Science@Leuven Scholarships 2024-25, Belgium

Deadline for applications: 15 February 2024

Programmes you can apply for with the Science@Leuven Scholarship

Motivated and talented international students interested in participating in an international master programme of the Faculty of Science of the KU Leuven are invited to apply for a scholarship.

For the following masters you can apply for the Scholarship :

• Master of Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Master of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biotechnology
• Master of Biology
• Master of Chemistry
• Master of Geography
• Interuniversity Master of Geology (only students applying for the specialisation Geodynamics and Georesources or Surface processes and Paleoenvironments can apply for the scholarship.  Students applying for the other specialisations (enrollment at Ghent University) will not be considered for the scholarship.)
• Master of Mathematics
• Master of Physics
• Master of Statiscs and Data Science
• Master of Sustainable Development (ICP)

Students applying for the QASS-programme of the Master of Statistics are excluded from the Science@Leuven Scholarship, as this programme requires a master diploma, which is not allowed for the Science@Leuven Scholarship.

Do not apply for the Scholarship if you are interested in another Master Programme.  Your application will not be considered. 

Amount of Scholarship

The amount of the scholarship can be up to 12.000 Euro for 1 year. The Board of the Science@Leuven Fund will decide exactly how much a scholarship will be. The scholarship will always cover the tuition fee for 1 year, the insurance and a basic health insurance coverage. The amount awarded for living expenses can vary. 

If a student is awarded the full scholarship of 12.000 Euro, it is still advisable to bring extra money.  Here you can find an overview of living costs in Belgium . 

Most master programmes of the Faculty of Science are two-year programmes. The scholarship for the second master year will only be continued on the condition that the student had outstanding results the first master year.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet and prove the following requirements:

• the applicants have not studied or worked at the University of Leuven before,
• the applicants have a bachelor degree from a non-Belgian university that gives them access to the master programme they are applying for,
• the applicants have not yet acquired a master degree or a PhD,
• the applicants can prove excellent study results during their former training.  The applicants are expected to obtain at least Distinction during their studies at the KU Leuven,
• the applicants can prove a very strong knowledge of English ( TOEFL (minimum score 94 internet-based with at least 19 for reading, 18 for Listening, 19 for speaking and 21 for writing) or IELTS (minimum score 7 overall, whilst at least 6,5 for reading, 6 for listening, 6 for speaking and 6 for writing),
• the applicants show strong motivation to follow a master programme at the Faculty of Science of the KU Leuven,
• the applicants have two reference letters from internationally renowned professors, 
• the applicants are willing to act as ambassador for the programme.

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU DO NOT MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS

The students that have been awarded a scholarship will be asked to sign a contract that stipulates the conditions of acceptance.

Language requirements

For all the English taught master programmes the following language requirements are requested.  As the level of English is a selection criterium, these requirements are very important for applicants for the Scholarship. 

PROOF OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH

All applicants must prove their proficiency in English. The accepted English proficiency tests are:

• TOEFL iBT: minimum overall score of 94, with minimum subscores of 19 for Reading, 18 for Listening, 19 for Speaking and 21 for Writing
• IELTS Academic test: minimum overall score of 7.0, with minimum subscores of 6.5 for Reading, 6.0 for Listening, 6.0 for Speaking and 6.0 for Writing
• Advanced or Proficiency Cambridge Certificates: minimum score of 185, with at least 176 for reading and 169 for listening, speaking and writing.

The following applicants are exempted from submitting an English proficiency certificate:

• Applicants who have obtained a previous university degree taught in English in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Their diploma and transcripts suffice, provided they confirm that the entire university study was completely taught in English in one of the previous countries.

CREDENTIALS REGARDING PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

An English version (or translation) of the course description for the courses that you deem most relevant as a preparation for the master. For each relevant course, you should provide a brief description of the course objectives, the main topics treated, the workload per course unit and the course materials used. If your university provides these descriptions online or via a syllabus, you can copy-paste these descriptions.

If the description of the grading system of your home university is not included in the PDF scan of your transcripts of academic records, please provide the grading table, or a document explaining the grading system of your home university.

Source / More information: Official website HERE.