Study in Australia wollongong—arts + sciences
Study in Bonaire bonaire—tropical marine ecology
Study in China shanghai—advanced chinese studies
Study in China shanghai—business, language, + culture
Study in Germany berlin—language + culture
Study in Italy naples—liberal arts
Study in Italy naples—classical studies
Study in Peru lima—business + society
Study in Peru lima—language + culture
Study in Sweden uppsala—language + culture
Study in Taiwan taipei—chinese language + culture
Study in Vietnam ho chi minh—language + culture
Check back soon to learn more about the student experience in Brussels. To learn more about the student experience at other CIEE program locations, visit our Student Experience section.
I have been in Brussels for nine weeks now—and have nine to go. The life of a study abroad student is anything but slow. In just one week I managed day trips to Tournai and the Hague, a kayaking and cave-exploring weekend in the Ardennes, study, my internship at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, and brushed up on my language skills watching a French movie.
Brussels is a splendid place to study. The ever-changing city offers a wealth of activities, exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events—something many American cities lack.
My knowledge of Belgium was very limited before I decided to spend a semester here. The study abroad experience has unique qualities as everything is done at such a fast pace. You must seize every opportunity to travel, visit a museum, and explore—in a very short time.
Fortunately, Brussels is easy to adapt to. Its international flair makes foreigners feel welcome while the public transport system enables easy access across the city. The locals have been patient and helpful as I struggle with French. Study abroad students are constantly juggling their time—traveling, making friends, keeping up with classes, and documenting everything.
In the U.S., I attend the University of Rhode Island in a sleepy New England town with farmland on one side and the ocean on the other. Although my Brussels lifestyle is completely different, academic life feels much the same. The ‘study’ part of the program is similar to the American curriculum with midterm and final exams and written assignments. The only real difference is the diversity of student nationalities and classes are placed in a more European context.
Brussels exudes culture and class. It never stops entertaining. Some of my best moments have been wandering around the city with friends and stumbling across the perfect little café, or participating in local events, such as Anderlecht football matches or visiting Sunday markets at Gare du Midi. I know Brussels will keep surprising me and I am looking forward to the next nine weeks.
— Jacqueline Richardson, University of Rhode Island
Housing is included in the program fee. There are a limited number of homestays available with families from a variety of linguistic backgrounds. The non-homestay option is a combination of individual rooms with or without other students and sharing common spaces with landlords. Housing is mainly located in the southeast of central Brussels. An excellent public transportation system makes it easy to commute. All housing placements are made on site at the beginning of the semester.Meals are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of the student. Students who opt for a homestay usually share breakfast and evening meals on weekdays with their hosts. Students will be billed approximately four to six weeks after the program start date for the host family meal fee. Students in non-homestay housing have access to cooking facilities in order to prepare their own meals and may take meals in university cafeterias and restaurants in the area.
Students have access to a small computer lab with limited computers and hours at Vesalius College. At ULB, students have access to a computer lab and computers in the ULB library. Students with laptop computers are strongly encouraged to bring them and may hook their laptops up to the Internet at Vesalius College and the wireless network at VUB. Students are expected to open an email account upon receipt of their VUB student card. Wireless connections in the home are as common in Brussels as in many parts of the U.S.; however, an Internet connection is not guaranteed. Participants should expect to use the computer labs or one of the numerous cyber cafés in Brussels.
This program doesn’t currently have any Updates from Abroad. Please check back soon.
Prior to the start of each semester, there is a mandatory three-day orientation organized and conducted by CIEE at a hostel in downtown Brussels. The orientation introduces students to Belgium and Brussels; provides practical information about the host country, daily life, the academic program, housing, cultural and educational differences; and enables participants and staff to get to know one another while participating in structured and informal activities that can include visits to museums, a bus tour, walking tours, and group meals. “Survival French” prepares the participants to live in a primarily French-speaking environment. Some “Survival Dutch” is introduced as well. Vesalius also offers a three-day program of academic orientation and social activities prior to the start of semester courses. CIEE students participate in both orientation programs. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.
This program does not currently have a blog but will in the future.
Students from the following institutions have participated in this program:Agnes Scott CollegeAlbertson CollegeArizona State University, TempeAssumption CollegeAzusa Pacific UniversityBeloit CollegeBirmingham Southern CollegeBoston UniversityBowdoin CollegeBrandeis UniversityBrown UniversityBryant UniversityBucknell UniversityCalifornia Lutheran UniversityCentral Michigan UniversityColby CollegeColgate UniversityCollege of Saint CatherineCollege of William & MaryColorado CollegeColorado State UniversityCornell UniversityDickinson CollegeDoane CollegeDrake UniversityEckerd CollegeEndicott CollegeFairfield UniversityFordham UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGrinnell CollegeGustavus Adolphus CollegeHarvard UniversityHope CollegeHoward UniversityIndiana UniversityIndiana University-Purdue University IndianapolisIthaca CollegeJohns Hopkins UniversityKalamazoo Valley Community CollegeKenyon CollegeLewis & Clark UniversityLoyola University of ChicagoMacalester CollegeMarist CollegeMills CollegeMoravian CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeNorthern Illinois UniversityOberlin CollegeOccidental CollegeOhio Wesleyan UniversityOklahoma City UniversityOld Dominion UniversityOregon State UniversityPortland State UniversityProvidence CollegePurdue UniversityRhodes CollegeRice UniversitySanta Ana CollegeSanta Clara UniversitySeattle UniversitySeton Hall UniversitySiena CollegeSkidmore CollegeSmith CollegeSt. Catherine UniversitySt. Edward's UniversitySt. John Fisher CollegeSt. Olaf CollegeSwarthmore CollegeTexas Christian UniversityTexas Tech UniversityThe Mount Saint Mary's UniversityThe Pennsylvania State UniversityThe University of Texas at AustinTowson UniversityTrinity College CTTrinity UniversityTufts UniversityUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, San DiegoUniversity of Colorado at BoulderUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity of DaytonUniversity of DenverUniversity of FloridaUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of IowaUniversity Of KansasUniversity of KentuckyUniversity of MaineUniversity of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstUniversity of MichiganUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesUniversity of MississippiUniversity of Missouri-ColumbiaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of OregonUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity of RichmondUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of the PacificUniversity of the SouthUniversity of TulsaUniversity of VermontUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeUniversity of WyomingUrsinus CollegeVanderbilt UniversityVassar CollegeVesalius CollegeVillanova UniversityWabash CollegeWake Forest UniversityWashington State UniversityWashington UniversityWellesley CollegeWestern Washington UniversityWilliam Woods UniversityWilliams CollegeWofford College