Contact:  Carrie Hogue
School:  Katholieke Universiteit at Leuven
Course Equivalencies:  Click here for more information.
Housing:  International House

History

Loyola operates a program at Katholieke Universiteit at Leuven (K.U.Leuven).  It is the oldest Catholic university in the world and one of the premier academic institutions in the Lowlands.  This picturesque, historically rich university, with a vibrant intellectual and social life was founded in 1425.  The K.U.Leuven has 30,000 students; 3700 of them are internationals.  It is world-renowned for Philosophy and Theology, but our students take courses in many other departments as well.

Belgium is a very small country located in the heart of Europe.  It is bordered by four countries: France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg.  There are 9 million people there, and three official languages (Dutch, French, and German), though English is widely spoken.  Leuven is a town of 50,000 people that is located 20 miles east of Brussels, in the Dutch-speaking Flanders region.  It is less than three hours by train to Amsterdam, Cologne and London, and just one and a half hours from Paris.  In Leuven, the campus is the city and vice versa.  With its cobblestone streets and impressive gothic architecture, it is a quaint and charming city that pulses with the life of the university.

Criteria for Acceptance

• Typically sophomores with a cumulative average of 3.0, but also students with a 2.80 average should apply.
• If you have a QPA between 2.8– 3.0 then you must submit a letter written by your advisor or a faculty member explaining why you did not earn a 3.0. This letter will determine your acceptability.
• You must be able to find courses which fit into your Loyola Program and allow full-time participation.
• You cannot be on disciplinary probation nor have a history of serious disciplinary problems.

Academics

• Consult the Office of International Programs as early as possible to get assistance on course selections at Loyola so that you are prepared for Leuven.
• This program is designed to primarily accommodate Liberal Arts, Social Science and some Business majors.
• All courses in our program are taught in English.
• All students must take one 4-credit course in Dutch.

Length of Stay

• This program is for one year (late August through late June).
• Students come home for 2-3 weeks at Christmas.

Housing

• Dorm-style living; 67 total residents.
• Two or three students are assigned to a room in our house, which also accommodates other international and Belgian students.  Sharing a room with an international is highly recommended.
• Live with 35 Belgian and international students in the Loyola International Nachbahr Huis.

Cost

• Students are eligible for consideration for all forms of federal, state, institutional and private sources of aid, except the Federal Work-Study Program.  Students studying abroad for a semester or full academic year will forfeit the value of a Federal Work-Study assignment.
• The cost is equivalent to the tuition, room charge (Ahern), and a reduced comprehensive  fee paid to Loyola, plus a program fee.

Benefits

This is a fully packaged program with:

• a full-time Director, a half-time Associate Director
• 3 or 4 one-day trips
• a long weekend trip to Amsterdam
• a weel-long trip to France
• a 10-day trip to Italy
• two round-trip airline tickets
• a required physical exam
• visa
• room and tuition
• evacuation insurance
• various program meals

Application Requirements

• An online application with a brief essay must be submitted by December 1st.
• Advisor's signature is required.

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