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International students: General plan of studies
LMD system
Université de Nantes employs the "LMD system" (licence, master, doctorate) now used throughout the European Union. The system is designed to facilitate student mobility within Europe and around the world.
Using this common architecture, degrees are awarded on the basis of the number of semesters the student has completed since entering higher education and the corresponding number of ECTS credits earned.
- Licence: 6 semesters (3 years) completed and 180 ECTS credits earned
- Master : 4 more semesters completed and 120 additional ECTS credits, for a total of 5 years of study and 300 ECTS credits earned
- Doctorate: usually obtained after 16 semesters (8 years)
ECTS : European Credit Transfer System
Within the European Union, the international validation of degrees rests on a common system of academic credits called ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System). ECTS credits are cumulative and transferable. So when you transfer from one European institution to another, you'll always get credit for the work you've done.
Equivalences
No predetermined set of equivalences between French and foreign degrees is officially recognized in France.
Each institution is free to set its own admission criteria and make its own admission decisions based on each applicant's background and the demands of the program to which the applicant seeks admission. That freedom allows French institutions to compose well-qualified and well-balanced student cohorts, while also protecting the integrity and the reputation of the education offered.
minars and labs.
Academic calendar
The academic year begins in September and ends in May or June, depending on the program. The year is punctuated by vacations, including two weeks at the end of the year (Christmas and New Year's).
The two semesters are divided by a short break following final examinations at the end of the first semester.The summer vacation lasts more than two months and always includes the months of July and August.
Classes
One finds two basic types of classes in French higher education, particularly in the universities.
Lectures are given in lecture halls accommodating from 100 to 1,000 learners. The professor speaks, while his or her students listen and take notes. Professors often prepare summaries of their lectures to help students prepare for exams.
- Seminars, tutorials and labs
In seminars, tutorials and labs, small groups of students meet to apply or explore in greater detail the material covered in lectures. Attendance is mandatory, whereas attendance at the lectures is not.
In career-oriented programs offered in the universities (DUT programs,
licences professionnels, and professional masters), internships and practical training are required in addition to the small-group se
Mis à jour le January 19, 2012
par Jelena MILOJEVIC
© 2011 Université de Nantes
Université de Nantes is a founding member of
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