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What about Studying in Paris? |
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Page 3 of 9 The organisation of the French academic programs
In French institutions, there are two basic types of courses:
• Lecture courses are given in halls seating 30 to 1000 students. The number of students depends on the chosen program and the type of institution. In general, the professors present the subjects and students take notes. In some institutions, particularly in specialized schools such as engineering or business schools, reading outlines are sometimes given. Classroom procedures depend on the professors, the program and the institution.
• Study sections are known as travaux dirigés or travaux pratiques in France, and consist of small groups of students. In these seminar-style sections, students apply and deepen what the professor has presented in the lecture hall. Attendance is mandatory, as opposed to lecture courses, where attendance is not checked.
Student performance is assessed in two ways:
• Short quizzes given throughout the semester allow instructors to check what their students have learned in each unit.
• Examinations covering all of the material presented during the semester are given at the end of each semester, generally just before the February break and again in June, before the summer break.
In the university system, courses are usually organized into modules, some of which are mandatory and some elective (optional). To earn a degree, students must complete a certain number of modules. Once a module has been completed, it counts toward a degree. Failure in one module does not in any way reduce the value of a completed module.
The organisation of the academic year
In France the academic year begins in September or October and ends in May or June. The exact starting and ending dates vary among institutions and programs. There are several breaks during the year:
• 2 weeks in December-January for Christmas and the New Year
• 2 weeks in February for winter break
• 2 weeks in late March–early April for the Easter break
Quite a few holidays fall in May: May 1 (Labour Day), May 8 (Victory Day, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe), Ascension Thursday, and Pentecost Monday. Summer vacation stretches over the entire months of July and August, and sometimes includes parts of June and September as well.
Short or long degree program
Short degree programs, generally involving two or three years of study, are concentrated in the fields of manufacturing, trade and services. Most are offered by multidisciplinary institutes affiliated with a university—the so-called university institutes of technology, or IUTs—or in specialized schools. All short programs include internships. Programs awarding the degree of brevet de technicien supérieur (BTS) are unique post secondary programs. They are taught in secondary schools. BTS degrees are offered in 86 different fields. Graduates move directly into jobs in their chosen field. Among the most popular BTS programs are those in hotel management, manufacturing, applied arts, business and agriculture.
Long degree program can be attended by students holding a baccalauréat or another degree deemed to be equivalent. The duration of the training is at least 4 years with an internship at the end of the term. The cases of medical studies ( i.e., doctor, specialized doctors, pharmacology) are somewhat different because there is a two-year preparation course before a competition, followed by the four-year program and then two more years for specialisation. Almost all the institutions propose long degree programs: in engineering and business schools, all the degrees are long programs.
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