Exemptions

Which courses count at VUB?

Have you already passed a number of courses at another institution and would you like to know whether you can obtain an exemption for these in your VUB programme? You can view all course outlines online. You will find more information on course content, course materials used, and the number of credits. When you have checked this, you can find all info on how to apply for an exemption below. 

How to request an exemption?

From first to second bachelor’s

If you have completed all your courses of the first bachelor’s elsewhere, can you immediately start on your second bachelor’s at VUB?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. For each successful subject, we check to what extent the subject correlates with subjects from our programme. If there are sufficient correlations, this may entitle you to one or more exemptions. Follow the same exemption procedure as below.

Remember: there is rarely 100% correlation. So you often lose a little when you switch. It may be, for example, that the 60 credits you obtained elsewhere are only good for 51 credits at VUB.

Consequences of transferring

Be aware that transferring to VUB may have some implications on your study progress, threshold and individual study pathway. 

Study progress

Is your previous programme within the same study field of study and did you make insufficient study progress there? Then this will also affect your study progress at the VUB. Binding conditions will immediately be imposed at the start of your new study programme at VUB. Does this apply to you? What do these binding conditions entail? 

Check ground rule 5 of study progress

Want to know if your programme belongs to the same study field? Contact your study path counselor.

Threshold

Students starting in the first year of a bachelor's programme must pass all the courses they took when they first enrolled in that bachelor's programme within two academic years.

Did you previously follow a bachelor's degree at another university? If so, this may also affect your threshold. We discourage to change universities between the first and second threshold year. VUB expects you to pass for all VUB-courses of the first bachelor in the second threshold year.

Starting in the 2nd semester of your 2nd threshold year is therefore not possible. Because you cannot pass all your 1st semester courses if you only start in the 2nd semester.

Check which situation applies to you

Individual study path

Transferring to the VUB for the same course means you are in an individual study pathway anyway.  
Compose your own study path

Still have questions? Check whether a session for transfer students is organised for your programme. If not? Contact the study path counselor of your new programme if you have any additional questions. You can find the different workshops and contact details on the webpage of your study path counselor.

More info

Study Guidance

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Learning account

Find out how the learning account works, what the impact is of dropping a subject from your curriculum and what happens when your learning account runs out.