Level 6 · 3 Years · 180 Credits · Full-Time · Brussels
The Data Manager programme at Brussels College prepares students to manage, preserve, and provide access to heritage data and digital collections in cultural heritage institutions — archives, libraries, museums, documentation centres, and public-sector organisations. Delivered entirely in English at our Brussels campus, the programme provides a thorough grounding in heritage information standards, digital preservation, metadata management, open data, linked data, and data governance.
The curriculum is structured around the seven competences of the Belgian VKS qualification for Data Managers (BK-0574-1), ensuring graduates are equipped with the domain knowledge, methodological skills, and professional practice required to manage heritage data across the full information lifecycle — from initial description and ingestion through long-term preservation, open publication, and institutional policy development.
Qualification Recognition: This programme is intended to be compatible with Belgian VKS (Vlaamse Kwalificatiestructuur) qualifications at Level 6, specifically the Data Manager profile (BK-0574-1). Prospective students and institutional accreditors are encouraged to contact the Brussels College Admissions Office for further information on equivalence and recognition procedures.
Develop expertise in digital preservation, metadata standards, and repository management to ensure the long-term accessibility of cultural heritage collections across archives, libraries, and museums.
Master FAIR data principles, Linked Data, authority files, and open data publication to connect heritage collections with the broader knowledge graph and support data reuse.
Build a strong foundation in copyright law, GDPR, the EU Open Data Directive, and heritage ethics — including international conventions, community rights, and responsible data governance.
Study in the heart of European institutions and benefit from proximity to meemoo, PACKED vzw, the Royal Library of Belgium, and a broad network of Flemish and Brussels heritage organisations.
Brussels College is committed to recruiting students with the potential and motivation to succeed. All candidates must meet the following entry requirements to be considered for the Data Manager programme.
The following documents are required to complete your enrolment. Please ensure all documents are valid and, where applicable, officially translated into English or French.
International students requiring a Belgian student visa must also submit the Enrolment Certificate issued by Brussels College, proof of financial means, and a medical certificate as required by Belgian immigration authorities. Please verify current requirements with the Belgian embassy in your country.
| Code | Name | Type | Category | Hours | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED 101 | Dutch for Professional Contexts I (A0 → A1 Beginner) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| FRN 107 | French for Professional Contexts I (A0 → A1 Beginner) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HDM 101 | Heritage Data Management I | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HIS 105 | Heritage Information Standards I | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| LEP 111 | Heritage Ethics & International Conventions | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| PPC 103 | Academic & Professional Writing | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| Code | Name | Type | Category | Hours | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED 122 | Dutch for Professional Contexts II (A1 → A2 Pre-Intermediate) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| FRN 126 | French for Professional Contexts II (A1 → A2 Pre-Intermediate) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HDM 122 | Heritage Data Management II | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HIS 126 | Heritage Information Standards II | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| DHS 110 | Digital Heritage Systems I | B | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| ODI 124 | Introduction to Open Data & Linked Heritage | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| Code | Name | Type | Category | Hours | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED 201 | Dutch for Professional Contexts III (A2 → B1.1 Intermediate) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| FRN 211 | French for Professional Contexts III (A2 → B1.1 Intermediate) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HDM 201 | Heritage Data Management III | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HIS 211 | Metadata Schemas & Description Standards | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| DHS 211 | Digital Repository Infrastructure | B | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| LEP 211 | Copyright, Licensing & Heritage Data Law | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| Code | Name | Type | Category | Hours | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED 222 | Dutch for Professional Contexts IV (B1.1 → B1.2 Upper-Intermediate) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| FRN 234 | French for Professional Contexts IV (B1.1 → B1.2 Upper-Intermediate) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HDM 222 | Heritage Data Management IV | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HIS 232 | Advanced Metadata & Data Modelling | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| DHS 220 | Web-Based Heritage Data Access Systems | B | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| DPG 203 | Data Management Planning | B | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| Code | Name | Type | Category | Hours | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED 301 | Dutch for Professional Contexts V (B1.2 → B2.1 Pre-Advanced) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| FRN 325 | French for Professional Contexts V (B1.2 → B2.1 Pre-Advanced) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HDM 301 | Heritage Data Management V | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| ODI 309 | Authority Files & Semantic Web | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| LEP 311 | Advanced Legal & Reuse Frameworks | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| DPG 323 | Data Policy in Practice | B | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| Code | Name | Type | Category | Hours | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED 326 | Dutch for Professional Contexts VI (B2.1 → B2.2 Advanced) | D | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| HDM 326 | Heritage Data Management VI | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| ODI 328 | Controlled Vocabularies & Knowledge Graphs | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| LEP 332 | Ethics, Community & Policy Advocacy | A | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| PPC 306 | Professional Practice & Career Development | C | Compulsory | 3 | 5 |
| DPG 390 | Capstone: Data Governance & Strategy | C | Compulsory | 2 | 5 |