Katholieke Hogeschool VIVES Zuid

About Katholieke Hogeschool VIVES Zuid

This record represents Katholieke Hogeschool VIVES Zuid, the legally recognized institution headquartered in Kortrijk, rather than an individual department or training center. Flemish higher-education law authorizes the institution to organize higher education and confer qualifications. A separate 2026–2027 government recognition decision provides additional evidence that it remains operational. Students usually encounter the institution through the broader VIVES University of Applied Sciences identity. That shared brand spans seven campuses in West Flanders and is used by both VIVES Zuid and the legally separate VIVES Noord. This distinction matters when comparing programs: a course displayed on the central VIVES website is not necessarily based in Kortrijk or legally attached to VIVES Zuid. Applicants should check the campus shown on each program page. Kortrijk is one of the VIVES locations offering international degree education. The local campus brings together programs from several fields in a single area in the south of the city. Its facilities include teaching rooms, auditoriums, laboratories or skills rooms, collaborative study spaces and a library. This arrangement suits students who want an applied, multidisciplinary campus rather than a research-university setting. VIVES belongs to the KU Leuven Association, a network connecting universities and university colleges. That affiliation does not make VIVES a KU Leuven campus, and qualifications, admissions and enrollment remain program-specific.

Admissions depend on the program, teaching language and applicant’s prior qualification. The current international requirements page mainly addresses English-taught bachelor’s programs; Dutch-taught study follows different diploma and language rules, and aviation has additional criteria. Applicants should therefore use the requirements attached to their intended program rather than treating the international page as universal. For an English-taught bachelor’s degree, an overseas secondary-school qualification must generally provide access at least comparable to European Qualifications Framework level 4. The Admissions Office evaluates qualifications obtained outside Flanders, and some country-specific diplomas carry additional grade or examination requirements. Applications are assessed individually. Applicants to English-taught programs must also establish English proficiency unless an exemption applies. Current accepted thresholds include IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 79 and Duolingo English Test 105, alongside several other certificates. Exemptions cover specified diplomas and education completed in English in listed countries or regions; merely having studied some subjects in English may not be sufficient. For 2026–2027, final administrative enrollment opens on 27 June 2026 and the academic year begins on 21 September 2026. Approval of an application does not itself complete enrollment: admitted applicants must follow the confirmation steps supplied by VIVES. No single application deadline is stated here because deadlines may vary by nationality, visa needs and program.

VIVES describes its education as practice-oriented, combining classroom study with projects, professional assignments and workplace experience. At Kortrijk, teaching takes place in classrooms, auditoriums, laboratories and skills rooms, reflecting the applied requirements of different fields. The campus page identifies four broad fields of study on the site, while the institution-wide catalog covers business, technology, health and other professionally focused areas. The verified degree level for this record is bachelor. VIVES also advertises advanced-bachelor, postgraduate, associate-degree and exchange opportunities, but those credentials should not automatically be treated as master’s degrees. The database’s stored master level could not be established for VIVES Zuid from the strongest current sources and is therefore omitted from the verified update. Dutch is the main language of instruction recorded for this institution, and the official international catalog directs students seeking Dutch-taught bachelor’s and associate-degree programs to the Dutch website. VIVES nevertheless offers fully English-taught degree education at selected campuses, including Kortrijk. Applicants should verify the language, location and credential on the individual program page rather than assuming that every VIVES course is available locally or in English. International students may enter as full-degree students or exchange students. Degree students complete a VIVES curriculum and receive a VIVES qualification; exchange students remain enrolled at their home institution and normally attend for a semester or academic year, transferring credits home.

Key Highlights

• Legally recognized Flemish higher-education institution headquartered in Kortrijk
• Operates under a shared VIVES brand used by two separate legal institutions
• Kortrijk is one of seven VIVES-branded campuses in West Flanders
• Member of the KU Leuven Association

Student Life & Environment

The Kortrijk campus combines academic and everyday student facilities on one site. Students have access to a library and study areas as well as a student restaurant, bistro, sandwich shop and campus shop. The surrounding campus area includes parks, shops, sports facilities and cultural destinations. Student Facilities, commonly presented as Stuvo, supports housing, psychological wellbeing, sport and culture. VIVES also provides study and trajectory guidance, while students whose disability, learning difference, work, caregiving, artistic activity or elite sport affects participation may apply for an appropriate status and educational or examination accommodations. Eligibility and the precise adjustment are assessed individually. Sports provision includes discounted local activities, equipment borrowing and VIVES teams that compete in Student Sport Flanders events. Student associations and institution-supported initiatives offer additional ways to participate beyond classes. Housing is available but not guaranteed. VIVES states that its own accommodation is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, making early planning especially important for international students. From September 2026, the new The Sky residence beside the Kortrijk campus is scheduled to house 192 students in furnished rooms with private bathrooms and shared kitchens.

Location & Surroundings

The campus is in ’t Hoge, a district south of central Kortrijk in the province of West Flanders. VIVES describes it as an open, green campus where its Kortrijk study areas are concentrated on one site. The immediate area provides access to parks, shops, sport and leisure facilities, while the city center offers restaurants, retail and cultural activity. Students can reach the campus by public transport or car. The campus page reports parking on or near the site, including parking at the neighboring cinema complex. VIVES students can also use free bus transport within Kortrijk and rent bicycles at a student rate, which can reduce dependence on a car. Kortrijk is close to the French border and connected to other Belgian cities by rail. For applicants comparing VIVES options, location should be checked carefully: the shared institution-wide website also lists campuses in Bruges, Ostend, Roeselare and Torhout, and a program advertised by VIVES may not be taught in Kortrijk.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027, the standard EEA non-scholarship tuition for a 60-credit diploma or credit contract is €1,181.40, calculated from a €305.40 fixed charge plus €14.60 per credit. Reduced Flemish scholarship and near-scholarship rates depend on financial, nationality and study-grant conditions. These figures apply to the stated contract category and should not be generalized to every postgraduate or continuing-education course. Students from outside the European Economic Area face a different 2026–2027 schedule: a €2,600 fixed registration charge plus €106.67 per credit. At 60 credits, that formula produces a substantially higher total. Program-related materials, equipment, housing, transport and other living expenses are additional. Fees are billed in stages, with the fixed amount invoiced at enrollment and the credit-based amount following approval of the individual study program. In Kortrijk, The Sky residence lists 2026 rents of €513–€569 per month under a 12-month contract, including water, electricity, heating and internet. Other housing may use different terms and prices. Career preparation is embedded in VIVES’s applied model through practical projects, industry placements and collaboration with employers. Outcomes vary by program, so applicants should examine the curriculum, placement arrangements and program-specific career information rather than relying on institution-wide promotional employment claims. No independently verified salary or graduate-employment statistic is included.