Applying as an EXCHANGE STUDENT

Studying as an exchange student at LUCA

An exchange student is a student (officially registered in a university or other institution for higher education abroad) who temporarily lives in a foreign country and attends courses or is involved in other academic activities.

Exchange students don’t receive a diploma from LUCA. However, all academic results will be sent to your university abroad in the form of a transcript of records.

You can apply/study at LUCA as an exchange student on condition that there is an active cooperation agreement between the higher education institute (university, school of arts or alike) where you are currently studying and LUCA. You can obtain more information about the cooperation agreements via the International Office at your university or by browsing the LUCA partnership database.*

*It is one of our international policy ambitions to optimize our existing partner network, so we decided to introduce a temporary stand-still on new partnership requests from non-partner HEIs. We would like to focus on broadening/deepening our existing partnerships for the remaining multi-annual framework of Erasmus (2021-2027). Consequently, LUCA will not engage new partnerships in due time.

The courses offered to exchange students vary depending on the specialisation and campus you choose. Notice that not all courses are open both semesters. Consult the overview before applying.

Application Procedure

Step1: check your eligibility: Does your university allow exchange mobility and under which conditions? Also, only students from partner universities are able to apply. In doubt, consult your international office.
Step2: get to know your study options: consult our exchange programmes, taught in English, via this link. Notice that not all programmes are offered in the first (autumn- winter) and / or second (spring-summer) semester or are able to welcome students for the whole year.
Step3: prepare your official nomination from your home university: when applying, you’ll need to upload proof of nomination by the international office of your own university. For this purpose you may use our nomination form template. Alternatively, if you were nominated through an online platform, you can also upload a document with a link (and if necessary further instructions) where we can check your online nomination
Step4: prepare the necessary documents for your application:
- Nomination letter
  - Pdf format
  - If you were nominated through an online platform, you can also upload a document with a link (and if necessary further instructions) where we can check your online nomination.
  - Important: If you don't use our nomination form, please clearly mention the specific exchange programme, level and semester(s) you want to apply for under 'Field of Study'.
- Portfolio
  - Pdf format and maximum 10MB.
  - A link to your website / Vimeo page in a document is also a possibility.
  - You can only add WeTransfer links if they do not expire.
  - Ideally the portfolio is one single file.
  - For music and drama this should be a document with a link to your live performance (total length should be around 10 minutes).
- Motivation Letter
  - Pdf format.
  - Briefly state the reasons why you wish to study abroad at LUCA.
- ID
  - Pdf format.
- Picture
  - Jpg format.
  - To be used on your student card.
- Diploma or/(and) Transcript(s)
  - Pdf format.
  - Transcript of records from previous years during your current study at your home university.
  - This document should be in English (or with translation to English added).
- CV
  - Pdf format.
- If applicable: document related to special needs. Pdf format.
Step5: apply via our online application tool ‘Applicant’. The manual can be found here. You can access our LUCA application tool by clicking here. If you don't have an account yet, you will be redirected to create an account with the KU Leuven Association first.
Step6: submit your application by the deadline. The application deadlines are:
- Semester 1 or full year: April 1;
- Semester 2: October 1.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Step7: admissions: applications will be processed within 4 – 6 weeks after the application deadline. Students receive the outcome of the application in the platform and will also be informed by mail. Please note that in some programmes the number of places for exchange students are limited. Being nominated by your home university unfortunately does not automatically lead to a guaranteed admission by LUCA. If a student gets accepted, an acceptance letter will be uploaded on the platform where it can be downloaded by the student.
Step8: confirm your exchange at LUCA School of Arts: If accepted for an exchange at LUCA, the student has to accept or decline the offer LUCA made. Accepting or declining by the applicant is important for some of the next steps such as creating your LUCA student number or closing your pending application. Once the international coordinator at LUCA receives your confirmation, the coordinator will inform you about the practical aspects regarding your stay as well. Each LUCA campus has its own international coordinator who will be your go-to-person during your exchange.
Step9: start your preparations to move to Belgium: you’ll receive practical information about your exchange from your LUCA international coordinator and from the student services agency linked to your campus. They’ll inform you about housing possibilities, registration in the city, how to commute, … etc. Information can also be found via this link.
Step10: start of the exchange semester:
- Semester 1: third week of September with an introduction week organized the week before;
- Semester 2: first week of February with an introduction week organized the week before.