Admission

For the BME programme, these are the deadlines for having completed your application:

• non-EEA students requiring a study visa: 1 May

• all other students: 15 June*

*For UPB (Colombia):

• students requiring a study visa: 1 February

• all other students: 1 May

• We will accept your diploma/degree/certificate if it grants access to a similar degree programme in higher education in the country where the diploma/degree was issued. We will also accept the English-language IB diploma (no other requirements, please share your IB results with UC Leuven-Limburg, Belgium in the IB database). Other transnational degrees will be examined on a case-by-case basis.*

• Proof of English proficiency (test taken 2 years ago or less)**

  • IELTS Academic 6.0 or IELTS Academic Online 6.0 (no subscore below 5.5)

  • TOEFL iBT (Home) 70 (no subscore below 16) ***

  • TOEFL Essentials 7.5 (no subscore below 7) ***

  • Cambridge Assessment English B2 First 170 ***

  • ITACE B2 (test centres in Belgium only)

For a more detailed overview of the application requirements, see the UCLL website.

Non-EEA students who wish to apply at IBA Kolding (Denmark), must apply through IBA first. Read more.

* Important for students from outside of the European Economic Area:

• we use international recognition databases to assess your diploma/degree

• we expect you to have a score/grading at the 75th percentile or higher (e.g. GCE Advanced Level with a minimum score of "C") or similar academic achievement

• it is advised to have taken up at least some courses relevant to our programme (e.g. mathematics, use of digital tools, like Excel).

** Or to have a diploma higher secondary education from Flanders, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, Canada (except Québec), or Ireland. *** Share your TOEFL (ETS data manager, institution code 5782) or Cambridge Assessment English results with UC Leuven-Limburg.

The first step of your admission for the BME programme will go through the centralised application at UCLL University of Applied Sciences*. Via this central application, we'll check if you meet the requirements mentioned above. If you don't have your diploma yet, upload your latest report card.

*Non-EEA students that wish to apply for IBA Kolding (Denmark), must first apply with IBA. Once they accept your application, you can proceed with the application at UCLL as mentionned below.

Go to the correct application page:

• Students with Dutch or Flemish high school degree (Open from 26 April 2025)

• Other students (Open from 1 December 2024)

Follow the guidelines on the page. To process applications for students without a Dutch or Flemish high school degree, UCLL charges an administrative fee of €50.

UCLL is a member of the KU Leuven Association in Flanders so you are required to create a KU Leuven Association account via the UCLL application page.

As mentioned on that page, you're not required to do this if you have ever applied as a prospective student at any of the following KU Leuven Association members: KU Leuven, LUCA School of Arts, UCLL, Vives, Odisee.

It is possible that the UCLL International Office contacts you if they require more information or if any documents are missing. Follow up on these emails to ensure that your application gets processed completely.

Flemish and Dutch students who meet the requirements will be automatically accepted in the application system and do not require manual processing. Other students now wait in this step so the UCLL International Office can review theirapplication. If they meet all admission requirements, they are accepted to the programme.

Students who are accepted will receive an email that describes how to enroll at the first-year partner of their choice. By completing the enrolment at your first-year partner, you confirm that you are going to start the BME programme and that you'll pay your tuition fee to the partner.

Finish the application at the first-year partner of your choice (BUEB Hungary, Laurea UAS Helsinki, UAB Barcelona, IBA Kolding OR UPB Medellín). This process differs from partner to partner.

Attention: this is only possible once your application at UCLL has been approved (step 3).

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​Once your application at your first-year partner has been reviewed and completed, you're registered as a BME student - congratulations and welcome to the #BMEdegree!

Make sure to stay in contact with your first-year partner to arrange housing, get to know more about the city, etc.

The earlier your application is approved, the more time you have to plan your BME journey!