Vrije Universiteit Brussel is an internationally oriented university in Brussels, the heart of Europe. Through tailor-made high quality research and education, VUB wants to contribute in an active and committed way to a better society for tomorrow.
Top reasons to study here
- We place humanity central
- Curiosity drives us in learning, researching, innovating and working
- We stimulate entrepreneurship and cooperation within and outside the university
Master's Programmes
Engineering & Technology (10)
- M.Sc. Applied Computer Science
- M.Sc. Biomedical Engineering
- M.Sc. Civil Engineering
- M.Sc. Electrical Engineering
- M.Sc. Nuclear Engineering
Social Sciences (9)
- M.Sc. Business and Technology
- M.Sc. Geography
- M.Res. Gerontological Sciences
- M.Sc. Global Health
- M.Sc. Urban Studies
Natural Sciences & Mathematics (6)
- M.Sc. Biology
- M.Sc. Biomedical Engineering
- M.Sc. Chemistry
- M.Sc. Molecular Biology
- M.Sc. Physics and Astronomy
Arts, Design & Architecture (5)
- M.Sc. Civil Engineering
- M.Sc. Geography
- M.Sc. Urban Studies
Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (5)
- M.Sc. Biology
- M.Sc. Geography
- M.Sc. Physical Land Resources
Business & Management (4)
- M.Sc. Business and Technology
- M.Sc. Disaster Medicine (EMDM)
- M.Sc. International Business
- M.Sc. Management
Computer Science & IT (3)
- M.Sc. Applied Computer Science
- M.Sc. Computer Science
- M.Sc. Electrical Engineering
Education & Training (3)
Medicine & Health (3)
- M.Sc. Biomedical Engineering
- M.Sc. Disaster Medicine (EMDM)
- M.Sc. Global Health
Agriculture & Forestry (2)
Humanities (2)
Journalism & Media (2)
Applied Sciences & Professions (1)
- M.Sc. Disaster Medicine (EMDM)
About
History
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) originated from the French speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), that was founded in 1834 by a Brussels’ lawyer with Flemish roots, Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. It was his intention to create a university independent of church and state at which academic freedom would roam.
Education
For more than 180 years VUB has helped build a better society as an innovative, free inquiring and critical thinking university. We are linked to the world from within our international capital Brussels. A never-ending quest for knowledge, insights and enlightenment form the golden thread in all we do in education, research and social commitment.
Research
- At the VUB, we want to focus on research that is both excellent and has a broad societal relevance. There are many societal challenges faced by Belgium, Europe and the rest of the world. Universities can play a significant role in searching for solutions, helping make policy decisions,…
- Much of this research requires an interdisciplinary approach. The great challenge here is not only bringing experts from different disciplines together, but also understanding one another’s language.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2019
GSSA 2019
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2019. By rating institutions on a scale from 1 to 5, on multiple studies-related questions, we found the top educators in the world.
Learn more about the Global Student Satisfaction AwardsUniversity Ranking
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2021
200 -5
2020
195 -7
2019
188
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2021
251 -50
2020
201 50
2019
251
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2020
301 -100
2019
201
2018
201
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2021
-
2020
259 21
2019
280
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Services
Housing services
The VUB has 1540 rooms including 1452 single rooms, 35 double flats, 12 studios and 6 rooms for wheelchair users. These student rooms are located on and around the Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Etterbeek) and the Brussels Health Campus (Jette).
ICT services
As a new student, you must create a network identity (NetID) and a VUB email address. These enable you to access the computers and the wifi on the campus and the various VUB applications.
Medical services
UZ Brussel is a hospital which has its values focusing on one single objective: to provide patients with the best possible care. Because your care is our care.
The hospital is part of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and is thus a university hospital. This means that it also has a teaching mission and conducts scientific research.
Student Life
Campus life
The faculties, services and departments of Vrije Universiteit Brussel are located on several campuses in the Brussels Capital Region: Etterbeek, Jette and Anderlecht. We also have campuses in Gooik, Leuven and Diest.
Sports facilities
Moving is fun and healthy, but it can also reduce study related stress and improve your concentration. Enjoy the various sports the VUB offers, ranging from mere fun to competition!
Student clubs
Being a student is sometimes a bit of partying. The VUB has a rich tradition of student folklore with St-Vé, the Humanistic Singing Festival, Climbing, Baptism and all kinds of ludic rituals. In addition, you can just go to the legendary TD's, the numerous nice Brussels cafés or dive into some cool Brussels scenes.
Student Reviews
Good Luck
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
Satisfactory teaching technique and course material
VUB: Home sweet home!
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
Overall, I really enjoy studying at the VUB. Firstly, studying in Brussels means that you're constantly submerged in the diversity of the city. I love how I never feel bored and how I can admire the beauty of this cultural bath. Concerning the VUB, I new immedialy that I wanted to study here, because the beuty of the city is also translated in the beauty of the university...
Things that most are aware but don’t say.
Anonymous rated 3 out of 5 stars
It was a new programme. Most classes where the teachers had a decade or two of teaching went well. The others where the teachers were completely new didn’t (e.g. did not master their own subjects well enough to answer basic questions with ease; were just reading from the slides; barely comprehensible lectures where the textbooks were a billion times better). The...
Other programmes from this university
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