Catalogue 2018-2019
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Vesalius College Brussels In affiliation with Catalogue 2018-2019 www.vesalius.edu Vesalius College is a non-profit institution (VZW) under Belgian law Board of Vesalius College Freddy Van den Spiegel (Chair), Economic Advisor – BNP Paribas Fortis Eddy Bonne (Vice-Chair), Managing Director, Hasenkamp Service GmbH Nic Van Craen, Managing Director, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Sonja Snacken, Vice-rector International Policy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Joel Branson, Professor, Dean of Faculty ES, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Dave Deruytter, Head of Expatriates & Non-Residents, ING SW Europe Leo Van Audenhove, Associate Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Dean Joachim Koops Accreditation Vesalius College is registered with the Flemish government of Belgium as an institution of higher education. The Vesalius College Bachelor’s degree is fully equivalent to a recognised Bachelor’s degree issued from a Flemish University. Vesalius College is a participant in the Bologna Process, the reform effort designed to standardise higher education throughout Europe. In accordance with the Bologna declaration, Vesalius College offers the three-year European Bachelor’s degree and calculates coursework in ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits. The four majors offered by Vesalius College are accredited by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO, Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatie Organisatie). This official organisation was established by international treaty between the Flemish and the Dutch governments with the aim of ensuring the quality of higher education in both the Netherlands and Flanders. More information on the accreditation of Vesalius College can be accessed through the official government website for higher education in Flanders: http://www.highereducation.be. Vesalius College Catalogue 2018-2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Dean 5 Introduction 6 Admissions 9 Financial Information 13 Academic Requirements 19 General Requirements 19 Core Curriculum Requirements 20 Major Requirements 21 Global Business and Entrepreneurship 22 Communication 24 International Affairs 26 International & European Law 28 Minors 30 Course Descriptions 33 Academic Opportunities 63 Internships 63 Study Abroad 64 Summer Programmes 69 Rules and Regulations 70 Registration 71 Changes during the Semester 72 Course Work 73 Assessment 74 Academic Dishonesty 77 Academic Standing 79 Grade Reports, Transcripts and Diplomas 81 Avoiding Plagiarism 83 Student Services 85 Key Contacts for Students 88 Faculty 90 Abbreviations 92 Academic Calendars 93 Notes 96 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Dear Students, On behalf of the faculty and administration, I would like to welcome you to Vesalius College Brussels. By attending Vesalius College, you have chosen to join a diverse, highly international and immensely passionate and caring community of students, academics and supporting staff. In many ways, your undergraduate education will form one of the most important experiences of your lives, one that lays the foundation for future success in post-graduate schooling and your professional career as well as for fulfilment in your personal life. It is our mission at Vesalius College to support you in findings, fostering and realising your passions, potential and ambitions in and outside the seminar room. Vesalius College’s unique approach to education is guided by the College’s learning and teaching phi- losophy of what we call ‘TPEL’: Theory-guided, Practice-Embedded and Experiential Learning. In addi- tion to an emphasis on linking theory with real-life challenges, linking students to senior practitioners and highly interactive and innovative teaching formats, our programmes are aimed at providing the intellectual space for you to not only become an expert in your chosen subject, but to develop crucial critical thinking skills, an appreciation of global ethical challenges and an interdisciplinary mind-set of life-long learning and continuous innovation. The academic programmes at Vesalius College are designed to challenge you intellectually and personally and require dedication, self-discipline and an open mind. While they will be challenging, they will also be rewarding, helping you to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will enable you to adapt and flourish in an increasingly challenging and fast-changing world. Vesalius faculty and administration are committed to providing you with the tools, resources and sup- port you need to succeed. From the first year until graduation, you will benefit from close relationships with passionate professors, who have themselves been educated at the world’s leading institutions as well as from the academic resources of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles. While the academic curriculum will be challenging, the College also recognises the importance of a balanced and healthy lifestyle, so we encourage you to complement your studies with formative extra-curricular activities. Brussels, ‘the Capital of Europe’, offers a tremendous variety of cultural and social activities. You will quickly discover the city to be vibrant and cosmopolitan with a friendly charm and something for every taste. In addition, Brussels has much to offer as you prepare for graduate school or the beginning of your career. Home to the world’s largest press corps, the European Union, NATO and hundreds of non-gov- ernmental organisations and multinational corporations, the city offers you many opportunities for internships as well as exchanges with government officials, policy-makers, legal and communication experts as well as business people and entrepreneurs. We hope that you will take full advantage of these opportunities and of the interdisciplinary variety of extra workshops, evening lectures and prac- tice-oriented events. We look forward to getting to know you and to explore, reflect and learn with you within a vibrant and international learning community. Welcome to the Vesalius community! Joachim Koops Dean, Vesalius College 5 INTRODUCTION Vesalius College Vesalius College was established in 1987 by Boston University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) as the first US-style Liberal Arts College in the BeNeLux region to provide a new form of university education in Belgium. Its founders were inspired by the liberal arts Colleges in the United States that place emphasis on innovative and student-centred teaching as well as on a close relationship between students and professors. Classes are small and intensive, with only 25-35 students, so that instead of merely reproducing knowledge passively in big lecture halls, students are encouraged to participate more actively in critical analysis, peer-to-peer reflection and experiential learning. A strong emphasis is placed on developing students’ intensive writing, logical reasoning and oral presentation skills, al- lowing students to enhance crucial skills that will serve them well in their graduate and working lives. Professors assess students’ performance not just through one examination at the end of the course, but continuously on the basis of shorter examinations and written and oral coursework during the en- tire course. Crucial in this form of ‘continuous assessment and learning’ is that students receive regular formative feedback with a view to constantly improve and develop through a variety of learning tools. Vesalius College has followed this model of education for thirty years, forming outstanding graduates who have been admitted to leading universities and graduate programmes in the United States, U.K., Europe and other countries and who have been hired by leading international companies. The College offers three-year academic degree programmes in Business and Economics (Global Busi- ness and Entrepreneurship), Global Communication Studies, International Affairs and International & European Law, all of which lead to a Bachelor’s degree. These programmes are accredited by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO) and are recognised by the Flemish government, and, on the princi- ple of mutual recognition, by other European governments that participate in the Bologna process for the reform of university education. Although Vesalius College is now legally independent from the VUB, the two institutions maintain a very close relation. Vesalius College, though its student numbers are not large, has the great advantage of being able to draw on the academic facilities and student services of a large research university. The College also maintains close ties with other neighbouring institutions, such as the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of Kent. It also has collaborations with the Royal Music Conserva- tory, the Royal Military Academy, and RITS, a school for audio-visual and performing arts, as well as prestigious partner universities abroad, such as Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Instruction at Vesalius College is entirely in English (with the exception of language courses). Most of its students are native English speakers or have done their secondary education in English, but some students from other backgrounds have accepted the challenge of a rigorous education entirely in English. Vesalius College professors themselves have been educated at the world’s leading universities in the Anglo-Saxon education sphere. For all students, native speakers or not, the programmes of the College ensure that all students make significant improvements in their skills in written and oral expression. As befits an institution in