Placement Notes: French-Language Sites

For information about language requirements and offerings, please see the French Language Guide chart.

FRANCE

French sites fill up very quickly so it is imperative to submit applications by the priority deadline for best chances of placement.

Enrollment in Regular University Courses

Students must have 4 – 5 semesters of university-level French to enroll in regular university courses at French sites. The exceptions include INSA Lyon and the Université de Nice, which recommend 6 semesters of university-level French. Most sites offer language-support courses for international students included in ISEP Benefits for a few hours per week.

Full-time Language and Culture Courses

Several schools in France offer full-time French language programs. The following schools offer full-time language/culture programs for beginning, intermediate, and advanced language levels:

Université de Caen: Available SM1, SM2, or FY
Université de Saint-Étienne: Available SM1
Université de Savoie: Available on ISEP-Direct SM1, SM2, FY
Université de Paul Valéry (Montpellier III): Available on ISEP-Direct SM1, SM2, or FY

Other schools offer full-time language/culture programs for intermediate and advanced level students only.
They include the following:

Université de Nantes: Available SM1 or SM2 but not FY
Université de Rennes 2: Available SM2
Université de Paul Cézanne (Aix-Marseille): Available SM1, SM2 or FY
Université Pierre Mendès-France (Grenoble II): Available SM1 for FY students

Chances of Placement

Chances of placement on ISEP-Exchange at the following schools are Limited:

Amiens Picardy School of Management; Université de Caen; Université de Rennes 2; Université de Saint-Étienne; Université Paul Cézanne (Aix-Marseille); Université Paul Valéry (Montpellier);

Chances of placement on ISEP-Exchange at the following schools are Good:

INSA Lyon; Rennes-IEP; Université d’Angers; Université de Franche-Comté; Université Pierre Mendès France (Grenoble); Université de Lille III; Université de la Réunion; Université de Nice; Université de Nantes; Université de Picardie Jules Verne (Amiens); Université de Rennes 1; Université de Savoie; Université des Antilles et de la Guyane; Université du Havre; Université du Maine.

Chances of placement on ISEP-Direct in Montpellier are good. There are limitations on the number of students they can take due to housing restrictions.

Chances of placement on the following ISEP-Direct programs in France are Excellent:

ISEP-Direct Savoie
ISEP-Direct Savoie Summer Program

Other Notes

INSA Lyon offers a second semester program in Mechanical engineering taught in English. Chances of placement are Good.

Amiens Picardy School of Management offers full-time business courses in English in addition to French language courses. Chances of placement are limited

SWITZERLAND

Université de Lausanne:
Université de Lausanne offers full-time language/culture courses during SM1, SM2 or FY. To enroll in regular university courses students should have 4 – 5 semesters of university-level French. Chances of placement are Fair.

Université de Fribourg:
Université de Fribourg offers courses in German and French. Students should have 4 – 5 semesters of university-level German or French. Chances of placement are Good.

See the French Advising Chart for further details.