Outre les cours intensifs qui représentent une première approche de l’international, les étudiants FSA dont le cursus académique est de qualité, sont invités à postuler pour participer à un programme d’échange de 5 ou 10 mois.

S’ils se déroulent en première année du master, les échanges portent en principe sur 10 mois.  En deuxième année, ils ne durent qu’une demi-année, soit un quadrimestre de cours, soit un quadrimestre de recherche dans un laboratoire étranger en liaison avec le travail de fin d’études.

Quelques formules plus spécifiques existent également pour les échanges avec le sud de l’Amérique Latine qui vit au rythme d’un calendrier académique « austral ».

Les étudiants sont informés des différents programmes d’échanges dès leur deuxième année de bachelier.  Ils sont invités à s’y préparer à temps, notamment au niveau linguistique via les cours de l’Institut des Langues Vivantes de l’UCL.

Attractivité internationale (à l’intention des non résidents)

As described below, the University of Louvain (UCL) has developed a long-standing experience of greeting foreign students within the frame of international or exchange programmes. The "Master in Chemical and Materials Engineering" fits within this general tradition, and offers to the student a top-notch programme in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, encompassing a wide field of scientific activities in Applied Physics and Chemistry. Admission requires approval by the Commission for Engineering Studies in Chemistry and Physics, on the basis of a complete file submitted by the student according to the general rules of the University of Louvain published on www.uclouvain.be.

To ease the integration of foreign students, the courses are delivered in English during the first and third semesters of the master (this rule may be relaxed for some courses at the onset of the semester, if so decided by ALL participating students). This allows non-French speaking students to begin their master studies in the best conditions, while upgrading their knowledge of French by following French-as-a-Foreign-Language classes (see below) or by immersion in the student life of Louvain-la-Neuve. However, the courses of the second and fourth semesters are delivered in French (unless decided otherwise by all participating students), which provides foreign participating students with a unique opportunity to master French, one of the important official languages of the European Union.

The programme consists of a large number of elective courses which permit students to build à la carte a program resting upon their previous learning experiences, and comprises an optional internship in industry, 30 credits of work in research laboratories, and projects giving a more practical touch to the formation. The teachers of the Master in Chemical and Materials Engineering are recognized scientists, with tracked records of excellence in applied chemistry and physics, as testified by their integration into European networks of excellence (FAME, NANOBEAMS, NANOQUANTA), their participation to international research programmes, their numerous contracts with European industrial companies, and their large number of publications in high ranking scientific journals including Nature, Science, Nature Materials, Physical Review Letters, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters, etc. This not only ensures that the most recent scientific advances in the fields of chemistry and physics are passed on to the students, but also that students are introduced to typical industrial concerns, issues and recent developments.

The programme can also be taken as part of the International Master in Functional Advanced Materials and Engineering which is currently being considered for support within the Erasmus Mundus frame. In addition, the final year of the master may be super-imposed with the second year of the European Master in Rheology. Ask for updated information on these possibilities to the person in charge of the programme at Louvain.

Services offered by the University to foreign students

About 1000 European and third-country students are welcomed each year in Louvain-la-Neuve, amounting to almost 19% of Louvain's students. A series of administrative units from Schools and University Central Services are responsible for foreign students. These units benefit from support from the International Relations Office (Administration des relations internationales, ADRI) for the follow-up of application files and for grant management. The University web site provides answers to frequently asked questions about housing, admission, rules, programmes and names of responsible officers or Faculty members.

Arriving visiting students may get useful information by reading the "Guide for the visiting exchange student" published on the web site of ADRI (http://www.uclouvain.be/en-etudiantinternational.html). This comprehensive guide, which is regularly updated and is available in French and English, provides information on practical issues such as housing, language courses, admission and registration, student assistance, cost of living, student clubs, health insurance, University structure, etc. In addition, the registration service of UCL sends to registered students, well before his/her arrival in Belgium, all paperwork required to obtain a visa, apply for housing, and solve specific legal issues.

Once arrived in Belgium, and upon final registration, students also receive a copy of the "Guide pratique de l’étudiant", which lists useful addresses and links for residents of Louvain-la-Neuve. Finally, the Student Assistance Service provides help to students in need of social, medical, financial or cultural assistance.

The campus of Louvain-la-Neuve benefits from numerous extra-curricular activities organized by students' societies. Some students elicit to live in community apartments (or "community-kots") devoted to the development of specific projects (in culture, sports, politics, etc.). A few of these "community-kots" are dedicated to helping foreign students to socialize in Louvain-la-Neuve. Furthermore, disabled persons benefit from special support from the University and specialized "community-kots", and the whole campus is wheelchair-friendly.

Numerous computer rooms and libraries are available to registered students. Free language classes are provided by the ILV (Institut des Langues Vivantes) during the course semesters; alternatively, students may pay to access language classes organized during the course semesters or holiday time by the independent CLL (Centre de langues de Louvain-la-Neuve). Fare reductions are available for Erasmus Mundus students. A few "community-kots" also propose language support and discussion panels. Finally, classes of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) are organized by the ILV and are freely accessible to students who take these classes as part of their study programme.

Programmes en partenariat 

- Avec des institutions européennes 

Master international en "Functional Advanced Materials and Engineering" (FAME) (120 credits)

Une des déclinaisons du master ingénieur civil en chimie et science des matériaux est le master international en "Functional Advanced Materials and Engineering", créé par sept universités partenaires dans le cadre du réseau d'excellence européen FAME, qui s'est vu octroyer le label Erasmus Mundus par la Commission Européenne. Nous demandons d'ailleurs aux Autorités de l'UCL d'accorder à cette déclinaison le label de master international UCL. Les étudiants choisissant cette déclinaison effectuent leur première année de master à l'Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG) ou à l'Université d'Augsburg, puis reviennent à l'UCL pour leur seconde année de master. Le mémoire est mené en collaboration avec Louvain dans une des sept universités partenaires. L'inscription au master est détaillée dans le projet Erasmus Mundus donné en annexe. Elle est centralisée par l'INPG, et comporte un minerval légèrement augmenté (1000 €/an). 

- Programme TIME avec :

- Ecole Centrale Paris
- Supaero Toulouse
- Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
- Politecnico di Milano
- Politecnico di Torino