Standard path versus individual path
Every VUB course offers a standard path. This is the standard programme, that indicates the most logical sequence of course units to pass the course. For a bachelor’s programme, this amounts to 180 ECTS-credits, divided over 3 academic years of approximately 60 ECTS-credits. For a master's programme, the standard path can amount to 60, 120, 180 or 240 ECTS-credits.
For a full-time student, a load of 60 study points per academic year is achievable. But many students take fewer course components, due to their personal situation. Or they combine course components from different years. In that case you follow an individual study path, fully tailored to suit you. An individual study path is only possible on the same type of course (bachelor’s, switch programme, preparatory programme or master’s), and in accordance with the sequence of the course components. Moreover, the path is limited to a maximum of 72 ECTS-credits per academic year.
Who qualifies for an individual path?
Within the VUB, we want to maximize our commitment to personal development and give as many students as possible the opportunity to continue their studies and develop themselves.
For that reason, it has been decided that the following group of students are eligible for deviation from their model track:
Students with special status. The VUB defines 4 types of special statuses:
- The working student: students who combine their studies with employment of at least 80 hours per month.
- The student with a Reflex status: students with disabilities, top athletes, student entrepreneurs and refugees.
- The scholarship student who combines their studies with employment of at least 16h per week.
- The student who redirects: one changes programs during the same academic year either in the same institution or in another institution.
- Students who have already obtained a bachelor's or master's degree.
- Students studying in exceptional circumstances.
Info on Applying for your individual study track can be found here. Our study track counselors have already worked out a proposal of spread for bachelor's programmes you:
Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School
Faculty of Languages and Humanities
Linguistics and Literary Studies
Are you already choosing to deviate from your study pathway in your first year? Then keep in mind that this will impact your study duration, study progress, tuition fees, scholarship, your growth package and VUB housing.