FRENCH
EDUCATION SYSTEM
In terms of GDP
France ranks in the top world economy. It is at the peak of scientific
and technological innovation. It owes this standing to its research
capacity and its many achievements in such fields as aerospace,
transportation, electronics, telecommunications, chemistry,
biotechnology and health, successes confirmed by the number of French
winners of the Nobel Prize and the Field Medals. France is also known as
the land of art and culture and may also be one of the favourite
touristic place for a number of persons.
And above all France is the first Pakistani commercial partner
But it is also one of the leading destination for more than 220 000
students each year. The Government of France allocates 23 per cent of
its national budget to Education. Admission fees are among the lowest in
the world
Studying in France is an option that a very few number of Pakistani
students avail due to the lack of information and knowledge about the
country and its educational system. So here is a brief description of
French Higher Education
French higher education is progressively becoming part of the European
scheme organized around three levels of qualification: the
Licence, the Master and the Doctorate. This is known
as the "LMD".
For information, the first higher education qualification in France is
the Baccalauréat, which marks the successful conclusion of secondary
education. It opens the door to higher education.
Courses of study are divided into units defined in terms of
capitalisable ECTS credits: 180 credits for a licence, 300 for a master,
480 for a doctorate.
Licence level
The licence degree is awarded after six semesters of higher education
and requires 180 "credits". Students specialise progressively in their
chosen field: litterature, law, economics, life science, mathematics,
physics, philosophy, history and so on.
In addition to the general licence degrees, there are the recently
created licences professionnelles. These are close to the job market and
provide specialization in numerous sectors.
Master level
The master is awarded after four semesters and requires 120 "credits".
It has two main orientations:
- Master Professionnel (Professional Masters), intended to qualify
students for entry into working life;
- Master Recherche (Research Masters), which essentially opens the way
to a doctorate.
Doctorate level
The doctorate can be taken after a Research Masters awarded after one
year of research on a specific topic: this is a prerequisite before
being able to enroll for a thesis and obtain a doctorate.
Three (or more) years of doctoral studies after acceptance of the
research topic: thesis writing, seminars and periods of research and
related activities
Healthcare and medicine:
organized in their own particular way
Study to become a medical doctor, dental surgeon, pharmacist, midwife
takes place within the university system. Courses last from 4 years for
midwifery to 11 years for specialist doctors, 6 years to obtain the
State diploma of doctor of dental surgery or doctor of pharmacy. For all
courses: a highly competitive examination at the end of the first year,
with a "numerus clausus".
Grandes écoles
The schools termed "grandes écoles" have a different profile: écoles
normales supérieures, engineering schools and business schools.
Institutes of Political Studies are also often counted as grandes écoles.
The grandes écoles are a particular feature of the French higher
education system. All aim to train students to a high level of
excellence, so entry is by competitive examination, application file,
interview, etc
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