Study in France

The French higher education system is one of the most advanced in the world, with 2.5 million students enrolled, of whom more than 300,000 are from outside France. There are several types of higher education institutions in the country:

Universities: These offer Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines. There are usually a few public Universities in each major city of France, with Paris having 15. 

Grandes Ecoles: These are specialized institutes, that primarily focus on graduate-level study and research in science and technology, economics, political science, architecture, or medicine. Several Grandes Écoles are among the highest-ranked French institutions of higher education, and the admission process is usually very competitive, with selection rates as low as 10%. Admission to these schools usually requires a Year 12 school leaving certificate and at least two years of study (or professional experience) post the Baccalaureate.

Private Universities and Institutes: In parallel with the public higher education system, each city also has private institutions of higher education. They usually charge higher tuition fees, as compared to public Universities (which charge only annual registration fees).

Most Universities in France run a few short-term certificate courses, usually for three to six months. These are in high-demand areas like digital marketing, fashion marketing, luxury brand management, international business, and French as a foreign language. The main beneficiaries of these courses are tourists, business executives, and online learners. Students who are enrolled full-time in French Universities may also take up short-term certificate programs in order to strengthen their resume before applying for jobs. The value of a certificate course is usually in proportion to the global ranking of the University or School offering it.

There are two types of undergraduate degrees in France: Licence and Licence Professionnelle, which correspond to Bachelor’s and vocational UG degrees in other countries. These are typically awarded by Universities, though many grandes écoles have undergraduate programs as well. Most UG programs last 3 years, though some Universities have Engineering degree programs that take 8 semesters to complete, with a year-long internship. The first year of such a degree involves general introductory subject study. Subsequent semesters allow students to move towards specialized study. Two-thirds of all students enrolled in higher education programs in France are undergraduates.

French Master’s programs are among the most comprehensive in the world, and the Government proactively seeks to attract the best international talent to its postgraduate programs through financial schemes like the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship. They typically last 4 semesters, with intensive assignments and coursework during the first three semesters, and a Master’s thesis project at the end of the program. Students usually take up an internship between the two years of their degree; these work opportunities are regulated by contracts signed by the student, company, and University. 

Most institutions of higher education in France also offer one-year Master’s degrees; these are for students who have relevant work experience post their Bachelor’s degrees, and for those who have completed an honors degree or a diploma.

Three-year PhD programs form the highest tier of education in France. Universities typically have doctoral schools that coordinate high level research activities; PhD students are attached to a research lab headed by a professor, and work on original problems under the direct guidance of postdoctoral research scientists. Funding for these programs is available through research contracts; which pay PhD students a stipend to deal with living costs, in addition to waiving tuition fees. Interdisciplinary research is one of the key reasons behind the success of French public Universities; most institutions of higher education feature collaborations between Departments via Research Centers, and national organizations like CNRS facilitate partnerships through their branches in the top universities.