Diploma

Following the introduction of the Bachelor-Master (Ba-Ma) structure, higher education institutions in Flanders began issuing Associate, Bachelor and Master degrees to students who successfully complete the following programmes:

• associate degree programmes and professional Bachelor programmes, offered by university colleges;
• academic Bachelor and Master programmes, offered by universities.

Students also receive a Master degree after completing an Advanced Master programme.

After publicly defending a doctoral thesis, you receive a PhD.

All the cycles, programmes and activities related to refresher courses and in-service training at university level are considered postgraduate programmes, and these often result in certificates.

In the Decree of 11 June 2004, the Government of Flanders set out a regulatory framework for the form that diplomas should take. These decisions tie in with the international trend towards homogeneous diplomas aimed at promoting transparency and mobility.

The diploma file consists of various sections:

• The content of the actual diploma is quite limited: it mentions the degree that has been obtained and the degree class as well as the graduate's name and place and date of birth. The diploma is signed by the Rector.
• Detailed information about the programme and the student's results are provided in the 'diploma supplement'. The supplement lists all the programme components taken along with the corresponding ECTS-credits, results gained and the language in which the programme component was taught. A supplement may consist of several pages and is signed by the chair and secretary of the Examination Board.
• A description of the national higher education system is also included in the supplement.

As soon as your diploma file is ready it will be sent by registered mail to your legal address (unless there is a different arrangement with the institute or faculty). You should expect to receive your diploma file in the course of the academic year following the one in which you graduated.

For legal reasons, diploma files for certain programmes (e.g. law, medicine and PhDs*) may be available earlier.

While you are waiting for your official diploma file, your faculty's student administration will issue you with a provisional certificate which you can use to apply for jobs or enrol at other educational institutions.

*PhD diplomas are only issued after the library has received two copies of the thesis.

The diploma file you receive is the only original copy. The diploma office is unable to issue second original copies, even if you can prove that your file was stolen or destroyed (e.g. by fire).

You can receive a one-off duplicate of your diploma file by sending a written request to the diploma office and paying an administrative fee of €80 per diploma. You can send your request by email. When the diploma office has received your request, we will send you the payment instructions. Please remember that it takes minimum 10 business days to issue a duplicate (excluding postal delivery) after the payment has been received.

Make sure you keep your original degree file in a safe place and make some back-up copies!

The diploma office can certify these copies for you if you submit them along with the original diploma file. The diploma office does not make any copies itself.

Since academic year 2008-2009, all diplomas and supplements have been issued in Dutch and English as a matter of course.

Some foreign universities and institutions may still request an official translation carried out by a certified translator. You can ask the Court of First Instance for the contact details of certified translators. Linguapolis also offers a certified translation service.

You can have the translation done by a translator.