University of Mons
The creation of the University of Mons (UMONS), founded on account of the merging of the University of Mons-Hainaut (UMH) and the Faculty of Engineering of Mons (FPMs), consolidates the Mons Higher Education Consortium.
As of 2009-2010, UMONS took seat in the new academic landscape of the French Community of Belgium. The two institutions, UMH and FPMs, which were both founded on the standards of high quality research and education, chose to join forces.
The amalgamation of their potential will allow:
- further development of higher education, offered in Mons and Charleroi
- increased cross-disciplinary education and training within certain degree programmes
- reinforcement of current research centres and corresponding specialised training programmes
- a heightened presence on an international level
- greater participation in the cultural and economic development of the area
- reinforcement of collaborations within an integrated consortium that gathers partners of public higher education in Hainaut around the University of Mons.
UMONS has several Faculties and Institutes that deliver Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees:
- Faculty of Psychology and Education
- Warocqué School of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Engineering (formerly known as "POLYTECH Mons")
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Medecine and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning
- Faculty of Translation and Interpreting-EII (School of International Interpreters)
- Institute of Language Sciences
- School of Human and Social Sciences
- Law School
UMONS is a member of the Brussels Alliance for Research and Higher Education (AUWB) along with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Preferential agreements with ULB give students additional openings to certain degree programmes.
For example, the undergraduate 3-year medicine programme in Mons gives direct access to the postgraduate level of this course in Brussels (doctoral degree in medicine). In the same way, the undergraduate 3-year course in Human and Social Sciences in Mons (3 years) gives access to the second cycle at ULB in:
- Political Science
- Workforce Science
- Anthropology
- Human Resources
- Sociology
- Population and Development
- Information and Communication
- Computer Science and Information Technology.
UMONS is also attentive to the needs of adults returning to higher education. Lifelong learning programmes are mainly offered in Charleroi in:
- Computer Science
- Psychology and Education
- Business Management
- Engineering.