The university in higher education in France
The mission of the universities, which are public institutions, is to offer higher level studies and research. They are multidisciplinary and provide a broad range of educational offerings, which can be either general or vocational and can lead to degrees whose exit levels range from bac + 2 to bac + 8: DUT (Diplômes universitaires de technologie = University technology diplomas), licences (Bachelor’s degrees), licences professionnelles (vocational diplomas), Master’s degrees, Doctorates.
These degrees are issued by:
- UFR (Unités de formation et de recherche = Training and research units), generally centred around a more or less wide field of disciplines: this is the case for licences, licences professionnelles, Master’s degrees and Doctorates,
- IUT (Instituts universitaires de technologie = University technology institutes): DUT, licences professionnelles.
Besides these degrees, the universities offer:
- engineering degrees (5 years post-bac) in “écoles internes” (“intramural schools”);
- health studies courses: the study of medicine, of pharmacy, odontology, etc.;
- preparations for certain competitions and examinations (education, civil service, engineering schools, etc.);
- initial and continuing training for primary and secondary school teachers, in the IUFM (Instituts universitaires de formation des maîtres = University institutes for Master’s training) and the UFR;
- the DAEU (Diplôme d'accès aux études universitaires = diploma providing access to university studies) and the capacité en droit (a basic legal qualification providing access to the study of law at university);
- the DU (diplômes universitaires = university diplomas) ou DIU (Diplômes inter-universitaires = degrees delivered by several universities jointly).
Finally, the universities equally encourage “life-long learning” by enabling individuals engaged in active life, people in employment or job-seekers, to take up their studies again: this is “continuous training”.
The degrees/diplomas and structures of university courses
The “LMD” system:
Apart from degrees in health, French university degrees follow the structure common to higher education in Europe, that of the LMD (licence – master - doctorat, or Bachelor - Master - Doctorate):
- Their exit level is aligned with that of European degrees: the Bachelor’s degree at bac + 3, the Master’s at bac + 5, and the Doctorate at bac + 8.
- They all share a common value, the ECTS credit (European Credit Transfer System): the Bachelor’s degree is worth 180 ECTS, the Master’s 120 ECTS. These credits are transferable from one institution to another in France and in the rest of Europe.
DUTs and licences professionnelles are also integrated within the LMD system, with the DUT being credited with 120 ECTS and the licence professionnelle with 60 ECTS.
Higher education studies are organised into semesters and teaching units. Each semester is worth 30 ECTS.
Bridges exist between the different degrees.
The LMD system aims to encourage and facilitate the mobility of students both in France and within the countries of the European area, and to make degrees recognizable by everybody.
The degrees within the LMD system:
DUT (University technology diplomas) – 2 years / 120 credits. These are offered at the IUT (Instituts universitaires de technologie) and enable students to acquire competences with a view to taking up a profession quickly. Nonetheless, it is possible to pursue studies, in particular towards a vocational diploma.
- Licences (Bachelor’s degrees) – 3 years / 180 credits: Awarding passes in a particular discipline, these aim for the acquisition of a general knowledge of an area or discipline. They can lead to a Master’s degree in two years. However, at the end of L2 (2nd year), the student can opt to take a licence professionnelle.
- Licences professionnelles (vocational diplomas) - 1 year / 60 credits: Licences professionnelles are set up in partnership with the professional sectors and companies, and encourage employment in sectors which require specialist competences.
- Master’s degrees – 2 years / 120 credits: These can have a “vocational” or “research” orientation depending on the nature of the teaching units chosen and the work placement undertaken (in a company or in a research laboratory).
The Master’s degree with a “vocational” orientation is a final diploma which opens up access to the professional world.
The Master’s degree with a “research orientation”, based on the doctoral schools and laboratories, naturally opens the way to the preparation of a doctoral thesis.
Doctorates - Duration: 3 years
These are prepared after a Master’s degree, and are training for and through research, and for innovation.
Engineering schools:
These can be either specialist or generalist, and private or public. They are dependent on the ministry of national education or other ministries (industry, defence, health, etc.). Admission to these schools is very selective. Entry is usually obtained via a competition at the end of two years of preparatory classes following the baccalaureate (either taken at a lycée or integrally to the establishment). They can also be accessible to students with higher education diplomas (at bac + 2, + 3 or + 4), subject to differing forms of selection (competition, entrance exam, application forms and interview). Some of the schools organise competitions following the baccalaureate. Their exit level (including the preparatory classes) is generally at bac + 5.
Health studies at university:
These cover medicine, odontology and pharmacy. They are long courses of study (bac + 6 to 8 for dental surgeons, bac + 6 to 9 for pharmacists, bac + 9 to 11 for doctors), which lead to a diplôme d’État (DE) (state diploma), which is obligatory to practise in these professions.
The course begins with the PAES (Première année des études de santé = first year of health studies) which is common to all three tracks as well as the midwifery track, (which is subsequently followed at midwifery school), and also to some other tracks, such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy (thus at Nancy). It is divided into two semesters and into teaching units, credited with a certain number of ECTS.
At the end of the first semester of the common programme, exams are organised, after which students can switch to other university courses. During the second semester, certain lessons are common to all the competitions, while others are specific. At the end of the semester students enter one or more distinct competitions, each corresponding to one of the tracks. The number of students admitted to each of the tracks is established by means of a decree, depending on the numerus clausus.
The first year may only be re-taken once.
Other diplomas:
The capacité en droit and the DAEU (diplôme d’accès aux études universitaires) enable individuals who have not passed the baccalaureate to gain access to higher education diplomas:
- The capacité en droit (basic legal qualification): this enables individuals who have not passed the baccalaureate to enter university to pursue a law degree. It lasts for two years.
- The DAEU (diploma providing access to university studies): this enables individuals who have not passed the baccalaureate to gain access to higher education diplomas. It is accessible under certain conditions, and preparation for it takes at least a year, but may be spread over four years at most. It offers two options: A, which is predominantly literary, and B, which is predominantly scientific.
The DU (diplomes d’université = university diplomas): As well as the national diplomas authorised by the Ministry, such as bachelor’s degrees, licences professionnelles and masters, the universities can also create “local” diplomas. These diplomas are the DUs (university diplomas).
Rating scale
The pass mark thresholds are as follows:
|
10< mark <12 |
Acceptable |
|
12<mark <14 |
Satisfactory |
|
14<mark <16 |
Good |
|
16<mark |
Excellent |