KU Leuven Scholarships for International Students 2024

KU Leuven has announced scholarship programmes for international students in the science related disciplines.

Founded in 1425, KU Leuven is an international community where innovative research forms the basis of all our academic programmes. Across the university, driven researchers and curious students continually gain new insights and use their knowledge to tackle the foremost challenges of our time. Motivated and talented international students interested in participating in an international master programme of the Faculty of Science of the KU Leuven are invited to apply for a scholarship.

Programme

Masters Degree

Targeted Countries

International Students

Location

Leuven, Belgium.

Duration

Same with programme

Eligibility Criteria for the scholarship

Applicants must meet and prove the following requirements:

The applicants have not studied or worked at the University of Leuven before.
The applicants have a bachelor degree from a non-Belgian university that gives them access to the master programme they are applying for.
The applicants have not yet acquired a master degree or a PhD.
The applicants can prove excellent study results during their former training. The applicants are expected to obtain at least Distinction during their studies at the KU Leuven.
The applicants can prove a very strong knowledge of English ( TOEFL (minimum score 94 internet-based with at least 19 for reading, 18 for Listening, 19 for speaking and 21 for writing) or IELTS (minimum score 7 overall, whilst at least 6,5 for reading, 6 for listening, 6 for speaking and 6 for writing).
The applicants show strong motivation to follow a master programme at the Faculty of Science of the KU Leuven.
The applicants have two reference letters from internationally renowned professors.
The applicants are willing to act as ambassador for the programme.

Benefits

1. The amount of the scholarship can be up to 12,000 Euro for 1 year.

2. The scholarship will always cover the tuition fee for 1 year.

3. Insurance and a basic health insurance coverage. The amount awarded for living expenses can vary.

The scholarship is open to the following master programmes

Master of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Master of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Master of Biology
Master of Chemistry
Master of Geography
Interuniversity Master of Geology (only students applying for the specialisation Geodynamics and Georesources or Surface processes and Paleoenvironments can apply for the scholarship. Students applying for the other specialisations (enrollment at Ghent University) will not be considered for the scholarship.)
Master of Mathematics
Master of Physics
Master of Statistics and Data Science
Master of Sustainable Development (ICP)

Selection Criteria

The applicants apply for the Master Programme of their choice. Only students admitted to a Master Programme on this list are considered for the scholarship.
The applicants who have submitted a complete file and who meet all the necessary requirements are selected for the first round.
The list of applicants per master programme is sent to the respective programme director who ranks the students eligible for the Scholarship. The students are mainly ranked by study results. Other aspects, such as motivation and knowledge of the programme can also play a role.
The selection committee receives the list of the selected applicants per programme and agrees on a ranking of all the applicants. The students are ranked, based on the study results, the knowledge of the English language and motivation. The main selection criterion is the chance of obtaining at least cum laude during their studies at the KU Leuven
The selection committee selects a number of students (usually about 8) for an online interview.
The selected applicants are interviewed online. Questions in the interview can be for example about their motivation, their future plans, their extra curriculum activities, their motivation to study at KU Leuven and the programme. The selection committee also takes into consideration how the applicants will perform as an ambassador for the Science@Leuven Fund.
The selection committee makes a final ranking of all the candidates that have been interviewed.
The management board of the Science@Leuven Fund defines how many scholarships are available and awards the scholarships.

Conditions for keeping the Scholarship

The scholarship is initially awarded for one academic year. The scholarship will be continued for the second master year under the condition that the students have excellent grades in the first master year. Scholarship students have to take at least 60 credits the first year. They have to acquire all the credits they signed up for in the first master year before they will be awarded the scholarship for the second master year. The scholarship can only be awarded for two consecutive years.

Required Documents

A complete list of course titles for which you have obtained a credit (Transcript of Records). Indicate the course size (in ECTS-credits) and the result you obtained, preferably according to the ECTS-scale; if a different scale is used, please provide a summary explanation on the meaning of the scores;
Provide a short (about one half to one page) description for the courses from your previous/current programme that you deem most relevant as a preparation for the master programme that you are considering. Describe the courses according to the standard guidelines for an ECTS-study guide (example).
Two reference letters of internationally renowned professors;
A letter of motivation for the programme.