4 cities masters in urban studies

How to Apply

Applications for 2015-2017 will be open from November 2014 onwards.

You can request you personal link when available end of November for the next application process. Please read carefully all requirements and procedures here in the pages or on the online application link.

NO APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED DONE THROUGH THE UNIVERSITIES’ CENTRAL ADMISSION OFFICES. ONLY THOSE APPLYING THROUGH THIS LINK HERE UNDER!

APPLICATION PROCESS

Click on the link (only when applications are open) on the homepage and fill in your name and emailadress to receive your personal link to the online application form. Accesible from November 2014 onwards.

NO APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED DONE THROUGH THE UNIVERSITIES’ CENTRAL ADMISSION OFFICES. ONLY THOSE APPLYING THROUGH THIS LINK on the website!

Step 1: On-line application

Applying for the Master in Urban Studies and applying for the EMMC scholarship is all in one and the same application where you mention you WANT or Do NOT WANT to apply for the EMMC.

Your personal online link brings you to the application module providing us with all the necessary information about your previous studies and results, your motivation, letters of recommendation, proof of your language skills, personal information,… .

You will have to upload the following documents

- diploma & Transcript of records : the original diploma and Transcript of records or a an officially authenticated copy (that is a copy of the student or scholar’s academic degree or diploma/transcript of records, which has been duly signed and stamped by the home university and if it is not the original but a copy is should be verified by the Belgian diplomatic representation (not if it is the original.) If these documents are not in English, French or Dutch, official translations, performed by a sworn translator, in one of these 3 languages must be presented at the time of application. If you will receive your diploma later in the year (before the start of the programme) you upload proof of registration and transcript of already fulfilled courses

- ID-picture

- ID/Passport photocopy

- a motivation letter approximately one page (a motivation letter does not equal a CV!)

- English proficiency test/attestation proving english proficiency (if it is a test, the original needs to be sent directly from the examination centre to us before the end of the applciation deadline), this is the only hard copy we should receive in Brussels for the application)

- Proof of activities (academic and non-academic): List all activities you were involved in over the past 5 years starting from the 1st of September 2008 (professional or independent job, internships, voluntary work, official unemployment) and upload the proofs for each of these activities. These activities do not concern hobbies or leisure activities, but only daytime activities to make a living or to gain experience. Make sure you have proof of each year until now, with mention of the date of beginning and end of the activity (working attest of employer, or studying attest, or…), diploma of secondary education if obtained within the last 5 years, …Note that Bachelor or Master study years count as full years (12 months). Unless you find them relevant and you have proof, there is no need for uploading other activities during the study periods (e.g. summer jobs). However, if you followed a fragmented course with alternating years of study and years of work, you also need to prove the work.

Most students ask their company to write the original letter in English and print it on company paper and sign it. I think some students even wrote the letters themselves. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem – although you really have to cover all periods of time. July and August don’t have to be accounted for but during the other ten months there can be no gap of more than one month. These documents can be in French, English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German and Portuguese.

- other documents of interest: This section is optional and might include other certificates, proofs, articles, or other documents of interest … that you want to provide us with. Only upload it if you consider this relevant.

- CV

– for the recommendation letters you only need to fill in the email address of the referees in your application, minimum two, maximum three, of which at least two academic referees. They will receive our automatic recommendation template by email; they will need to fill in electronically or print out and send to us.

You have to upload PDF-copies of official documents (diploma, marks list,…). Keep in mind that if you would be selected and you need to continue registration you have to provide us with the original documents, or certified (translated) copies. If you receive documents from your university under closed envelope (e.g. marks list) please ask for more copies.

Step 2:The Selection Committee

The Selection Committee of the Academic Board with members of the whole consortium will decide in the months after the application deadline who can proceed with registration. By submitting an application, the applicant accepts that decisions of the Admission Committee are final and irrevocable.

As we have a limited amount of places available there are several options depending on whether you applied for a scholarship or not:

If you did NOT apply for a scholarship:

(a) you are given permission to proceed, if you are are EU-student

(b) you are put on the reserve list stating clearly your position on the list (1st, 2nd, 3rd,…)If one or more of the students from category (a) decide not to proceed with registration they will be replaced by students from the reserve list (taking into account the ranking order).

(c) you are not given permission.

If you applied for an EMMC scholarship: by ticking the box in the application (this is NOT a separate application):
Notification of pre-selection results by individual email only: Beginning of March of main and reserve list, the official fellowship confirmation will only be given after EACEA’s (Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency) notification to the consortium (i.e. around the end of April following the fellowship application deadline).

(a) you are selected and will receive an EMMC scholarship, category A or B

(b) you are on the waiting list, stating clearly your position on the list (1st, 2nd, 3rd,…). Only EU-applicants could apply again to the course on a self-paying basis (= no EMMC scholarship)

(c) you are not given permission.

Step 3: Registration and VISA procedure

If selected, you will register at the coordinating university for the full 2 year period and for in all other universities as well, for the full year or for the ECTS taken. You will be asked to send in the necessary administrative documents which underpin your application. These documents will be officially authenticated diploma’s (officially translated if necessary), transcripts of academic records, proof of proficiency in English (TOEFL or the like), statement of financial resources, proof of activity of the last five years, etc… It is only after the screening and approval of these documents by the registering university that you are officially accepted to the course.

You will need to start the VISA procedure, please check the VISA-chapter on the website.

Who can apply

This Joint Master is open to applicants from ALL countries in the world, if you meet the requirements described below, such as Diploma, English, acadamic performance and above all a good motivation.

 

Diploma

Diploma

Applicants are eligible for the programme if they have an 180ECTS bachelor in geography, sociology, literature & cultural studies, architecture & planning, economy, political sciences, public management, tourism, history, criminology, leisure studies, media studies or a similar discipline (contact 4Cities if not in this list).

Admission to the master programme will be based on equivalence of diploma (diploma has to equal an 180 ECTS Academic Bachelor degree obtained after minimum 3 years of study in the disciplines mentioned above).

Applicants that have an academic bachelor degree in another field of study should contact us before submitting, explaining why we should accept that degree as well, this can be with a little more information on the diploma, the courses, or a motivation letter.The Application Committee will decide on eligibility taking into account the contents of the Bachelor diploma of the applicant, motivation, possible work experience within the field,….

If your degree is not from an university please check if it matches an academic degree. You can do so by contacting the international relations office or student affairs department of your institution.

WHAT IF I DID NOT FINISH MY STUDIES YET?

Students can apply for an EM scholarship/fellowship even if they have not yet completed the studies required. They must however have completed the relevant degree before the enrolment deadline in the joint programme concerned. If you did not receive your diploma yet and will by September 2014, you can upload instead of the DIPLOMA, the proof of enrollment of this year and if possible the transcripts of already taken ECTS this year.

We, as consortium assess the candidate’s credentials and competences in order to ensure he/she presents sufficient guarantees for completing his/her current study cycle before the beginning of the joint programme’s activities. If this assessment is positive, the student candidate may be selected for a scholarship on a conditional basis, provided he/she completes the degree concerned prior to the beginning of the joint programme. If your official date of graduation is after the start of the course please contact us to discuss possible options.

Language requirement

Proof of English

A proof of proficiency in English is compulsory and can be documented by one of the following possibilities (one of these is sufficient), citizens of English-speaking countries do not need any proof nor certificate.

– OR a document attesting that at least 1 year of secondary education has been completed in English (signed and stamped by the educational institution);

– OR a diploma of primary, secondary or higher education where English was the language of instruction,

– OR a document attesting that English was the language of instruction for several academic courses followed (at least 15ECTS), (signed and stamped by the educational institution);

– OR a language test: Scores should be send directly by the examination centre to the VUB under sealed envelope or Electronic TEST Reports Officially authenticated copies are not accepted. Only TOEFL IBT (and not ITP), TOEIC, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, Cambridge Diploma in English Studies are accepted by the admission office of the university.

IELTS is an examination center that can send Electronic reports:the recipient that is known to them as: Registrar Office (Bart Corthouts) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (by TRF,…)

TOEFL:

The institutional code for the TOEFL is (Graduate type, Departement: OTHER, if this is necessary):

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Destination (DI) Code: 6740

City: Brussels

Country: BELGIUM

Or can be send to:

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Eefje VLoeberghs- WE-DGGF 6F332 (4Cities)

Pleinlaan 2

B-1050 Elsene

BELGIUM

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4 cities masters in urban studies