Studying in France

Each year, almost 130,000 young people from all over the world come to France to study. They choose France because of its high level of cultural and technological development, its modernity and also because of the quality of life France offers, the richness of its heritage, the French language and, especially, France’s reputation in the field of higher education.

Throughout its history, France has been a centre for creativity and the dissemination of culture. Still today, France holds a prominent position in the field of math and sciences (mathematics, astrophysics, biology, medicine, genetics, physics) with such key figures as Charpack, Pierre Gilles de Gennes and Luc Montagnier. Over the past ninety years, the French scientific community has been awarded twenty-six Nobel prizes. The French government finances 50% of scientific research. The large public research institutions (the National Centre for Scientific Research, the National Institute for Health and Medical Research, the National Institute for Agronomical Research) admit many foreign students and high-level researchers each year.

France is in the forefront of technological progress in several fields. France is responsible for the monitoring and technical management of the European space program Ariane, the operational launcher of several dozen communications and observation satellites. The 1981 launch of France’s high-speed trains (TGV) which can travel at an average speed of 200km/h, at a maximum speed of 300km/h and at a test speed of 380km/h, set in motion the development of a high-speed European rail network. The many other technological achievements that could be mentioned – the Airbus, another European achievement; Concorde; the smart card, and the fully automatic rapid transit system, Val – make France a very attractive country for young scientists.

Foreign students who choose to come to France also speak enthusiastically about the attractions of France’s rich heritage: gastronomy, wine-making, the castles of the Loire region, Versailles, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, not to mention the Gothic and Romanesque cathedrals, the Roman ruins, the Pont du Gard, the amphitheatre of Nîmes.

Finally, many students want to practice the French language which they have begun to learn in their own country or they may want to begin studying French in France, for they believe that a knowledge of the language will prove an asset to them in their future working life.

But above all, studying in France gives the foreign student the opportunity to benefit from a higher education system, which has considerable added value.

In fact, the French higher education system has a number of features that make it very successful and attractive. In particular, a wide range of institutions is available: universities, “grandes écoles”, and specialist schools.

The universities offer programs providing basic technological and professional coursework and cover all disciplinary fields.
The “grandes écoles” and specialist schools offer programs leading to specific professions: engineering, management, the arts, architecture, law, public administration and health. These institutions can be either public or private. The degrees offered by the public institutions and most of the private institutions that are subject to educational supervision by the French government are recognized officially.

Foreign students may enter any of these establishments. It should be pointed out, however, that foreign degrees and degrees awarded in France are not legally equivalent. Consequently, the French institution in which enrolment has been requested makes all decisions relating to the recognition of foreign diplomas or coursework.

The French higher education system offers both short and long programs.
Short programs, most of which last two or three years, essentially prepare students for the industrial, commercial and service sectors. These programs are offered in technical institutions attached to universities and in various specialized institutions. They all lead to professional degrees, include academic as well as technological coursework and involve internships in companies.

Long programs are offered by the universities and “grandes écoles”. They enable students to progress to the highest levels of specialization in their subject area (research).

Universities admit students with a high-school diploma or equivalent.
University studies consist of three programs: a first program leading to a bachelor’s degree (after three years of advanced studies), a second program leading first to an advanced diploma (after one year) and then to one of two postgraduate diplomas (the DEA or DESS, which are awarded two years after the bachelor’s degree). These two postgraduate diplomas in turn confer a master’s degree. The third program leads to the doctorate (three years after the DEA postgraduate degree).

Admission to the “grandes écoles” is by a highly selective entrance examination, for which intensive preparation is given during the first year. However, the “grandes écoles” also admit both foreign and French students on the basis of their qualifications and experience, as well as on the basis of any previous courses of study. Programs in the “grandes écoles” last five years (including the preparatory year).

Enrolment procedures differ according to whether the institution at which the foreign student wishes to register is a university, one of the “grandes écoles” or a specialist school, and according to the degree that he or she already holds and the level at which he or she wishes to pursue a course of study.

A foreign student wishing to enrol in the first year of a higher education program should find out about possible courses and the relevant enrolment procedures by contacting the cultural attaché of the French embassy or consulate in his or her own country.

A student interested in other levels of study, however, can obtain information from several sources, either by contacting the cultural attaché, as suggested above, or by contacting the EduFrance Agency, an official body whose purpose is to promote French higher education abroad and to assist foreign students in coming to study in France successfully. EduFrance offers a wide range of services, from providing information on programs to institution enrolment, from meeting students at the airport to finding them the best possible accommodation, and, finally, from offering benefits in terms of leisure activities to ongoing assistance in all matters.

Foreign students wishing to come to France to study should obtain relevant information well before the beginning of the year in which they envisage starting their program. In addition, they should think about their planned course of study from the viewpoint of how appropriate it will be to the world of work in their own country.

For more information, contact:
Agence EduFrance
173, boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France
Tel 33 1 53 63 35 00
Fax 33 1 53 63 35 47
Internet site: www.edufrance.fr