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CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts Program in Brussels, Belgium
(Outgoing Program)
Bring your advanced French skills to the heart of Europe for studies at CIEE’s prestigious partner school, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Students have full access to the curriculum at ULB. Classes are taught in French across academic areas including communications, language, literature, philosophy, history, political science, social sciences, business, and economics.
Students agree to speak only French during the program to encourage language and cultural acquisition. All courses are complemented with CIEE co-curricular activities and excursions beyond the city to enhance classroom learning and provide intercultural understanding.
Unique Experiences
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
with coursework taught in French, in topics ranging from film to political science.
LEARN BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
With visits to Bruges, Liège or Leuven, and one of Belgium neighboring countries.
See more of the region with day trips to Leuven, Bruges, Liège, Ghent, or Antwerp. Take an overnight excursion to the Netherlands, France or Germany. Go on an urban graffiti tour, participate in a yoga class, make your own waffles, and see a soccer match
Get involved on campus by joining a student club or taking advantage of sports facilities
Explore favorites like Brussels Museum of Fine Arts and one of Belgium’s celebrated chocolate factories
Projects
Mentoring. ULB has a well-designed student mentoring network that CIEE students can tap in, connect in classes, and ease into campus life.
Talking café conversations. CIEE students can meet with ULB students at a local café to practice conversing in French.
Tandem learning. ULB’s program pairs students with Belgian students to foster language learning and participation in social activities. Students earn credit for this.
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Three-day orientation – an introduction to Belgian culture, your academic program, and the city, plus practical information about living in your host city
Full-time program leadership and support in your host city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Insurance and other travel benefits, with CIEE iNext
24/7 emergency on-site support
1 out of 3 CIEE students receives a scholarship - get yours!
GAIN Travel Grants - up to $2,000 toward travel costs guaranteed to all Pell-elgible students.
Gilman Go Global Grants - $2,500/semester and $1,000/summer, guaranteed to all Gilman applications.
Merit-Based Scholarships - $2,500/semester and $750/summer, awarded to students deomonstrating high academic achievement.
Minority Serving Institutions (MIS) Grant - $2,000/semester and $500/summer, guaranteed to all students attending MSIs.
Our highly experienced staff have extensive knowledge of all CIEE programs and services. If you are a student with questions about completing your application, or you want to sign up to receive program updates and news, our staff are happy to help.
Looking to put your upper-level French language skills to use? Intrigued by the challenge of direct matriculation within a European university? Come immerse yourself in Brussels.
Study abroad in Brussels and you have the opportunity to enroll in a European university, taking classes in French; gain insight into Belgium and Brussels’ unique political, cultural, and linguistic situation in Europe; and dramatically improve your French language skills.
And with student mentors, internships opportunities, and cultural activities and excursions, studying abroad in Brussels gives you a truly unique and absorbing international experience.
In Brussels you will:
Enroll in French-taught courses in the humanities; take classes with Belgian and other European students; join a university club
Integrate into the university environment with the help of student mentors
Participate in field trips to EU institutions, excursions within Belgium and to France, the Netherlands, and Germany
Visit places such as the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague, NATO, and the Museum of Fine Arts
The CIEE Difference
Coursework
In addition to a course on Belgian history, and culture – supplemented with seminars and site visits by the CIEE Resident Director – you’ll have full access to the curriculum at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). That means you can study anything from Anthropology and Art History, to Language, Film, Economics and Political Science.
For students who wish to improve their language skills to better follow their regular university courses at the ULB, courses are offered in advanced grammar and composition.
Cultural Activities
Extracurricular activities and occasional group excursions are organized throughout the semester. Day trips may include Bruges, Luxembourg, Ypres, Bastogne, and Aachen as well as weekend excursions to France and Germany. Visit the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, or the Brussels Museum of Fine Arts. You’ll also have access to sports facilities at the ULB and may participate in student clubs and activities.
Credit
Total recommended credit for a semester is 15 semester/22.5 quarter hours. Total recommended credit for the academic year is 30 semester/45 quarter hours.
Course contact hours vary, but average 24 contact hours for ULB courses. The CIEE/ULB core course is 40 hours each semester. Recommended credit is 3 U.S. credits for the CIEE courses and 1 U.S. credit per 2 ECTS credits earned.
Program Requirements
All study abroad students take at least six courses, including the CIEE/ULB core course. At least three courses should be chosen from the courses offered within one Faculty of specialization (either the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, or the Solvay Brussels School for Economics and Management). Two other courses can be chosen from the course offering of that same Faculty or from one of the other two Faculties. The number of ULB courses that each student takes may vary a bit, as ULB courses can range in credit from 3–10 ECTS each. However, a typical course load consists of 6 courses of 5 ECTS each. All participants are required to enroll in the equivalent of 15 U.S. credits (30 ECTS).
About Brussels
Brussels has emerged as the “Capital of Europe” in political and economic terms. As the headquarters of the European Union, it is at the forefront of European integration and EU policy. Brussels is also very international; its diversity is reflected in its neighborhoods, restaurants, and languages. While French is the dominant language, Dutch (Flemish) and English are widely spoken.
Where You’ll Study
The French-language Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) was founded in 1834 as an alternative to the Catholic or state universities in Leuven, Gent, and Liège. It now has a student population of over 24,000 and is the largest university in Brussels. ULB has several campuses in different areas of the city. The main campus where the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, and the Solvay Brussels School for Economics and Management, the library, and University administration are located is known as the Solbosch campus and is located in southeast Brussels.
Housing & Meals
Housing is included in the study abroad program fee. CIEE housing consists of shared housing. This is a combination of individual rooms with or without other students and sharing common spaces with landlords. Housing is mainly located in the southeast of central Brussels. An excellent public transportation system makes it easy to commute. All housing placements are made on site at the beginning of the semester.
Meals are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of the student. Students have access to cooking facilities in order to prepare their own meals and may take meals in University cafeterias and restaurants in the area.
Academic Program
The CIEE Study Center in Brussels, Belgium was established in 1994 and began its pilot program at the ULB in 2006. The CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts program opened its doors in spring 2009.
The Advanced Liberal Arts study abroad program is specifically designed for students with upper-level French language skills who want the challenge of direct matriculation within a European university. The program is particularly well-suited for those with an interest in communications, language, literature, philosophy, history, political science, and business and economics.
Academic Culture
ULB, like other European universities, offers three-year undergraduate degrees, organized into different faculties. The CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts program is located at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.
The academic culture of ULB courses follows a traditional European model. Students attend lectures for a semester or year and usually take a single exam at the end of the course to determine their grade. Papers are usually not required for these courses, making the final oral exam that much more important. Some courses may also include presentations or written assignments.
Class size at ULB varies, but is generally much larger than typical U.S. courses. The teaching method at ULB is primarily lecture-style. Students are advised that due to possible changes in the courses offered each term they should be flexible in course selection. Fall semester ULB courses extend into January, and spring semester courses extend into June. Professors may be willing to administer the final exam earlier than the officially scheduled date, allowing fall students to depart mid-to late December and spring students to depart in late May to early June, but CIEE cannot be responsible for arranging or guaranteeing early exams.
Nature of Classes
Students take regular university courses with Belgian students and a limited number of other international students.
CIEE Community Language Commitment
Students take part in the CIEE Community Language Commitment by speaking French at all times (except in emergencies). This fosters a learning community that will contribute to both French language proficiency and understanding of Belgian society. Study abroad students are also encouraged to participate in bi-weekly conversation tables, organized by CIEE, with ULB students at a local café.
Grading System
Grades are based on a numerical system of one to 20, with a 10 considered a passing grade. Course grades are usually based on a single, oral final exam.
Language
ULB offers a limited number of upper intermediate and advanced French language classes designed for study abroad students. Students who wish to take a French language class should indicate this well before the start program. Placement in the appropriate language level is based on language exams administered at the beginning of the program by ULB.
Students who wish to take a Dutch language course can do so at the VUB campus and should indicate their interest in doing so well before the start program. Placement in the appropriate language level is based on language exams administered at the beginning of the program by CVO.
Students are strongly encouraged to take part in the tandem program developed by ULB. The tandem is a language learning program where students are paired with local students, participate in social activities, maintain a logbook, and complete an final assessment. The tandem program can be taken for credit. See the ULB website for the tandem requirements: http://tandems.ulb.ac.be/en/index.html
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