Equivalence
Equivalence of foreign diplomas
Equivalence is a process aimed at assimilating studies carried out abroad to studies organised in the educational institutions of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Equivalence of secondary school diploma
How to obtain this equivalence?
The equivalence between a foreign secondary school leaving certificate and the Certificat d'Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (C.E.S.S.) is examined by the Service des Equivalences de l'Enseignement Obligatoire de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
This equivalence is required in particular in the event of enrolment in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation for higher education studies of the 1st cycle (Bachelor).
Equivalence of a higher education diploma
How to obtain this equivalence?
An equivalence of a foreign higher education diploma must be submitted to the Service des Equivalences de l'Enseignement Supérieur de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
This equivalence is required in particular in the event of registration in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation for the Agregation of the Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (AESS).
Equivalence of a doctoral degree with a thesis
Universities are responsible for granting equivalence for postgraduate studies, i.e. doctoral degrees (doctorate to thesis).
The need to obtain an equivalence of a doctorate defended abroad can have various origins:
- application for an F.R.S. - FNRS mandate;
- a professional appointment;
- any other reason.
How to obtain this equivalence?
- request for equivalence to the doctoral degree are submitted to the secretariat of the Rector of UNamur. In order for the application to be admissible, the applicant must produce the following documents;
- an authenticated copy of the doctoral degree with thesis, accompanied by a translation by a sworn translator. Diplomas in English, French, Dutch, Ferman, Italian, Spanish of Portuguese are exempt from translation;
- a copy of the 2nd cycle diploma, as well as a copy of the diploma(s) of specialised or advanced studies, if applicable;
- a paper copy of the doctoral thesis (which will be returned to the applicant);
- an abstract in English or French if the thesis is not written in one of theses languages;
- a curriculum vitae including, in addition to the precise contact details of the applicant, the name and function of the promoter, the titles (and possible mentions) of the years of study followed, the list of publications (in particular those related to the thesis) and communications at international congresses and any other element deemed useful by the applicant in the context of the examination of his or her file;
- if applicable, the name of a contact person within UNamur (compulsory in the case of an application for a F.R.S. - FNRS mandate);
- if available, the doctoral regulations of the university that issued the doctoral degree with thesis for which recognition of equivalence is being sought or any other document that validly identifies the conditions for access to doctoral studies as well as the accreditation or recognition by the competent foreign authorities of the institution that issued the degree and the effects recognised by the competent foreign authorities.
We invite you to send the file to the Secretariat of the Rector of UNamur:
UNamur - Rector's Secretariat
61, rue de Bruxelles
5000 Namur
Belgium
It is important to keep in mind that the equivalence procedure may take several weeks and that it may therefore be relevant to start this procedure early enough to meet the timetables set by the various bodies such as the F.R.S. - FNRS.
