Catholic University of Louvain Summer Research Program (Summer: Nov - Feb)

Save the Date! Monday 23 - Friday 27 February. Orientation is designed to help you settle in, connect with your peers, and discover everything you need to thrive in your graduate studies.

An exciting opportunity for engineering students to undertake research in Europe over the Australian summer break. You will join an existing lab at UCLouvain, Belgium, and undertake research from late November - end February (with a short break for the Christmas/New Year holiday period). Following your research experience, you will return to Melbourne and complete some assessment components so that this experience will contribute academic credit towards your degree.

Two places are available, as ERASMUS scholarship funding will support the successful candidates.

  • To be eligible to participate in this short-term program you must*:

    • Have a WAM of 75
    • Be enrolled into a Master of Biomedical Engineering or Master of Electrical Engineering through the Faculty of Engineering and IT
    • maintain satisfactory academic progress
    • be currently enrolled, and have successfully completed a minimum of one study period and at least 37.5 credit points (undergraduate students) or one study period and at least 12.5 credit points (graduate students) before departure
    • not have an 'at risk' status at the time of application or before commencing the overseas study program
    • not have conditions imposed by the Course Unsatisfactory Progress Committee
    • not be subject to an undischarged misconduct penalty, suspended for misconduct, or become suspended any time before commencing the overseas study program.
    • If Semester 1 is your first semester at the University of Melbourne, it's not possible to undertake a short-term program in the following winter break because you will not be able to successfully complete one study period prior to departure. You may be eligible to participate in a summer short-term program (November - February), which are advertised from August.

    If you fulfil the eligibility criteria above, you will also need to:

    • get overseas study plan approval for the subjects you wish to take overseas
    • submit your application before the application deadline below
    • adhere to any late start rules of the semester you plan on returning to study at the University of Melbourne (when applicable).
    • meet any requirements specific to the institution to which you are applying

  • The following options have been confirmed as avenues for using this program as academic credit towards your degree. Please note: You must still have your project approved by the relevant University of Melbourne subject coordinator, as some assessment components will need to be completed upon your return in order for credit to be awarded.

    Biomedical EngineeringBMEN90041 Biomedical Eng Summer Research Project
    Electrical EngineeringELEN90083 Electrical Eng Research Project

    You must have approval confirmed in writing prior to applying for this program as we can only nominate students who will be receiving academic credit for this program.

    Please note: If the approved subject is an elective, you must ensure that you have space in your study plan for this elective to be credited.

  • Late November 2026 – Late February 2026 (Summer semester enrolment)

  • Please  click here for the list of available projects as of July 2025

  • UC Louvain will provide supporting documents required to apply for your visa

  • UC Louvain is keen to encourage visiting student researchers, and has obtained ERASMUS scholarship funding to support two three-month experiences. This includes:

    • a one-off travel package of 1735 euros, and
    • a monthly payment of 900 euros (per full month and if not, pro rata) for 3 months.

    If more students are successful in securing approval to attend this program, funding will be awarded to the successful applicants with the highest WAM.

    FEIT provides $1500 in funding for all students attending short-term research programs. Please refer to the FEIT Exchange Scholarships Website for further details.

  • Students travelling on university-approved programs are eligible for cover under the university travel insurance. You should ensure that you register for this. More details are available on the university Travel Insurance website.

  • You will need to organise your own flights and accommodation.

    UC Louvain may be able to provide student housing on or near the campus. If so, accommodation is likely to be single studios where students have their own kitchen and bathroom. Rent cost for a studio is €590/month including Wi-Fi access and utilities.

    If you wish to explore other options, the UC Louvain accommodation website is a good place to start.

  • Application period extended to 22 August 2025.

  • Identify a project you would like to join

    Check that you have room in your study plan for the subject that will bear the credit

    Discuss with the subject coordinator at Melbourne to confirm that the project suits the subject for which you will be receiving credit. Please ask them to confirm by email that they have approved you participating in the overseas project for credit towards the relevant subject at Melbourne.

    Apply via the Global Learning Website. You should provide the coordinator approval, your transcript, a cv/resume and a Statement of Interest to support your application. Please be aware that these documents may be shared with the potential supervisor at UC Louvain for a final decision on the successful candidate.

  • engit-exchange@unimelb.edu.au

Applications close 22 August.