Frequently Asked Questions
Application
AM I ELIGIBLE TO JOIN IMFSE OR GET A SCHOLARSHIP?
To find out whether you are eligible to join IMFSE or even get a scholarship, you have to submit your file via the application form, which opens in October each year. We cannot make an evaluation of your file via email, as the decision is made by a selection committee that reviews your whole file via the official application procedure.
If you meet the admission requirements, have a valid language test and present a well prepared file, you have a reasonable chance at being admitted. The number of scholarships is very limited however, and only top candidates will be eligible to be granted one. Some (not all!) criteria that play a part in being eligible for admittance or a scholarship are; relevant academic background, grades, institution, work experience, and so on.
If your degree is not mentioned in the admission requirements but you think you have enough academic and/or professional experience to join the programme, please prepare your file and add any documents you think are relevant. The selection committee will review everything and make a decision on whether you are admissable. We cannot provide you feedback via email.
I DO not have my Bachelor’s degree yet, can I apply?
Yes, you can apply when you are still studying for your Bachelor degree, and haven’t obtained it yet. In this case, the evaluation of your eligibilty will be made on the basis of a proof of enrolment and your most recent Transcript of Records (your grades).
HOWEVER you have to be able to submit your Bachelor degree before the actual start of the programme in September! If you don’t get your bachelor’s degree before this date, you will not be able to start.*
IMPORTANT For students who want to go to EDINBURGH in the first semester: You will only be able to receive your Letter of Admission AFTER you’ve submitted your Bachelor degree. You will need this letter to start your VISA and accommodation process!
*In some countries, the issuing of the official degree certificate can take a very long time and some subitute document is given as proof of graduation (e.g. a ‘proof of payment’ in Spain). You will however need to submit an official proof of your bachelor degree to be able to graduate from our progamme and recieve our degree certificate. Be sure to notify our office if this is the case.
I do not have a legalized DEGREE YET, CAN I APPLY?
Yes, you can file your application before you have your legalized degree. A legalisation prooves our university that your degree is valid. Since 2025, the process of legalising your degree has been simplified, as you can use the Qualification Check when you apply:
Read about it here!
Not providing a legalised degree will not affect the selection process; it is possible to get a conditional admission to the programme this way. However keep in mind that you must provide the fully legalized documents before the start of the programme in September.
I DO NOT HAVE AN English language certificate YET, CAN I APPLY?
Yes, it is possible to file your application before you have a valid language test result. However, without a valid language certificate your application is incomplete and might have lower chances of receiving a scholarship!
Therefore, we recommend you upload any proof of language skills you might already have and mention that you're aware that you will still need to provide us a (new) language certificate that meets the requirements (mention your exam date if you can).
If you are admitted, provide us with your valid language certificate via OASIS and VIA EMAIL as soon as possible and before the start of the programme (September) at the latest! Without a valid test, you will not be able to enroll!
IMPORTANT for students who want to start in EDINBURGH in the first semester: You need a valid language certificate to obtain your letter of admission, without which you will not be able to start other administrative processes like applying for a VISA or applying for Edinburgh University Accommodation!
can I still change something about my application after submitting it?
We strongly recommend to wait with submitting your application until you are sure that all information is correct and complete. A file will normally not be changed anymore once submitted.
However in some cases a change to your file is possible:
you have recently obtained your (bachelor) diploma: please e-mail admission@UGent.be and imfse@ugent.be with the diploma attached in PDF format.
you have obtained a new language certificate: please upload the certificate onto the Oasis platform yourself (also possible after the submission deadline)
your documents have been certified / legalized recently: please e-mail admission@UGent.be with the documents attached in PDF format.
Always mention your application number when you e-mail us!
Can I be exempt FROM submitting a language certificate (English language qualification)?
For the English language entry requirements we need to follow the rules of The University of Edinburgh: https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/applying/your-application/entry-requirements/english-requirements. Most students are able to prove their English language proficiency with their obtained degree (from a majority English speaking country or from an university on the list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries) or with a language certificate such as TOEFL. The website clearly explains which degrees and which tests are valid (and how old they maximum can be).
We want to stress that we cannot deviate from this; we as a programme are not able to make changes to the exemption list.
You can e-mail us if something remains unclear after carefully reading all the information on the website mentioned above. However, it is of no use to e-mail us a request for exemption because we as a programme cannot go into that anyway.
HOW LONG SHOULD MY MOTIVATION LETTER BE?
There’s no real limit to how long or short your letter should be, but keep in mind our selection committee has to process a lot of files, so keep it to the point. A good reference would be to stick to one or two A4 pages at the most.
