Universite de Liège
Liège, Belgium
Important Information
Semester Dates
- Fall : Mid-September - late January
- Students who wish to return early for January classes in Lethbridge can write their final exams remotely
- Spring: Early February - late June
- Academic Calendar
Language
- French and a few English
Website
For further information, visit the International Centre Office (SU060) or email outgoing@uleth.ca
About
Belgium is a small, highly developed and densely populated country at the cross-roads of Western Europe with three official languages: French, Dutch, and German. It has three relatively autonomous regions divided by language. Belgium's capital, Brussels, is also the capital of the European Union.
Belgium has retained its old-world charm in the preservation of its ancient buildings and historical traditions. The country is known for its art, architecture, beer, chocolate, waffles, and french fries. Its rich history has left impressive churches, town halls, castles and works of art spread throughout the country.
Liège is located in Belgium's French region and has a population of approximately 700,000. It is an old, industrial city with lots of character. Liège is only 30 km from the Netherlands and 45 km from Germany.
Liège is a rapidly changing city where old meets new. Take a walk through the old city center and discover the typical traffic-free alleys and shopping streets where terraces abound. Liège has a good night life, lots of parks to enjoy, and a big Sunday market selling everything from vegetables to toys, clothes, and live pigeons. It is the third-biggest river port in Europe, a conference centre, host to international fairs, and the economic capital of the Walloon region.
The University of Liège was founded in 1817 and has a reputation as a center of international studies and research. The student population of the university is approximately 25,000, with 18 percent of this being international students.
The university has four campuses: HEC (in downtown Liège), Sart Tilman (approximately a 20 minute bus ride outside the city), Gembloux, and Arlon. Students will likely take courses at both HEC and Sart Tilman.
Liège provides a two-day orientation session for new students, reviewing important details such as how to register for courses and ending with a barbeque. Throughout the semester, the International Office also organizes bike tours through the city and other social events or field trips in the local area. A buddy program matches exchange students with local students who are there to help.
Program Information
Courses in English
Liège offers a few management courses in English through the HEC business school. Courses can include finance, marketing, economics, supply chain management, and entrepreneurship. A few courses may require some assignments throughout the semester, but most courses have 100% of the course grade dedicated to either a final project or final exam.
For a full list of courses (all languages) offered at Liège, click here.
Language Courses
- All U of L exchange students at Liège are required to complete at least one French-as-a-foreign-language course. Several French courses at various levels are offered throughout each regular semester. For more information about French courses click here.
- There is an optional two week pre-semester intensive French language course
Students from the U of L may currently only enroll in courses offered by the HEC Management School.
The European academic structure varies from the North American system. Courses completed at a European exchange partner will not be transferred back to the U of L on a course-for-course basis. Rather, students will be required to successfully complete a certain number of ECTS (European Transfer Credit System) credits to earn U of L credit equivalency. Typically, a full course load is 30 ECTS, and 6 ECTS = 3 U of L credits.
Courses at Solvay Business School are 5 ECTS. Therefore, U of L students must combine courses within the same stream to transfer equivalent credit.
Requirements
You are eligible for this exchange if you are:
- A full-time Dhillon School of Business student
- In at least the 2nd year of your program
- In good academic standing, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher
Students going to Belgium for an exchange must apply for a temporary residence "Visa for Students". There is an administrative fee of €228 (2023).
For more details on the visa application process click here.
The visa application process may have changed since this page was updated. Please email outgoing@uleth.ca for more information.
For detailed information about vaccination recommendations when visiting Belgium, please visit the Government of Canada's website.
Expenses
- The Sart Tilman campus offers some rooms in residence to students staying for a maximum of one semester
- Cost: €11.35/day (approx. €350/month)
- The University of Liege provides many resources for students to find affordable private housing in the city
- For students who arrive in Liege with no accommodations, the University of Liege recommends students stay the first few nights at the Youth Hostel
When living downtown, it is easy to walk to most places around Liège. For longer trips, Liège offers unlimited travel by train and bus within the city with the purchase of a City Pass. The cost is €15,30/month for individuals under the age of 25.
For exploring the country of Belgium, a Go-Pass covers ten one-way trips anywhere in Belgium for a cost of €59.
For those planning a lot of travel throughout Europe, it is recommended to buy a Eurail pass. The pass must be purchased before going to Belgium.
Students going on an exchange pay regular U of L tuition and fees. For up-to-date tuition information, visit the U of L's Financial Services website.
In Belgium, it is MANDATORY to have an individual health care insurance.
As soon as you arrive in Belgium you must register with a health insurance company of your choice, show them your health insurance card and give them your Belgian account number.
For more information about health insurance click here.
Canadian students must take out welfare cover, either with a Comprehensive insurance policy taken out in Canada, or by taking out insurance in Belgium.
In addition, all students registered at the Universite de Liege are covered for civil liability and bodily damages for any accident linked to university activities, in Belgium and abroad.
Based on comments from our previous exchange students to Liège, the costs for the exchange are approximately as follows:
Airfare |
CAD 1,500-2,000 |
return |
U of L Tuition |
2,300 |
per semester, for three courses |
Rent (dormitory or off-campus flat) |
CAD 400 - 600 |
per month |
Textbooks |
CAD 50 |
per textbook, many courses, however, don't require a book |
Food |
|
Pricing for groceries is similar to Canada |
Transportation |
CAD 30 |
per month |
Visa |
CAD 200 |
including cost of required supporting documents |