During your stay

International Student Guide

Questions about practicalities, leisure or facilities? The International Student Guide offers you an elaborate overview of everything you might want to know before, during and after your studies at Ghent University.

Welcome activities

We recommend you to arrive in Ghent in time so you can participate in the Welcome activities.

Time schedules

There are 3 different types of course schedules:

• General course schedule of the English taught courses at our faculty:
  • Available from mid-July onwards.
  • Check the study guide  (Programme summary > "course schedule 1st semester" or "course schedule 2nd semester" on the right side). 
• Schedule of one or more specific courses:
  • Available once you are enrolled at Ghent University. You will be enrolled backoffice at the beginning of September (first semester) or the beginning of February (second semester).
  • Check Oasis > My calendar > Search > Schedule > Search Course. 
• Personal course schedule: 
  • Available once you submitted your curriculum and on condition that you are linked to a group for each course in your curriculum. Be sure to submit your curriculum only after receiving the necessary information during the online faculty welcome session.
  • Check Oasis > My calendar > Personal > Schedule. 

In case you have a timetable conflict, you will have to change your courses. Changing your courses is possible at the start of the semester, after the online faculty welcome session.

Location of classrooms and auditoria

You can find the exact location of your classrooms and auditoria in your time schedule.

A lot of classes of our faculty are taught at Campus Ufo, but Ghent University has campuses throughout the city. 

Courses - procedure at the start of the semester 

1. Check your courses in the time schedule and on Ufora 
   • Do you have a timetable conflict?
   • Are the courses listed in your Learning Agreement still available? 
   • Did the lecturer put any additional information for incoming exchange students about the course on Ufora?
2. Check if an additional approval by the lecturer is required to follow your courses - applicable to all exchange students following courses at our Faculty of Political and Social Sciences.  
   • Some of the courses with codes starting with K00xxxx require this additional approval: Check this overview (PDF-file)
   • If an additional approval is required:
     • Fill in the “Approval of lecturer” document
     • Contact the lecturer (by e-mail, or in person before or after class)
     • Discuss the approval document and get the document signed by the lecturer in person or via email
   • You are allowed to attend classes during the first weeks without the lecturer's approval.
   • Check the Ufora page of the course as well for any additional approval requirements.
3. Change your courses and edit your curriculum in Oasis if necessary, taking the course offer and course requirements into consideration. 
4. Make a Learning Agreement changes (only necessary if you add or delete courses at the start of the semester). 
   
   • PDF-file, if you used a Learning Agreement in PDF-format in your exchange application: Use your initial Learning Agreement, the sample document from your home university, or download the UGent template from this website.  
   • Online/digital Learning Agreement, if you used an online/digital Learning Agreement (OLW/EWP/Mobility Online) in your exchange application: Use the mobility platform from your home university to make a Learning Agreement changes.
   • Sign the updated Learning Agreement and have it signed by your home university
5. Upload your "Approval of lecturer" document(s)/Learning Agreement changes in Oasis (if applicable).
   
   • Approval of lecturer: exchange application - documents - "other" - comment: 'approval of lecturer - course title’ (scan/pdf)
   • Learning Agreement changes
     • PDF-file: exchange application - documents - "other" - comment: 'Learning Agreement changes'
     • Online/digital Learning Agreement: is automatically transferred to Oasis once signed by you and your home university. 
6. Submit your curriculum so RIO can check your file. If your file is OK, RIO will:
   • Sign the Learning Agreement changes
   • Approve your curriculum

Deadline submitting requested documents and curriculum:

• Semester 1: 15 October
• Semester 2: 28 February

More information about this procedure will be provided during our Faculty Welcome

Online Platforms (Ufora - Oasis - Athena)

Students at Ghent University need to be able to handle multiple online platforms.  

• Ufora knowledge clip
• UGent E-mail
• More information about the most commonly used platforms, how they work and how to access them.
• Problems? Check who can help you in the ICT guide for students.

Feeling good at our faculty

Check our webpage on Feeling good!

Special status

Students with a disability or exceptional social/personal circumstances can apply for a special status. Depending on the grounds on which the special status was given, students with a special status may be granted one or more facilities. 

Study guidance

Not sure how to plan your exams or tasks? Questions about your study skills or study attitude? Don't hesitate to contact our student counsellors via e-mail or Instagram. They will be happy to help you!

Education and examination code

The Education and Examination Code is the regulatory framework for professors and students. In here you can read all university-wide arrangements about education and examinations. Through your enrolment (application) you declare agreement with the Education and Examination Code. At our faculty, we also have a Faculty Education and Examination Code. 

Examinations

Schedules and registration

• You are automatically registered for the examinations once you submitted your curriculum.
• Examinations are organized in January (first semester) and June (second semester). The examination period is part of your official exchange period, so make sure to be in Ghent. 
• There is one fixed examination moment for each exam. Your personal examination schedule can be found in Oasis (“My Calender”, left column) from the end of November (first semester)/ the middle of March (second semester) onwards. You are supposed to take the exams as scheduled in the exam schedule.

Study guidance

• If you need study guidance, feel free to contact our student counsellors Gert, Ester, Viënna or Lynn. 
• Do you want to maximize your study efficiency, but not sure how? Have a look at these tips and tools.

Grading system & feedback

• The Flemish academic grading system is based on a mark between 0 and 20. A mark less than 10 means ‘fail’ (= ECTS grades F and FX). More info about the grading system at UGent.
• If you are a Bachelor student and included Master courses in your curriculum, the assessment of your Master courses will be done on Master level., not on Bachelor level. No different assessment level will be applied. 
• Want to receive feedback on your exams? Check the Ufora page of the course for feedback moments or contact the lecturer (after the examination period).
• If you didn’t perform well (several failures) we might report on your academic performances to your home university.

FAQ

• What if you are ill or have an overlap during the exam period? How do you register your absence? When will the exam results be announced? You can find the answers on the faculty website about exams and feedback.
• Questions about your exam schedule? Contact fsa.psw@ugent.be.

Re-examinations

See webpage "End of your stay".

Prolongation 

Usually it is not possible to prolong your stay, unless the exchange agreement exceptionally provides this possibility . Do you want us to check if a prolongation is possible? Please contact rio.psw@ugent.be at least two months before the start of the semester. RIO will inform you about the possibilities.