University of Antwerp

In Antwerp, you will attend classes at University of Antwerp and live in apartments located a short walk away from the university..

The University of Antwerp was originally founded in 1852 by the fathers of the Societas Jesu as the "Sint-Ignatius Business Institute. In 1965 the institute officially became a university and was renamed "Universitaire Faculteiten Sint-Ignatius te Antwerpen," or UFSIA. In 2003, UFSIA merged with two other Antwerp universities and is now known simply as the University of Antwerp, or UA for short.

Today, the University of Antwerp is one of Belgium's most distinguished universities. It attracts students from all over Europe. As a medium-sized university, UA's enrollment totals approximately 3,500 full-time students. There are 600 faculty and staff members.

The Faculty of Applied Economics (the "business school") is one of the largest and most famous in the country, with approximately 2,500 students. It is located in the 16th century historical buildings in the center of the city, while the schools of Law, Languages, History, Literature, Philosophy, and Social sciences are accommodated in the modern buildings nearby.

JMU students will be housed in apartments near the university. There are three types of rooms: single rooms, single rooms with a small kitchenette, and a studio apartment for two people with a small kitchenette. All apartments have showers and toilets, and there is a common kitchen on three floors in the building.

The University of Antwerp may look ancient on the outside, but inside it is furnished with modern facilities. Students will have access to a full business library, complete with computer lab and copy center. There are other campus computer labs as well, in buildings next to the library. Students will meet in modern classrooms, and they may choose to spend time in the Agorra, or a student lounge with restaurant and recreational facilities.

There are several small businesses surrounding the university that will provide all the amenities you are seeking while staying at the University of Antwerp. And the university is just a few minutes away by foot from the historic "Grand Place" of Antwerp. You are also near museums, churches, restaurants, the Diamond district, and other historical sites. You will find you have plenty to do in Antwerp itself, chosen as the "Cultural Capital of Europe" in 1993.

For more information about the University of Antwerp, visit the official web site.

Program Philosophy

The operating philosophy of the JMU in Antwerp program is experiential. You will learn about business theory or the European business environment in class, and then you will take field trips to actual businesses, governmental institutions, or cultural settings.

For example, you will study distribution, then you will visit the Port of Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe.  Or you will learn about the institutions of the European Union in class, then visit these institutions in Brussels and listen to lectures by European diplomats and politicians.

International field trips are planned to France, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, and Italy. Field trips within Belgium are planned for Brussels, Brugge, Ghent, Liege, and other cities. While in Antwerp, you will visit the Diamond District, the Port of Antwerp, and numerous museums and historical sites.

While in Antwerp, you will attend classes at the historic University of Antwerp, and stay in apartments near the University of Antwerp. You will get to experience student life as the Europeans experience it. The University of Antwerp is home to students from across Europe. Primarily a business school, the University of Antwerp specializes in European Integration and the effects of economic and monetary union.

As an added bonus, you will have two four-day weekends for travel on your own. Since Belgium is centrally located within Europe, you are just a few hours' train ride away from many historic European destinations in countries like Switzerland, Holland, France, Luxembourg, etc. Students may want to take advantage of traveling across Europe with discounted student train tickets. One popular choice is the Eurail pass, which allows unlimited travel over specific days. Ryan Air and Virgin Express are discount airlines that offer cheap student fares.