Summer preparatory courses

You are about to start university. You have already taken Dutch and/or English lessons at secondary school or at some point in your studies. You would like to brush up on your skills and improve your proficiency.

What will you learn?

The lessons aim to consolidate your basic grammar and vocabulary, whilst developing your speaking skills.

You will have the opportunity to prepare a short presentation and deliver it at the end of the week. This will be a chance to practise sentence structures, expand your vocabulary, hone your public speaking skills and improve your listening comprehension.

The courses will be led by language teachers from Block 1, offering you valuable support before the start of the academic year.

Please note that although improving your language skills is an advantage for the placement tests held at the start of the academic year, the summer courses are not designed to prepare you for them.

When do these courses take place?

Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September 2026

• · Dutch: 9.00 am to 12.30 pm

• · English: 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm

Price: €40 per language (€80 for both languages).

Groups are limited to a maximum of 25 people.

Once the maximum number of participants has been reached, the registration form will no longer be available.

A placement test will be held on the first day. Depending on the number of participants, the course will be taught in sub-groups organised by level.

Are you planning to start a university degree?

A strong command of the language of instruction – French – is essential for success, particularly in the humanities and social sciences.

It will enable you not only to understand and analyse complex academic material, but also to construct a well-argued argument in exams, written assignments or presentations.

This preparatory course will be particularly beneficial if you have a very good level of French but struggle with certain aspects of the language (spelling, sentence structure, etc.).

What will you learn?

The course aims to strengthen the language skills (written and oral) required to embark on a university course, spread over 5 sessions:

- Session 1: grammar revision: agreement within noun phrases, verb agreement, past participle agreement, agreement with indefinite pronouns, etc.

- Session 2: vocabulary: revision of Latin expressions frequently used in scientific discourse (sic, hic et nunc…), interpreting meaning and lexical usage, focus on precise and rigorous vocabulary, etc.

- Session 3: syntax, focus on sentence structure, use of punctuation, etc.

- Session 4: critical reading: how to read effectively, how to critique a source, how to summarise, etc.

- Session 5: Written work: presentation standards, structuring ideas, argumentative techniques, tools to support your writing (Antidote, etc.), etc.

When does this course take place?

Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September 2026, from 1.30 pm to 5 pm

Price: 40 euros

This course is particularly suitable if you are planning to study a subject in the humanities and social sciences where history plays a key role: history, philosophy, law, political science, sociology and anthropology, information and communication, translation and interpreting, languages and literature.

The aim is to consolidate and organise the historical knowledge essential for a solid general education, by providing you with chronological reference points, relevant context and an understanding of the main historical developments and their implications.

What will you learn?

The course begins with an introduction to history (definition, emergence and structure of the discipline, its usefulness) and an overview of major historical milestones (significant events, long-term developments, and a re-evaluation of ‘classical’ periodisation).

It then analyses current national and international events through the lens of their historical dimension (starting from general themes such as nationalism and the tensions arising from it).

When does this course take place?

Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September 2026, from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm

Price: 40 euros

This course can help you if you’re planning to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management or Management Engineering and want to brush up on your skills whilst consolidating the essential foundations needed to tackle first-year quantitative methods modules.

What will you learn?  

The courses cover, in particular, systems of equations and inequalities, as well as the analysis of functions (limits, derivatives, logarithms, exponential functions, etc.).

The preparatory programme for the Bachelor’s in Management Engineering also includes complex number algebra, whilst the one for the Bachelor’s in Economics and Management covers elements of descriptive statistics and probability. These topics will be covered theoretically and accompanied by exercises. Practical applications in the form of problems will also be provided.

When does this course take place? 
 

Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September 2026
- Mathematics for the Bachelor of Management Engineering: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm
- Mathematics for the Bachelor of Economics and Management: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm 
Price: 40 euros

This chemistry course is aimed at anyone preparing to start university studies. It is particularly suited to those wishing to undertake a Bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering who want to brush up on their knowledge whilst consolidating the essential foundations needed to tackle first-year Science and Technology modules.

This preparatory course is ideal if you wish to undertake a Bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering, brush up on your knowledge, whilst consolidating the essential foundations for tackling first-year Science and Technology modules.  It will be particularly beneficial if you did not take science subjects at secondary school.

What will you learn?

The course covers three topics:

1) the structure of matter (atoms, classification, molecules, ions, valence, bonds, nomenclature…)

2) the quantification of matter (mole, molar mass, centesimal composition, concentrations in solution…) 

3) the transformation of matter (stoichiometry, incomplete reactions, equilibria, reaction balances…)

Sessions of interactive theoretical explanations alternate with periods devoted to supervised individual exercises. Each participant receives a syllabus and a periodic table.

When does this course take place? 

From Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September 2026, from 1.30 pm to 5 pm
Price: 40 euros

This course can help you if you wish to study at the Faculties of Law, Economics, Political Science, Social Sciences and Communication, Philosophy, Arts and Humanities, or Translation and Interpreting. 
 

What will you learn? 

The course aims to develop a study methodology suited to university-level education. It will cover, in particular:  
 

* understanding how higher education works
*learning to manage your time
*taking notes effectively
*creating study materials
*understanding how to study and memorise effectively
*knowing how to answer an exam question in line with academic requirements
*using generative AI responsibly

Methodological skills will be developed through role-play exercises, such as lessons delivered by the participants themselves.

These ‘introductory’ sessions are organised by faculty and followed by interactive methodological workshops. Meetings with current students are also offered, enabling a fruitful exchange on their study practices.

When does this course take place? 

Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 September 2026, from 9am to 3pm
Price: €65. Lunch is included on all three days.
 

• Registration form

For any questions or further information*: 
Education Administration Department 
Saint-Louis Campus, Brussels  
enseignement-slb@uclouvain.be 

*Participants will receive an email containing practical information one week before their course(s) begins.

A special welcome and orientation programme awaits you on our campus.

Save the date: Friday 11 September, and join us at the Saint-Louis Brussels campus.

> Detailed programme (coming soon)

You are about to start university studies, likely a programme with a flexible timetable.

This course is particularly suitable if you want to prepare effectively by laying the foundations for a study method tailored to your needs and constraints.

The aim is to strengthen your organisational and methodological skills so that you can succeed in an academic setting, whilst balancing your studies with your professional and personal life.

What will you learn? 

The course aims to develop a working methodology suited to the demands of university education. Various topics will be covered, including:
 

- note-taking 
- reorganising notes 
- time management 
- the characteristics of academic language 
- exam preparation 
- understanding different types of exam questions 
- literature review
 

When does this course take place? 

From 31 August to 3 September 2026, from 6pm to 9pm
in person in Louvain-la-Neuve or online
Price: 40 euros
 
Information and registration