Institute des Hautes Etudes des Communications Sociales (IHECS)

IHECS Website
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Priority Deadline: February 15th | Fall Semester Deadline: March 1st | Spring Semester Deadline: October 1st

Location

Schaerbeek, (Brussels-Capital Region) Belgium
Close to public broadcasters and media professionals

Founded

1958
Fall 2026: brand-new campus

Student Population

3,000

Requirements

  • Current UIS undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing.
  • Students must have successfully completed at least 1 full year/2 semesters (24 credits) at UIS.
  • Studying a subject related to journalism or communication.
IHECS logo blue with Journalism & Communication included

Semesters

  • Fall Semester (September - December)
  • Spring Semester (February - May/June)
  • Full Academic Year (September - May/June)
Student sitting in front of two computer screens with multimedia on the screens

Courses

  • Course offerings in English are within the field of communication: mass communication, inter-cultural communication, journalism and broadcast production. 
  • Students are encouraged to study the French language as part of their semester course load.
  • Explore the current course list by visiting the Brochure for International Students
A view from the back of a lecture hall at IHECS in Belgium. Six students standing at the front while others are sitting in wooden lecture chairs.

Housing

  • Average housing cost per month is about $700
  • Housing is NOT arranged via IHECS.
  • It may be possible in the Fall Semester to sublease a room from an Erasmus student. Email erasmus-in@ihecs.be to inquire about this possibility.
  • Exchange students are provided with a list of websites to search for accommodation during their exchange.
Empty student cafeteria, coffee shop and culture space at IHECS in Belgium. A mixture of chairs and sofas in a cafe environment.

Program Cost

  • Exchange students are charged UIS tuition and fees.
  • Estimated monthly expenses for housing, meals and incidentals is $1,150 ($700 of which is housing)
25 Erasmus/Exchange students outside in the winter/fall standing in front of pastel-colored buildings

Scholarships

Passport & Visa

  • Students will require a passport to participate on this program. 
  • For assistance securing a U.S. Passport, visit Travel.State.Gov.
  • U.S. citizens require a visa in order to participate in this program. After acceptance into the program, students follow instructions from the host university to apply for the visa.

Location

Visit Brussels

The information gathered below is from GoinGlobal. Take a deeper dive into the cultural advice via the GoinGlobal → Country Career Guides (top toolbar) → Belgium.

  • Daily Life - understand the history, the people & values, views of time management along with the cuisine and meal etiquette
  • Communication - learn about appropriate communication methods, including negotiation & correspondence styles, language skills & vocabulary
  • Acting Like a Local - avoid acting like a tourist by learning these taboos & helpful hints