FAQ

We currently offer five Bachelor’s:

• Bachelor’s in Politics and International Relations
• Bachelor’s in Economics
• Bachelor’s in Politics and Economics 
• Bachelor’s in Psychology 
• Bachelor’s in Data Science and Business Analytics

The teaching and learning methodologies we’ve combined enhance the development of multiple intelligences: cognitive, social, emotional, and practical, whereas traditional classroom teaching and learning only develop cognitive intelligence. Through our bespoke activities and project-based learning, Forward students develop skills such as autonomy, self-regulation, time management, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.

As the academic sessions of the Bachelor’s + mostly take place in the morning, the afternoons are dedicated for the most part to the activities of the Leadership programme.  These include project management sessions, workshops, and feedback sessions during which students are challenged to integrate their theoretical knowledge within practical, real-life problems and contexts. For example, the community initiatives as part of the BBL will give you the opportunity to research the social, economic, and political context in which you live. Research-based inquiries, conducted as part of an interdisciplinary group of peers, will help you develop the fundamental research skills required to be successful in your Bachelor’s degree and beyond. The leadership skills training will equip you to get a head-start for your project management task, and, in the long run, for your future professional career and development.

It’s not possible to switch programme after the start of the academic year. If you change your mind during the application process or before the start of the year, you can start a new application and apply for another programme. You may start a new application process for starting over another Double Bachelor’s programme.

Students will spend the three years of their Bachelor’s Degree in Lisbon (1st Year), Paris (2nd Year) and Amsterdam (3rd Year).

The Lisbon Learning Centre is located in the Chiado area of the city centre. The U-Hub, where our students live, is located in Benfica, a 20-minute Metro ride from the Learning Centre.

The Paris Learning Centre is located at Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CUIP) in the South of Paris.

The Amsterdam Learning Centre is located at Student Minervahaven in the city centre.

Annual tuition fees amount to:

• €16,500 for EU students and €18,500 for non-EU students for the Bachelor’s+ programme
• €19,000 for EU students and €21,000 students for the Double Bachelor’s programme

There are no application fees when applying to Forward College. Scholarships and zero-interest trust loans are available to support students from less advantaged backgrounds. Learn more here.

Yes, you will need a student visa to study in Europe with us. We will assist you in the process after you have enrolled. Cost is usually around 90€.

Forward College accepts transfer students on a case-by-case basis depending on their curriculum and achievements. Alternatively, transfer students may be offered the opportunity to start as first year students.

Contemporary academic research has proven that the flipped-classroom approach increases exam success and develops life-long learning skills, particularly when combined with clear guidelines and aims, within a structured peer-learning environment. This is related to the active approach to learning in which students first make an individual effort to learn by themselves. The approach is recognised to be all the more effective when combined with individualised teaching through one-on-one tutoring and small-group teaching that allow for high quality interactions.

Academic Degrees will be awarded by the University of London under the academic direction of the member institutions that have designed the degrees. These are for now the London School of Economics, Kings College London, and Goldsmiths University of London. The Bachelor in Business Leadership will be awarded by Forward College.

The academic year starts in September and ends in June.

The daily self-assessments and weekly examinations are set by Forward College, but the term exams are supervised and graded by the London School of Economics, King’s College London, and Goldsmiths who award the academic degrees.

The Forward BBL degree will help you develop a broad range of leadership skills across the five intelligence types: cognitive, social, emotional, technological, and practical. See the breakdown of the skills you’ll develop here.

Societies and businesses alike are evolving from hierarchical structures: where leadership was about reaching positions of power, to communities and networks where leadership is about engaging people for a shared purpose across areas of expertise, cultures, social backgrounds, and organisations. This new engagement-based leadership reflects the changing aspirations of younger generations who wish to make change happen here and now;  of employees wanting to feel engaged rather than “managed”;  of citizens who seek to participate more actively in decision-making processes. The Forward College Business and Leadership Bachelor’s curriculum has been designed to reflect these changes, and to support students’ as they engage, question and imagine new and future ways of working, of building collaborative and inclusive environments, and of impact-making.

Students will build up their skills in finance, marketing, project management, communication, strategy, negotiation, communication, and data analysis and learn how to leverage them for their projects.

For the Project Work, the teams will be graded based on weekly reviews by faculty and the Grand Jury twice a year. Students will also be assessed individually through tests on project skills, faculty observations during the reviews, and our 360° skills evaluation.

For the Personal Development work, students do not receive grades. Set assessments and feedback are designed to help students reflect on their progress, assess their engagement, and set their aspirations in a number of 90-minute individual coaching sessions each semester. These sessions are based on anonymous feedback from teammates, teachers, project partners, and other peers through our 360° skills evaluation system.

Applications to Forward College are done online, directly with Forward College. See more details here.

No, there are no application fees associated with applying to Forward College.

Forward College is an international college that is not related to any national application system (such as the British UCAS system or the French Parcoursup).  This means that you can apply to Forward College on top of your other applications.

Yes, deferral is an option for your admission offer once you have accepted your offer.

Yes, we do want to know where you come from as we understand that equal opportunities depend on individual contextual backgrounds, be they social, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, or economic. Equal opportunity is a key value at Forward College.

We are an inclusive college, and are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support all students to have full student life and experience.

You will be informed at regular intervals and throughout the different steps of the admission process via email. Although it is not compulsory, you can also opt to receive notifications via WhatsApp.

In addition to our published entry requirements here, we want to understand your background, history, and why you wish to join Forward College. If you are selected after you send your application, you will be invited for an interview where we will ask you further about your motivations and expectations.

No, fees are only paid to Forward College, which includes the University of London BSc fees.

No, but you will need to register with the University of London after enrolling at Forward College and before the start of the academic year. The Admissions team will guide you through that process.

The fees are paid in instalments in August, December, and March.

Yes, your spot is booked in each student residence and is part of your enrollment process

We are committed to making sure our students receive all the assistance and support they need to settle into life in each city. The support is provided by each city’s campus manager. Manuela Moritz for the Lisbon campus and Céline Chalard for the Paris campus.

At the moment, the financial aid is only towards tuition fees.

The essential living costs in each city can be found here. We also have information on additional, non essential, or one-off costs such as visa purchases, etc.

Your enrollment deposit at Forward will be refunded. A deduction of 180€  will be applied due to administrative costs.

Yes, it is.

Yes! Whether in Lisbon, Paris or Amsterdam you will live in student residences where you will have the opportunity to meet international as well as local students. Thanks to your Erasmus card you will also have access to the Erasmus community where you’ll meet both local and international students.

According to European statistics and their latest price level comparison, Portugal is the cheapest destination followed by France and the Netherlands. These countries are not the cheapest European destinations, but neither are they the most expensive. The price comparison depends on where you are based, but generally, Lisbon is considered one of the cheapest European destinations for students, while Paris and Amsterdam will be more expensive.

EU citizens should request the European Health Insurance card (EHIC), with that card, students will have free access to public healthcare in Lisbon, Paris, and Amsterdam. Non-EU citizens will require private health insurance, which will allow them to access healthcare at an affordable cost. EU citizens that plan to access private healthcare may also apply for private health insurance.

Absolutely! Forward will support you during the whole moving process, especially with formalities like visas or residence permits. Information will be available and you may ask for support from current students, or Forward staff.

The conditions of your current phone plan should allow you to use your phone in Lisbon, Paris, and Amsterdam at no extra cost. This should happen if you have an European phone number, as the European Commission put in place « roaming » legislation that has recently been extended for at least 10 more years. For non-European phone numbers this may not be the case. Speak to your telephone network to see if they will help you with this. If not, you will able to get a fairly cheap phone plan when you move to Lisbon.

Yes, English is widely spoken throughout Europe and Forward College’s destinations are international destinations where English is spoken. In particular, The Netherlands has one of the highest proportions of top-level non-native English speakers in the world.

As the school year starts in September and finishes in June, you will have to move to the next country before the term starts.

When you book your accommodation, you will be able to choose the type of room you would like to have, however you will not choose with whom you will live. Rest assured, will never be far away from the other Forward College students living on campus.

Yes! The accommodations are single room and you may also have a private bathroom.

Forward College highly recommends students to live on campus for many reasons, one of them being the difficulty of finding accommodation on your own, as well as to foment the Forward Community.

Of course! Even though you will not be on campus with students from other year group, you are able to connect through social media as well as in person for some of them during the induction week.