Study Abroad No Agreement - (SANA)
The Sooner the Better
- You should start thinking about Study Abroad in the beginning of the semester that precedes the semester during which you would like to go abroad. You should contact your academic advisor to help you choose the Programme and the course choices that best suit your needs.
- For SANA students, all contact with Vesalius College should be through Vanessa Goffard of the Admissions Department.
Applying to Vesalius College as a SANA Student
- SANA students wishing to study abroad at Vesalius College in the Fall or Spring semesters must complete the Application Form for Undergraduate Admissions. Please click on the following link for Application Instructions to download the forms and other information required for admission into our Study Abroad Programme.
- Once you have completed the necessary forms and have gathered all required documentation, please mail all application materials to Vanessa Goffard at the following address: Vesalius College, Admissions Department, Pleinlaan, 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Applications for SANA students are accepted on a “rolling” basis. However, the factors and deadlines outlined in the next section must be taken into account (very important!!)
Visa for Studying in Belgium
- If you require a Visa for studying in Belgium, please keep in mind that this process will take a few months and requires an acceptance letter from Vesalius College in order to complete the application.
- If you require a Visa, please make sure that you apply to Vesalius in time to have all documents in hand for a timely submission of your Visa application. Please refer to the FAQ entitled: “How do I go about obtaining a student Visa for my studies in Belgium?” You may also refer to the website for the Belgian consulate: www.diplobel.be
Academic Course Info
- The course offering for the Fall and Spring semesters is made available on our website by March 15 of the preceding academic year. You may also refer to the course offering by clicking on the following link: Course Offering.
- Course schedules will be made available by April 1 for the following Fall semester courses and by November 1 for the following Spring semester courses. You can click on the following link to access course schedules on our web site: Course Schedules.
Initial Course Selection
- Once you receive the course schedule, you should make an initial course selection, then contact your home university academic advisor to be sure that you will be able to receive transfer credit for your chosen courses and that you meet all pre-requisites for Vesalius courses. You may consult our website to view course descriptions and short syllabi. More detailed course syllabi can be sent to you or to your academic advisor upon individual request.
- SANA students register for courses on the Friday of orientation week
- A full course load at Vesalius College is 4-5 courses (24-30 ECTS credits; equivalent to 12-15 U.S. credits)
- Prior to arriving on campus for orientation, you should choose at least 8 courses that interest you and make a list of your top 8 course choices in order of preference
- You must be vigilant in choosing a course schedule that is free of scheduling conflicts
- Your academic advisor should verify your course selection prior to your arrival in Brussels to be sure that you meet all pre-requisite requirements and that you will receive academic credit from your home institution for selected courses.
Language Courses
- If you wish to take any French or Dutch course other than those at the elementary level, e.g. no prior knowledge of the language (French - LFR 107E; Dutch -FPD 001), you will be required to take a language placement test (oral and written) on the Thursday of orientation week. This will ensure that you are registered for the language class that truly corresponds with your level of knowledge of the language and will prevent you from being placed in a class that is too advanced or not advanced enough, as the case may be.
- Please note that, due to differences between European and American learning outcome expectations for foreign language instruction, the level (course number) at which you are placed in Vesalius’ language Programme may not correspond exactly with the course level achieved at your home university; it may be lower. You should inform your home university advisor of this potential discrepancy and should request that your home university grant you language credit, even if the language “course number” you take at Vesalius is lower than what you would take at your home university.
Internship Course
- Study Abroad and Exchange students are invited to apply to participate in an unpaid internship in Brussels as part of their study abroad semester at Vesalius.
- If you would like to apply for the internship course, you must submit your application to Vesalius College and have been accepted 15 days prior to the internship application deadlines, by which time you must have submitted your CV’s and cover letters for selected sponsors.
- Internships are offered in the Fall and Spring semesters and in the Summer term.
- Internships at Vesalius College are considered regular courses. Students taking the internship course will receive full college credit (6 ECTS credits; equivalent to 3 U.S. credits) and a letter grade at the end of the semester.
- These internships are competitive and, thus, are not guaranteed! You will apply for the internship course and will interview with selected sponsors just as you would do for any job application. Study Abroad and Exchange students will compete for internship positions on a level playing field with degree-seeking Vesalius College students.
- If you are interested in applying for an internship, you should do so as soon as possible in the semester preceding the one in which you wish to take the internship course. The reason for this requirement is that the selection procedure can take time and delays in securing an internship can mean that you will need to work more hours per week during the semester in order to complete the total number of hours required to receive full credit for the course. Typically, the first call for applications ends on the Friday of week 11 of Fall or Spring semester, although exact dates vary each year.
- Internship offerings, regulations and application procedures can be viewed by clicking on the following link: Vesalius Internship Programme Catalogue
- Deadlines for submitting CV’s and Cover letters are as follows:
- Fall semester: July 1
- Spring semester: November 1
- Summer term: May 15