Welcome at Ghent University!
Congratulations! You are now officially a student at Ghent University! On this page you will find all practical information for a good start.
Are you a Dutch speaking student starting a bachelor's program taught in Dutch? If so, you can find all relevant information on ugent.be/wegwijs.
Watch this video as a welcome:
Welcome Guide
An elaborate overview of everything you might want to know when starting your studies:
Off to a good start
Welcome days
The Welcome days are designed to make your transition to Ghent University and university life as smooth as possible. You will find a wide variety of sessions, events, and social gatherings to help you get to know our university and city better, find answers to your questions, and get to know fellow students.
Welcome @ your faculty
All practical and contact information about starting your study program can be found on the page of your own faculty:
- Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
- Faculty of Law and Criminology
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
- Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Student card
You’ll receive your student card during the first days after your arrival. It allows you to make use of Ghent University facilities and infrastructure, such as the student restaurants, sports centre, bike rent, etc.
Get connected
UGent account
To secure our applications, everyone with a UGent account uses multifactor authentication (MFA).
- With MFA, you do not just enter your UGent mail and password to log in, but also a second identifying factor, such as an SMS code or a verification on an app on your smartphone.
Not sure how it works?
- Check out the helpsdesk pages for more information or consult the frequently asked questions.
- If you don't find an answer to your question, reach out to the DICT Helpdesk.
Should you have any other questions about your UGent account, browse these pages.
Wifi
How to connect: select the Eduroam network and enter your loginname@ugent.be (or your email address) and your UGent password. Accept the certificate.
Oasis
This digital environment holds an overview of your enrolments at our university. You can:
- Register for your course units
- Download your personal timetable
- Download certificates (public transport, proof of enrolment)
- If you did not yet receive an UGent account yet, you can log in here
Ufora
Ufora is our digital learning environment.
- It contains information and study materials concerning your courses.
- It is an important medium to communicate with teachers and fellow students.
Education tools and lesson recordings
Timetables and course details
Each faculty drafts its own class and exam timetables. Bear in mind that the second semester timetables can drastically change.
For specific course details and location, check out your faculty websites. Faculty activities may take place at different locations, which are not necessarily at the official address of the faculty.
Special status
Under certain circumstances you can obtain a special status. Depending on the grounds on which the special status was given to you, one or more facilities may be granted. The special status can be granted on the grounds of:
- Functional impairment
- Approved top-level sports activities
- Professional artistry
- Holding office
- Exceptional social or personal circumstances
- Student entrepreneurship
- Foreign-language speaker
You may alsof receive a special status if you are combining work and study.
Registration and insurance
Make your educational life at Ghent University as adventurous and educational as possible, but live it the safe way by making sure that you have the necessary minimum permits and health insurance and possibly also other coverage!
Student life
Don’t miss out on the broad range of cultural and social events that Ghent University offers!
Mobility
- Fietsambassade: Rent a bike
- Student with a car? Check whether your vehicle is allowed to enter Ghent's low-emission zone.
Support and guidance
International Student Support
The International Student Support team provides information and support for international students (degree students as well as exchange students).
Points of contact at your faculty
- The Monitoring service: student counsellors and learning path counsellors join forces and take several initiatives to make studying for students as smoothly as possible.
- The faculty Student Administration (FSA) is responsible for the administrative academic aspects of your study career.
Medical support
- You can consult the medical service when you are experiencing health issues.
Other
Improving your study skills? Financial advice? You will be able to find support for any issue
Evaluation and exams
Examinations are held in January and June. A course unit must be fully completed before an exam can take place. However, full-year course units take longer than only one semester. Examinations for these courses always take place in June. At the end of August / beginning of September a second examination period is organized. Students can use this period to retake (failed) courses from both the first and the second semester.
Examinations can be oral and/or written. This is clearly described in the ECTS course specifications in the Ghent University Course Catalogue of the current academic year.
Grading system
Grades received for practical exercises and the results of written and oral tests during the year may also be taken into account for the final result, as part of a system of permanent evaluation. For each course unit the evaluation/examination method is indicated in the course catalogue, as well as the minimum requirements for awarding credit points. Ghent University uses a grading system of 0–20 with intervals of 1 point. No half points are used.
- 10 to 20 are the passing marks
- 0 to 9 are failing marks.
You can find more information on the academic system in the Education and examination code
Rules and regulations
To stimulate students to take responsibility for their study progress, a system of learning account has been established in Flanders. This may affect all students.
As a registered international student, you agree to comply with the rules and regulations under which the University, its staff and students must operate. The principles of the regulations underpinning these are set out in a number of codes and regulations.