PhD : Administration and enrolment

If you come from outside the European Union, you will need to meet the following conditions in order to be able to study for a PhD in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

  1. You must have a Master’s degree obtained after 5 years of studies (300 credits/ECTS)
  2. You must have sufficient financial resources to complete your studies and provide a financial plan showing this.
  3. You must have obtained sufficiently good result in your prior studies:
  • You must have a Master’s degree from university higher education teaching of at least 300 credits/ECT;
  • You must have an average mark of 14/20.
  1. You must have a thesis proposal and the written agreement from a supervisor.

Note: to find a supervisor, you can consult:

If you wish to study for a PhD in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, you must submit your file to the Admissions and Registration Service of the chosen higher education institution. For it to be considered complete, your file must include:

  • your completed admission request (you can find the form on-line, on the website of the chosen higher education institution);
  • a certificate of nationality dated from the same calendar year as the year of registration (or a copy of your passport);
  • a copy of your secondary school end of studies diploma;
  • a copy of your higher education diploma(s) (and certified translation, if required);
  • a certified copy of the transcript of your grades for each of your higher education years, even the years you have failed (and certified translation, if required);
  • proof of your activities or studies over the last five years, if these are not covered by the last certificate;
  • a covering letter;
  • a thesis proposal;
  • written agreement from a supervisor, agreeing to supervise your research.

Although the official language of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation is French, much of the population also speaks very good English. Consequently, the ability to speak French is not a requirement for a PhD in French-speaking Belgium, as the thesis can be written in English. Please note, however, that every institution is free to set its own admission criteria. It is therefore recommended to contact the Admissions Service at the chosen institution.

For all PhD students wishing to complete their PhD students in French-speaking Belgium, registration fees are €835 the first year and approximately €50/year thereafter.

Fancy studying for a PhD in French-speaking Belgium?