Admission and application
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
- Academic bachelor’s degree* (minimum 180 ECTS credits or equivalent) with good overall results (second class lower is not accepted), preferably in the field of agricultural sciences.
- Other degrees are also accepted if students can demonstrate, through a transcript of records, basic science training in:
(1) mathematics and/or statistics
(2) life sciences
(3) social sciences and/or rural development and/or economics
* Students in the final year of their bachelor’s degree can also apply, provided they obtain their degree before the start of the IMRD programme.
Language requirements
Applicants must have obtained one of the listed English Language Test Certificates:
- TOEFL iBT (minimum 80). The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted
- TOEFL pBT 550
- ACADEMIC IELTS 6.5 (min. 6 for writing)
- Cambridge English: C1 Advanced (CAE)
- CEFR B2
Other test certificates such as TOEIC, TOEFL ITP, Duolingo, etc. are not accepted.
Nationals of all EU and EEA countries, Australia, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe are exempt to provide an English language test certificate on condition that they can provide a stamped and signed certificate of English proficiency issued by their home university if they have obtained at least 60 ECTS credits with English as the language of instruction during a previous bachelor or master level degree.
How to apply?
- Applications for IMRD student intake September 2026 have opened in October 2025.
- All instructions on how to apply, as well as a link to the application portal can be found in the IMRD Application Manual
- Please read and follow all instructions in the Manual carefully while completing your application form.
- The application deadline for nationals of non-EEA countries to submit the application form for intake September 2026 is 31 March 2026.
- The application deadline for nationals of European Economic Area (EEA) countries (all EU countries + Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) to submit the application form for intake September 2026 is 31 May 2026.
We do not review eligibility, transcripts, diplomas or credentials via email. Please upload all documents to the online application portal.
After submission
Legalisation of your documents and letter of admission
Once you have submitted your application file, your academic background will be assessed. If you meet the academic requirements, you will be invited to complete a Qualification Check verification. Although phased out at Ghent University, legalisation of your documents is still a valid alternative.
After the International Admission Desk of Ghent University has received your Qualification Check verification or legalised documents, you will receive a Letter of Admission for the IMRD programme, which you can use to apply for a student visa.
Visa application
If you need a visa to enter Belgium, please start your visa application as soon as possible after you have received your Letter of Admission.
Apply for a long-stay student visa type D at the Belgian embassy or consulate that is competent for your country of residence. Information about your visa application can be found at the visa information page and at the competent Belgian embassy or consulate.
The IMRD programme includes student mobility to other European countries. Therefore, you need to apply for a long-stay student visa type D with code B35. After your arrival in Belgium, you will be able to apply based on this code B35 for a two-year residence permit that will allow you to travel to IMRD partner countries without having to apply for a residence permit in these countries.
When applying for a visa, you will be asked to prove your solvency (i.e. sufficient means of subsistence). This solvency can be proved in different ways:
- A Scholarship Award Letter (document certifying that you have been granted a scholarship).
- A blocked account and solvency letter (recommended): Ghent University provides the required solvency letter if sufficient means of subsistence are transferred on a blocked account managed by Ghent University. The financial means will then be reimbursed to you on a monthly basis. For more information, contact internationalsupport@ugent.be.
- An affidavit of support (or a financial guarantee) (not recommended).
All instructions on other administrative steps (insurance, bank account, student housing, travel to Belgium, residence permit …) will be sent to admitted students by email in May following your application, as part of the TakeOff programme.