For Ghent Uni students

Study Progress Monitoring

At Ghent University there are binding conditions and measures for study progress monitoring whereby re-enrolment can be refused.

What?

The study progress monitoring is based on the study success rate (see Article 24 of the Education and Examination Code). 

Study success rate

Study success rate is the ratio of acquired credits to the number of ECTS-credits in the personal enrolment curriculum.

Study Success Rate

To determine whether you are making sufficient progress in a program, your study success rate is calculated each academic year.
Based on this, a study progress measure (binding condition or refusal) may be imposed at your next enrolment. It is therefore important that you keep an eye on your study progress throughout the academic year:

Study progress monitoring measures

  • Any study progress monitoring measure is mentioned on your transcript. The measure is taken when you enrol again with applicable regulations.
  • The study progress monitoring measures apply to bachelor's programs, master's programs, preparation programs, switching programs and micro-credentials.

Measures for 1st enrolment in an initial bachelor's program

1ST ENROLMENT IN AN INITIAL BACHELOR'S PROGRAM STARTING IN 2023-2024

Less than 20% of the credits obtained after first year of enrolment

  • If, after the 1st enrolment in an initial bachelor's program, you pass less than 20% of the credits included within the 1st deliberation package of the full-time model track, a subsequent enrolment through a diploma objective contract for the same program (regardless of the language variant), or for the relevant common prelude to different programs, will be refused.

Enrolled in a program with a positioning test?

If you failed the positioning test, you must participate in the mandatory remedial course before the 1st of November (enrolment 1st semester) or the 1st of April (enrolment 2nd semester). You have to complete this remediation program before the deadline, or you will be given a binding condition: for the current academic year you must acquire credits for at least 30% (instead of 20%) of the credits.

Less than 100% of the credits obtained after two years of enrolment

If a student:

  1. did not obtain a credit certificate for all course units taken after 1st enrolment or
  2. was not deliberated for the 1st deliberation package,

upon 2nd enrolment in a following academic year in the same program, this student must obtain a credit or be deliberated for all remaining course units from the package taken by this student at 1st enrolment and belonging to the 1st deliberation package of the full-time model track of the bachelor's program.

If a student does not comply with this binding condition, subsequent enrolment through a diploma contract for the same program (regardless of language variant), or for the relevant common prelude to different programs, will be refused.

  • This provision continues to apply if a student has replaced an elective course unit at 2nd enrolment in the same bachelor's program with another elective course unit.
  • This provision does not apply when a student changes majors.

1ST ENROLMENT IN AN INITIAL BACHELOR'S PROGRAM BEFORE 2023-2024

Less than 50% of the credits obtained

  • If you have obtained credits for less than 50% of the personal enrolment curriculum (i.e. a success rate below 50%), a binding condition will be imposed upon the next enrolment for the same study programme (regardless of the language variety). Study progress is calculated separately per study programme (Bachelor's, Master's, linking programme, etc.).
  • In the 2023-2024 academic year, the binding condition is that you must acquire credits for at least 50% of the credits taken. Moreover, if you obtain credits for less than 50% of the credits of the 1st deliberation package, you must obtain credits for all the credits taken that belong to the first deliberation package of the bachelor's program, except for a maximum of 8 credits.
  • Subsequent failure to meet your binding condition will result in the refusal of a subsequent enrolment via diploma contract for the same program (regardless of language variant) or for the relevant common part to different programs.

Measures for all students

These study progress monitoring measures apply to bachelor's programs, master's programs, preparation programs, switching programs and micro-credentials.

Less than 50% of the credits obtained

  • If you have obtained credits for less than 50% of the personal enrolment curriculum (i.e. a success rate below 50%), a binding condition will be imposed upon the next enrolment for the same study programme (regardless of the language variety). Study progress is calculated separately per study programme (Bachelor's, Master's, linking programme, etc.).
  • In the 2023-2024 academic year, the binding condition is that you must acquire credits for at least 50% of the credits taken. Moreover, if you obtain credits for less than 50% of the credits of the 1st deliberation package, you must obtain credits for all the credits taken that belong to the first deliberation package of the bachelor's program, except for a maximum of 8 credits.
  • Subsequent failure to meet your binding condition will result in the refusal of a subsequent enrolment via diploma contract for the same program (regardless of language variant) or for the relevant common part to different programs.

Less than 1/3 of the credits obtained after 3 years of enrolment

  • The student will be refused if the records show that a subsequent enrolment in higher education will not result in a positive outcome, and that regardless of the contract type and regardless of previously imposed - whether fulfilled or not - binding conditions. A student who, after 3 years of enrolment, has earned credits for less than 1/3 of the credits taken during those enrolments, is presumed not to have a positive outcome for a new enrolment, so that student will be refused.
  • You will then not be able to enrol for any contract type or program at UGent.

No credit obtained for a course unit after two years of enrolment

  • For contracts to obtain credits, enrolment is refused for students who have enrolled twice for said course unit without obtaining the credit certificate. This provision is valid irrespective of whether or not the previous enrolment was under a contract to obtain credits or a contract to obtain a diploma.

Implications when deregistering or changing your curriculum

If you find that you are not making sufficient study progress, a redirection to another course or a change to the scope of your curriculum can sometimes provide a solution so that you can get back on track quickly. Do not make any rash decisions in this regard! In consultation with a track counselor from your faculty, you can see what the best solution is in your situation.

In the case of reorientation or adjustments to your curriculum, some deadlines are taken into account - just as with learning account:

  • In case of a request to revise the curriculum before 15 November or a termination of contract before 1 December, the relevant course units are not taken into account for the calculation;
  • When applying to change the curriculum from 15 November and before 1 March or terminating the contract before 15 March, second-term courses and full-year courses do not count in the calculation; first-term courses do count.
  • In case of a termination of contract after 15 March, all course units are given weight in the calculation.

Read more about stopping your studies and possible implications.

Learning account

To stimulate students to take responsibility for their own study progress, in Flanders a system of learning account has been established. It is a means for the Flemish Government to have an overview of the study progress of all students and is applied across all Flemish educational institutions and courses.

Interuniversity rules

Ghent University may apply:

  • Any decisions to refuse enrolment that are taken by partnering institutions, within the context of study progress monitoring for an interuniversity Master’s programme that is subject to the 'Examination Code for the benefit of the interuniversity Master’s programmes for which students can enrol at multiple universities'.
  • Any decisions to impose a binding condition or to refuse enrolment that are taken by a university college within the context of study progress monitoring for the study programmes that were integrated into Ghent University.
  • The same binding conditions or even refuse enrolment on the basis of prospective students’ history at other educational Institutions.
For example: New students who enrol at UGent for a programme that they already took at another university and who, at their last enrolment for that programme, earned less than half of the credits taken, are subject to a binding condition at UGent .The enrolment in that programme is refused/cancelled if, during their last 2 years of enrolment in that programme at another university, they obtained less than half of the credits take. This is in accordance with the Education and Examination Regulations Art. 24§1 and §7).

Other universities:

  • May also impose the same binding conditions or even refuse enrolment on the basis of prospective students’ history at other educational Institutions. Be sure to check with your new educational institution which study progress measures they adopt or impose upon registration.

  • Registering in an initial bachelor's program: are you registering elsewhere for the same initial bachelor's program you were already enrolled in? If you start the same program elsewhere , you will have to pass all subjects in your initial course package within 2 years after the 1st registration for that program.

Learning account:

  • The system of learning account applies across all Flemish educational institutions and courses. The learning account does not apply for students enrolling for a bridging course, advanced master programmes (subsequent master programmes) or postgraduate programmes, the academic teacher training. 

Regulations & appeal

Is the refusal of enrolment final?

If you have been refused enrolment you will not be able to re-enrol, either for the program in question or for any program at UGent. This depends on the reason for your refusal (see above).

A refusal decision is valid for the duration of 1 academic year and is extended by one year with each re-enrolment until such time as it is not lifted by the institutional appeals committee following an internal appeal. A refusal decision is automatically lifted after a period of 6 academic years. A refusal decision for an initial bachelor's degree is automatically lifted when the student has earned another bachelor's degree.

Possibility of appeal

  • The imposition of binding conditions as well as the refusal of enrolment can be appealed to the Institutional Appeals Committee every year.
    It may grant enrolment for reasons of force majeure or exceptional individual circumstances. It may impose binding conditions.

    Follow the guidelines mentioned in article 81 of the Education and Examination Regulations.

Regulations

Contact

Are you unsure which measures apply to you or what is best to do in your situation?

Do you have questions about your enrolment?

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