduate (obtaining a Bachelor's or Master's degree) these requirements can be overruled. In this case, please contact your study path counselor.
Keep the balance
It is important that you create a good balance between the first and second semesters. Compose your study path so that the two semesters are roughly proportionate. Do you have questions about this? Follow a group session organized by your faculty's study path counsellors.
What is it?
A combined enrolment is an enrolment where you combine the remaining courses of a bachelor’s/preparatory programme with one or more courses of the master’s programme.
How to apply for a combined enrolment?
Only students who are able to graduate in their bachelor’s or preparatory programme are eligible for a combined enrolment (with the exception of students who accept a spreading proposal discussed with the study path counsellor). In practice, this means that you only have a limited number of credits left in your bachelor/preparatory programme.
A combined enrolment is limited to 72 ECTS credits according to Article 42 of the Teaching and Examination Regulation. This is the total number of credits for both programmes combined.
Follow the instructions to apply for a combined enrolment in Selfservice.
Guidelines and exceptions applied by our faculty
If the student needs to complete 30 credits (or less) in the basic programme, the enrolement in a subsequent Master's programme is allowed, in accordance with the applicable rules of study progress.
- When a student is able to graduate (in the subsequent Master's programme), prerequisites are overruled up to 72 ECTS credits (with the exception of the Master's thesis, check last point).
- A study path up to 78 sp is allowed if the student has no binding conditions and does not have to take the final paper.
- Students without binding conditions who wish to take a study path of more than 78 ECTS credits must discuss this with the study path counsellor. The proposal will be discussed with the Dean.
- Students who have not yet taken the paper (in their Bachelor's programme or preparatory programme) cannot combine it with the Master's thesis. The combination of the paper and the master's thesis must always be submitted to the dean together with a proof of progress of the paper delivered by the assistant/supervisor.
If the student still needs more than 30 credits to complete his basic programme, he must request for an exception.
Request for an exception on regulations
You can hand in a request by filling out this form
The study path counselor will deliver your request to the Dean who will take the final decision. You can request for the following exceptions:
- Pre- and corequisites (you want to overrule the requirements for a course)
- Combine study programmes (you want to combine a bachelor or preparatory programme with a master programme)
- Enroll for the programme after the deadline of 30 September
- (De)Register for courses after the deadline of 15 October (first semester and year courses)
- (De)Register for courses after the deadline of 28 February (second semester courses)
- Exceed the maximum amount of 72 ECTS-credits