09 - France - Organisation of the academic year

The beginning and end of the academic year remain respectively 1st October and 30th June as per a 1959 decree. However, universities have, in this regard, a genuine autonomy to organise their educational activities. Generally, holiday dates coincide as much as possible with those of school holidays, as established by the minister in charge of national Education.

University curriculums are organised in semesters. The French academic year is divided into two semesters, breaking down as follows:
  • first semester: early October to late January
  • second semester: early February to late May
Examination periods are at the end of each semester. The resits are usually held between the 2nd and 3rd week of September.

The decree of 8 April 2002, defining the European higher education area, establishes the credit system and focuses on the construction of the educational offer around flexible curriculums.

Each semester of the licence and master’s curriculum includes a number of teaching units (UE), to which an ECTS value is allocated (European credit transfer system). The number of ECTSs depends on the importance of the subject in the curriculum considered (number of hours, student workload, personal work). Stages (semester equivalents) are each worth 30 ECTS credits in total.

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Date: 2009
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