A glimpse of how the French higher education system works.
France adheres to the European Credit Transfer System, or ECTS, which is a system of recognition of study units within the European Higher Education Area. ECTS credits are cumulative and transferable, thus allowing more seamless student mobility between regions that employ the ECTS. When a student transfers from one European institution to another, course units completed will be credited by the new host school.
France's organization of higher education levels is called the LMD, or Licence (Undergraduate) - Master - Doctorat. The obtention of each diploma is dependent on the completion of a required number of ECTS:
| Level | Pre-requisi te | Number of ECTS | Time to complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence (or undergraduate) | Baccalauréat or equivalent (HS diploma) | 180 | 6 semesters / 3 years |
| Master | Licence or equivalent | 120 | 4 semesters / 2 years |
| Doctorat | Master or equivalent | 180 | 6 semesters / 3 years |
Most university programs in France fall under the LMD system, with certain study programs such as the BTS (Brevet de technicien supérieur, or advanced vocational diploma), the DUT (Diplome universitaire de technologie, or university tech degree), and medical programs having timelines that run parallel to the more conventional LMD programs. Other study programs, such as engineering and architecture courses, follow yet a different timeline.
Public & Private Institutions
Higher education institutions in France can either be public or private in status. Public schools, or universities, are establishments that are maintained by France's Ministry for education. Thus, all HEIs sporting the word university/université in their name are public institutions.
All other educational institutions not under the direct jurisdiction of or subsidized by the Ministry for Education are classified as private schools. These include the grandes écoles (literally translates to "grand schools"), écoles catholiques (or catholic schools), écoles normales ou supérieures (normal or higher schools), and business and management schools.
