Social Sciences

Admission requirements

As a general rule, every study programme comes with its own set of conditions. You will find all the requirements for your chosen programme by clicking 'admission requirements' under the 'programme' tab.

Which degree is required?

Direct admission

You'll need a high school degree that allows you to access a bachelor's or undergraduate programme. Some international high school degrees are considered as being equivalent to a Belgian high school degree and grant direct access to any of our bachelor's programmes provided you also meet the language requirements (see below). 

You can find a list of all equivalent high school degrees here.

Admissions after screening

If your high school degree is not equivalent to a Belgian high school degree , you'll need to send us your high school degree along with your transcripts and a letter of motivation. Our admissions committee will decide whether or not you are eligible to join the programme if you also meet the language requirements (see below). 

Grade requirements

As a general rule, we only accept students with a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0, or 70% average or higher for this programme.  

Math skills
We expect you to have a solid prior knowledge of mathematics. This means you should have taken mathematics during your whole secondary education. 
You can take our optional short online self-test to check whether your math skills are up to par. You should be able to finish these exercises without too much trouble. If you are struggling with one or more of the topics, make sure to take the time to brush up on your knowledge. 

What are the language requirements?

We accept the following proofs of English language proficiency:

• A Belgian high school degree;
• A certificate from the institution where you finished secondary or higher education, stating that English was the language of instruction;

• A certificate of one of the following language tests corresponding to the Common European Framework of Reference with minimum level B2:

  • TOEFL (only the internet-based test is accepted) with minimum level: 79
    • Keep in mind you’ll need a minimum score of 18/30 on all individual modules to be found eligible.
  • IELTS academic module, with minimum level: 6.5
    • Keep in mind  you’ll need a minimum score of 6 on all the individual modules.
  • Cambridge English minimum grade scale score of 170
  • ITACE with minimum level B2
     

  Please note that language test results cannot be older than 5 years at the time of application. You must meet the language requirements before we can accept you. We do not issue letters of acceptance without proof of language proficiency.

   

What are the required documents?
 

You'll need to upload the following documents during the online application procedure to start the screening process:

• Proof of identity (Passport or ID-)
• Headshot picture
• High school degree (official documents, both original and translations)
• High school transcripts of records (official documents, both original and translations)
  • Only if your degree is not equivalent to a Belgian high school degree
  • You can find more information about translating your documents via Required documents | Vrije Universiteit Brussel
• Motivational letter
  • Only if your degree is not equivalent to a Belgian high school degree
  • You can find some guidelines for your motivation letter on this webpage.
• Proof of English language proficiency
   

Contact us

Do you have any questions? Contact the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School at SocialSciences@vub.be. 

Apply now!

Convinced about your studies? Have you read the admission requirements? Then you can start your application! 

• Do you have questions about applying with a foreign diploma? Discover the steps you need to take here!
• Questions about the application process? Check our FAQ!

When can you apply?

Applications open mid-november! 

Deadlines

• Foreign diploma and student visa required (often non-EEA students): Apply until 1 April 2026
• Foreign diploma and no student visa required (often EEA students): Apply until 1 August 2026
• Belgian diploma: Apply until 23 September 2026

You can find more information about the deadlines here!

Start your application here!