Equivalence

Equivalence of PhDs (Doctorat)

External information about equivalence of PhDs in the ULB [ English Google Translation ]

Master Degree equivalence

INSTRUCTIONS [in French]: Procedure

To anyone who wants to use the informations in this archive to apply for an equivalence of diploma in Belgium ...

First : the equivalence is delivered by the CFWB (communaute francaise wallone de belgique).

On their website, the sole information I was able to find is : http://www.enseignement.be/prof/espaces/sup/naric/Organigramme_equivalences_sup_juin_2005-1.xls

This is the list of people in charge of communicating with you, categorized by type of diploma.

If you are from computer science, you will probably interact with Philippe Polet. His email is : philippe.polet@cfwb.be

You have to contact CFWB and ask a instructions for equivalence. You will receive the file INSTRUCTIONS_UNIV.doc or an updated version.

The file inventaire.odt contains the list of all things you should send them back, that is :

• a motivation letter (see the directory motivation for an example)
• the list of all what you submit to them
• a copie of an official document stating your identity (a photocopy of your ID card or passport is ok)
• copies (should be certified by a competent authority in Belgium {administration communale} or abroad ) of all the diplomas (bachelor and master) you received from universities - NOTE: this has to be translated in French by a sworn translator (see later)
• copies (should be certified by a competent authority in Belgium {administration communale} or abroad ) of the list of the grades received (bachelor and master) - NOTE: this as well has to be translated in French by a sworn translator (see later)
• the original, official and detailed program of your courses. This should be given for each year, in original language. It must comprise at least a title for each course, a description and the amount of time (in hours). If the program is not in french you should also provide a of the main facts (title of the courses, amount of time, year, university) in French. You don't need to have this translated by a sworn translator, you can do this by yourself. If you are lucky somebody coming from your university already did part of the work, so ask around.
• a simple copy the master thesis you wrote in the original language. If it is not in French you need to attach a summary of one or two pages in French (this as well doesn't need to be done by a sworn translator).
• a copy of all the internships you made (if you have any official document, join a copy too) + French homemade translation.
• the form page 7 present in the instructions (see formulaire_equivalence.odt). Of course the form should be filled properly. If you don't understand french, ask to a french speaking guy. If this is still not clear, ask for clarifications to somebody of the cfwb, Mr Philippe Polet for instance or to somebody that has already done it.
• a CV in french (homemade translation is ok)
• a proof that you have paid 124 euros (the amount may change with time) to the cfwb. Informations on who to pay are provided within the instructions file. The bank account extract is enough, but to be on the safe side ask your bank for an official proof.

Advices :

• Be patient with people from CFWB, they are sometimes a bit slow but it does not help to get angry.
• The most difficult part is probably to gather certified copies of all your mark sheets, and to find back the official programs of your courses. If you are from Politecnico di Milano you can easily find these info on the webpoliself
• If you are not french speaking, translations may be costly. Try to have french friends (At least for some days...)
• For the official translation, you can contact

  Paul Janssens, Av. Louise 146/B-1050 Brussels

Be careful because all the process is time consuming and very boring. It usually takes one week full time. Also, when you submit all the documents, you may need to wait between 2 and 6 months for the official answer. This is because the decision process is done by a committee that does this only two or three times per year (usually in the same period of the FRIA or FNRS submission, that is, beginning of september beginning of February. This may change on an yearly basis, so call them and ask if you want to be sure). Even if you don't have the equivalence before the deadline of you application you can always submit the letter you receive confirming the submission of the documents. This is normally accepted and should not be a problem at all. After you receive the real one you have to submit it as well.

Last note: even if you submit all the documents there is no guarantee that you will receive the equivalence. This depends on your scholar past and, sometimes, also on the grades you have.

Sworn Translation

In order to have an official translation you have to find a registered translator of your language. You can usually find the list on the consulate or embassy website. This is rather expensive, so be ready to pay around 80€.

The translated copies must have the stamp of the official translator and must be brought to the justice palace (tribunal de 1ère instance) for authentication. This translation and authentication can, in theory be done also in your home country. Nobody never did this, so ask somebody at the cfwb if this is possible and how.