Faculty of Social Sciences » Student Portal » Erasmus students
Erasmus students
General information | Courses | Evaluating & Grading System | Academic Calendar | Office
General information
The Faculty of Social Sciences offers four programmes of study
- Studies in Anthropology
- Studies in Communication Science
- Studies in Political Science
- Sociology
Courses
Here you can find a list of courses 2010-2011 
Evaluation & Grading System
In the academic year 2001-2002 the KU Leuven introduced a new system of semester-examinations. The academic year is divided in 2 terms or semesters, each consisting of 13 weeks of classes, and followed by examinations.
At the end of the 1ste term, after Christmas holidays, students have a 2-week revision period to prepare for the examinations, followed by a 3-week period of the actual examinations, and then a 1-week semestral break.
The 2nd term or semester starts after this semestral break. This new arrangement aims to spread out more efficiently the pressures of study and examinations, and to encourage a more thorough assimilation of the course materials. The new system is also intended to synchronize the academic programmes of the University with the recent developments in the European educational sector.
For all courses, except when explicitly mentioned otherwise in the course description, the evaluation is based on a final examination which covers the full subject-matter of the course.
Exams can be written or oral. Written exams usually take 3 hours. Oral exams last from 10 to 25 minutes. Students are given about 20 minutes to prepare their answers to the questions or problems to be solved before presenting their findings.
Failed students have the possibility to take re-examinations in August-September. Theoretically all examinations must be taken in Dutch. However, most professors will allow foreign students to take the examination in English.
Every examination is assessed on a 20 point scale. The meaning of the marks is listed below.
Grading system Faculty of Social Sciences:
| Marks | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 18-19-20 | EXCELLENT - outstanding performance with only minor errors |
| 16-17 | VERY GOOD - above the average standard but with some errors |
| 14-15 | GOOD - generally sound work but with a number of notable errors |
| 12-13 | SATISFACTORY - fair but with significant shortcomings |
| 10-11 | SUFFICIENT - performance meets minimum criteria only |
| 8-9 | FAIL - some work required before the credit can be awarded |
| 0-7 | FAIL - considerable additional work is required |
Academic Calendar 2010-2011
| Monday 16 August 2010 | Start of the registration period for 2010-2011 |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 22 September Sunday 26 September 2010 | Orientation Days for International Students |
| Monday 27 September 2010 | Opening ceremony of the academic year 2010-2011 |
| Tuesday 28 September 2010 | Start of classes in the first semester of 2010-2011 |
| Thursday 23 December 2010 | End of classes in the first semester |
| Friday 24 December 2010 till Sunday 9 January 2011 | Christmas and New Year holidays |
| Monday 10 January 2011 Sunday 16 January 2011 | Exam preparation. No classes |
| Monday 17 January 2011 Saturday 05 February 2011 | First semester exams |
| Sunday 06 February 2011 Sunday 13 February 2011 | Mid-year break. No classes |
| Wednesday 2 February 2011 | Patrons Feast Day university offices will be closed! |
| Wednesday 9 February 2011 Saturday 12 February 2011 | Orientation Days for International Students |
| Monday 14 February 2011 | Start of classes in the second semester |
| Saturday 9 April 2011 Monday 25 April 2011 | Easter holidays |
| Saturday 28 May 2011 | End of classes in the second semester |
| Sunday 29 May 2011 Monday 13 June 2011 | Exam preparation. No classes |
| Tuesday 14 June 2011 Saturday 9 July 2011 | Second semester exams |
| Tuesday 16 August 2011 | Start of the registration period for 2011-2012 |
| Monday 22 August 2011 Saturday 17 Sept. 2011 | Examination retakes for failed students 2010-2011 |
| Monday 26 September 2011 | Start of the academic year 2011-2012 |
Office
Faculty of Social Sciences
- Bert CLAESEN
- LLP-/Erasmuscoordinator
- E-mail: erasmus@soc.kuleuven.be
- Address: Parkstraat 45 bus 3600, 3000 Leuven
- Tel: +32 16 32 30 65
- Fax: +32 16 32 30 37
- Office: A 01.04
- Office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9.30 to 12.00 a.m. (or else by appointment)
International Office
- Elke Timmermans
- Atrechtcollege
- Naamsestraat 63 bus 5410
- 3000 Leuven
