Study location	Belgium, Brussels
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	3 years
Study language	English
Awards	BSc

Tuition fee	€938.80 per year

Entry qualification

High school / secondary education (or higher) The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original. If your documents are not in English, French or Dutch they have to be officially tranlsated (by a sworn translator) into one of these 3 languages It is required that you send verified copies of the entry qualification documents directly to the university by postal mail. Important! Never send original documents by post! Registrar’s Office Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 BE-1050 Brussel BELGIE

Territory requirements	Applications are accepted from the following territories (based on citizenship): European Union.

Language requirements	English IELTS academic module, with minimum level: 6.5; Cambridge English grade scale 170;

Other requirements

At least 1 reference(s) should be provided. NB! Please note that you must pay a 50 EURO application fee if you have a non Flemish diploma. University will process your application as soon as the fee has been deposited into their account. You will receive an email with payment instructions. Please read them carefully and use the correct payment reference! If you are accepted and enrol, the application you paid for that specific programme will be deducted from your tuition fees. For example: if you submit four applications, you should pay a total of four individual application fees: 200 EURO. Once you are enrolled in that programme, only 50 EURO will be deducted from your tuition fees.

More information	Expenses, accommodation, working etc. vub.be/..tudy/social-sciences#general-info

Overview

Complex societies require complex thinking. In a world of rapid changes and shifting boundaries there is a growing need for minds that are capable of switching perspective and thinking outside of narrow academic boxes. That is why the VUB and Ghent University have joined forces to create an innovative model of interdisciplinary and interuniversity education: the Bachelor in Social Sciences (BScSS). Located in the heart of Europe and boasting a student body of seventy different nationalities, the BScSS provides a uniquely diverse learning environment that helps students to tackle the global problems of the future.

From the start, courses will be taught by both VUB and Ghent University lecturers. In year one (organized at the VUB) you will be introduced to the three main disciplinary perspectives: communication studies, political sciences and sociology. You will also get your first taste of research methods, develop your academic writing skills and your will learn to process, structure and discuss key ideas in the social sciences.

During the second year (also at the VUB), we build on the insights developed in the first year, hone your skills in critical thinking and further work on your capacity to analyze, discuss and present academic research. This is also the year in which we start to more actively combine the insights from the three disciplines and explore the points of convergence and difference between them.

In the third year, you will have to choose an orientation in accordance with the discipline in which you want to specialize: sociology, communication studies or political science. This is also the year in which you will start taking courses at Ghent University and will have the opportunity to go abroad for a semester (through the Erasmus-program or the other exchange opportunities offered by the BScSS). Your experience will culminate in the writing of a bachelor paper in which you will demonstrate the academic skills you have developed over the past three years.

Career opportunities

There is no doubt that your Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences (BScSS) will stand out on the labour market. However, the biggest added value of the programme lies in paving the way for ambitious follow-up trajectories, such as master programmes and internships.

Your third bachelor year is designed to help you prepare for this choice. You major in one of the three social sciences composing the programme. It allows you to build expertise in this domain, but without losing track of the other two sciences. That way all choices for master programmes remain open, but you’ll have more insight about what you really want to master in.

At the same time, this last bachelor year offers you multiple contacts with professionals from organisations gravitating around the EU institutions through guest lectures and site visits. It’s a great way to start building your network, with an eye on future.