How and what can you learn in France

Do you know that this year the University of Paris – Sorbonne – Performed Rivne 777 years? And what exactly called Napoleon "University" Association of schools, lyceums and faculties? That only in France there is a decree that declares the equality of French and foreign students when enrolling in universities and in general upon receipt of education? And that the French themselves are so confused in their higher education system, which created in each university "Service information and orientation", not counting one more, central, in Paris?

If not, then notes about French higher education you should read at least just to expand the horizons.

To whom to contact the Motherland

For a start, advice: if you read this material, really want to continue education in France, but you still have no maturity certificate or if you need to get a diploma, – do not wait. Start interested in the details in advance – references can be obtained without a document on education. Consultations should be treated (personally or by mail) to the Department of Culture of the Embassy of France or to the French Cultural Center. These services will familiarize you with various important documents: Resolutions of the National Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, with newsletters of the National Office on Higher and Professional Learning (Onisep), Information Youth Center (CIDJ), National Center for Universities and Schools (CNOUUS). Moreover, there you can help in choosing a higher educational institution that most accurately responding with your requirements.

Complex education system

University education in France is mainly state and very inexpensive (from 3.500 francs – $ 600 – a year). At the same time, the young – up to 26 years old – and non-working students the government usually supports discounts and various benefits.

Higher education institutions are divided mainly into two types: universities and higher schools.

Let’s start with universities. In France, they are about eighty, and education there consists of three cycles.

First cycle

It lasts two years, after which students receive a DUT diploma (Diplome Universitaire de Technologie) or Deug (Diplome Generales). Access to the first cycle has bachelors that are not scary, because a bachelor’s diploma in France receive graduates of the school, not university, as in many other countries (and now in Russia). Another thing is that – like all other diplomas in France – bachelor’s diplomas differ in the directions (technical, humanitarian and etc.) and come to continue study only in the same direction.

Important detail: education in the field of medicine and pharmacology has a feature – to move from the first year to the second, you should not just withstand the exam, but get enough good marks and get a serious contest. It is impossible to trust the health of the nation former troeses. Future doctors and pharmacists who have not passed this competition are allowed to repeat the first course, but only once.

Nonyiki and Nephthmakers may also not rejoice: they can be selected a year later, according to the results of the entire first cycle. True, in the second year you can stay as much as you like. Only pay.

Second cycle

The second cycle, if you want to pass it completely, designed for three years. But after the second year of this cycle, you will assign a degree of a matre (it is called Maitrise, it can still be translated into our "master" – What, however, does not correspond to the Anglo-American Master). After two years of study on the second cycle, you can enter the third cycle. And you can learn three years and get a diploma, for example, engineer.

Third cycle

He is the last, the highest (not counting, naturally, doctoral studies). The third cycle includes special training plus research work and continues, as a rule, year. He is crowned with a diploma Dess – Diplome Dheetudes Superieres Specialisees (Professional) or DEA (Research). Usually DEA is a preparatory stage before doctoral studies, which, in turn, lasts 2-4 years.

Higher Schools

Now back to the above-mentioned high schools. They, unlike French universities, are not only state, but also private. Higher schools are mostly more prestigious than universities, and competition in them, respectively, more. Part of the highest schools takes only students who have already studied the first cycle at the university. Prepare in the highest schools of teachers, engineers, librarians, civil servants, political scientists and economists, military (in the highest military school and men, women, and foreigners – the last, truth, only from French-speaking countries), managers, veterinarians, architects, artists , musicians and artists.

Formality

To get a higher education in France, you must (if, of course, are not the owner of a French diploma bachelor), confirm the level of knowledge, sufficient to enroll in the our university. Simply put, you need to have a certificate of maturity or a diploma on the end of the average special educational institution. For admission to some French universities, the preparatory pre-sustaining course is required.

Enrollment procedures can be different in detail, but include some common formalities:

– Wherever you enroll, the documents must be submitted (you can send by mail) directly to the admission committee of the educational institution that you have chosen;

– To enroll on the first cycle of French University, you need to send a preliminary request. Request form (Application Form) can also be received by mail. Fill it should be in French himself Candidate himself (specify exactly what sciences and at what level are going to study, and attach an envelope to the application with the address, name and surname).

From this procedure are released and can be directly enrolled in the selected university foreign students if they are:

– have a bachelor’s degree: French, French-German or European (international);

– We arrived in France under the agreements on inter-university exchanges (for them, the procedure of enrollment is generally somewhat special);

– Scholarships of the French government, international organizations or governments of other countries, and these scholarships are approved by French organizations who enforce scholarships and scholarships – CNOUS, CIES;

– Displaced persons or political refugees registered in the organization ofPra (French Department of Refugees and Displaced Persons);

– Children of diplomats working in France.

Optimal dates for documents

Get a blank request need not later than December in any French cultural center in Russia.

At the very beginning of January, and even better – in December, you should return the completed questionnaire into a French cultural center, putting a translated and certified certificate of maturity to it, and if you are already a student, then an extract from the counters.

And then you will prescribe a date (most likely, in February) and the venue for the French language exam.

And the answer from the university you will receive in April-May. After that, you can only confirm your intention to learn, and it should be done until July 31.

Who makes a decision

The law on university autonomy gives the university the exclusive right to solve the fate of the applicant. Rules for the reception of foreign students are established by Decree B 81-1221 of December 31, 1981. These rules are based on the following principles:

– Equality of French and foreign students (meaning students of the same level);

– Equality of foreigners from different countries (all preliminary registration is held at the homeland of the incoming one, no one needs to spend money on trips);

– Students "distributed" At universities, based on interests, first of all, universities themselves, and not from the interests of the applicant: Therefore, a particular university may refuse you in the reception of documents without any of your guilt (most likely, will recommend, in which other university to contact).

Applicants from various fields of France – not to mention foreigners – may have non-equivalent documents on secondary education documents. One diploma opens its owner access to this university, the other – no. The answer to the request of the applicant is authorized to give the rector.

The decision on the admissibility of submitted education documents is adopted by an independent admission committee of the University. She is really independent: her verdict is enough, and solutions of the National Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of France – Not required.

Confirmation of language level

So, you found in your mailbox invitation to the French Exam. You may be asked to pass the exam in France or in the French Embassy in Moscow, and they can simply talk to you by phone. The exam looks like this: you first need to listen to the text and answer the questions, then – answer questions to the written text. Your level should approximately correspond to the level of a graduate of the our secondary school with an in-depth study of French. Of course, you need to own the vocabulary of your chosen profession.

Released from the language exam Residents of states where French is official, state language (but it is most likely not your case, isn’t it?), and owners of Dalf’s diploma (Diplome Approfondi de Langue Francaise).

French exam – mandatory, but not sufficient condition for enrollment to university. The positive outcome of the exam does not guarantee receipt.

Government scholarship

Embassies of France in different countries give scholarships of the French government. They are different: 6.120 francs per month – for third-cycle training in the university, and 3.500 francs, but for training in a cheap university at the first level (the minimum required amount for life is just 3.500 francs per month). Usually scholarships pay one year.

These are scholarships for study. You can get more allowance for accommodation – if you did not get a place in the hostel and I had to rent an apartment. Challengers on the scholarship should receive a request form in the French embassy, ​​fill it in French and return to the embassy until April. The probability of getting a scholarship is quite high: in 1997, from 50 our applicants, the scholarship was received by 22; The chances are above someone who studies on the older course.

How to get a visa

Get a long-term student visa to France – a matter of a long and time consuming. Even if you have all the necessary documents, it can take you six to eight weeks. In addition, according to the consular regulations for obtaining such a visa, you must have a guarantor in France – a person or organization that will confirm that they are ready to take over the costs of your stay in the country. The fact of crediting a person to French University and even the presence of a sufficient amount of money is not at all the reason for the French embassy to give him a French visa. Formally you need an invitation from a private person or organization.

In the event that you are going to study in France at the invitation of a private person, you, in addition to the invitation itself, will be required at the embassy:

– confirmation of enrollment in the educational institution (as well as payment of the costs associated with learning);

– Confirmation of the provision of housing in France (the authenticity of the document should be certified in the city hall). Help with housing you can regional centers for universities and higher schools (crous), in whose jurisdiction there are university dormitories. If there is no place in the hostel (which is very likely), then CROUS can offer addresses and phone numbers of people renting apartments or rooms;

– 3 last calculated sheets from accounting (and if you do not work – any other certificates about income);

– Last certificate of taxes;

– Confirmation of the home address of the host (receipt EDF, GDF, Telecom and T. NS.);

– Confirmation of the adoption of expenses inviting Party in France – in the amount of at least 2.500 francs per month (the document must be assured in the city hall);

– A certificate from the bank that the inviting part account is functioning normally and that inviting the one monthly to pay 2.500 francs per month.

If you are invited by a person, but a legal entity (this may be a French firm or any other organization, ready to confirm its determination to contain you while studying), you need to provide:

– confirmation from the host parties to all possible costs associated with your stay in France, or the provision of scholarships, or confirmation of full payment of all expenses related to learning and accommodation, with an accurate indication of the place and conditions of residence in France;

– certificate of your income in Russia (if you do not work, then about the income of your parents).

Minors (up to 18 years) should, in addition, to submit the birth certificates of parents and their own with notarized translations, as well as permission from parents for the long-term departure of the child abroad in our and French (both texts must be certified by the notary).

It is clear that many of those who managed to enter the French University, there is no guarantor in France and can not be. In the French Cultural Center of the Correspondent "I" assured that if all other conditions are complied with (the university will send a document about your enrollment, Crous – that you have received a place in the hostel, you will handle the French exam and your bank account will be in perfect order) – you are most likely a visa Get and without a guarantor.

The French are not Americans

In very many countries there is such a useful thing as university rating. Especially about this (so coincided) baked in English-speaking countries: in America, England, Australia. And the French do not want to be anyone like. Therefore, whether or why, but the official rating of universities and high schools in France does not exist.

But the general expert opinion still has. And it says that in the field of business and management The best are HEC (Haute Ecole de Commerce), ESSEC (Ecole Superiered Des Sciencees Economiques et Commerciales), ESCP (Ecole Superiered de Commerce de Paris), Em Lyon (ECOLE DE MANAGEMENT DE LYON) , EDHEC (HAUTE ECOLE DE COMMERCE DU NORD), ESCNA (ECOLE SUPERIEURE DE SOMMERCE DE NANTS ATLANTIQUE).

In the field of civil servants – ENA (Ecole Nationale dshadministration).

In Political Science – IEP (Institut Des Etudes Politiques).

In the field of law – Universities Paris I and Paris IV.

Natural sciences are best taught at Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Nationale Superieure Des Ponts Et Chaussees, Ecole Nationales Superieure Des Mines, Supelec (Ecole Superiered Dneelectricite), Ecole Centrale de Paris, Insa (Institut National Des Sciencees Appliquees).

How many of our studies in France?

In 1996 (and more recent data is not yet), 2.156.000 Applicants were adopted on various programs of higher education in France. Of these, 155.440 – Foreign Students. Of which on long-term programs – only about forty our. It’s time to correct the situation!

The author expresses sincere thanks for the help of the preparation of the Mr. Patrick Jean and employees of the French Cultural Center in Moscow.