10 - France - Branches of study, specialisation

There are a great number of fields of study in tertiary education. They are broken down into short and long fields, which are determined by the nature of the degrees involved.

Short courses

Duration: two years, corresponding to the first cycle (two years). This primarily includes the industrial, services and paramedics sectors.

The following degrees fall into this category:

University degree in technology (DUT): earned in two years in a University institute of technology (IUT). There are currently 25 specialisations, 15 of which are in the manufacturing sector and 10 in the service sector. The teaching units (UE) acquired by the student can now be cumulated and result in the allocation of European credits (ECTS). The award of the DUT implies the acquisition of 120 credits, with 30 European credits per validated semester.

National degree in specialised technology (DNTS): created in 1994, the DNTS was designed to acknowledge a specialised education in technology, during which students divide their time between coursework and a company traineeship. It corresponds to one year of education following the DUT and specifically meets the requirements of the professional sectors. DNTS (11 in 2005-2006) are disappearing, either gradually transformed into "vocational licences", or closed down for lack of students.

Diplôme d’études universitaires scientifiques et techniques (DEUST): two-year degree offering direct access to a professional career. There are increasingly fewer DEUST due to the development of the University institutes of technology (IUT) and the higher technical education sections (STS). Some universities and institutes under the authority of the Ministry of Social Affairs also offer paramedical courses leading to a diplôme d’exercise (professional practice degree) in the following disciplines: speech therapy, orthoptics, audioprosthetics, midwifery, social aid, etc. Some courses are organised jointly with the Ministry of Health: physical therapy/massage, nursing, etc. This qualification is due to disappear with the emergence of the new LMD system of university qualifications.

Brevet de technicien supérieur (BTS): earned through higher technical education sections available in over 2,000 lycées (public, private under contract and private without contract). The BTS is a two-year programme that is more specialised than the DUT programme (see above) and corresponds to very precise fields. BTS specialisations are organised by field: Art and applied arts, Agriculture/agri-food, mechanics, chemistry, electronics, electricity, Services/Tertiary/Commerce… The integration of BTS training courses within the context of the European area for higher education was subject to a consultation with trade unions. Decree no. 2007-540 of 11 April 2007 made the BTS course part of studies leading to the licence qualification and stipulated that the awarding of the qualification requires 120 ECTS credits. Tth the decree no. 2005-1037 of 26 August 2005, new statutory provisions have been made to enrol, by right, pupils and apprentices who have passed the vocational baccalauréat with " bien" or " Très bien" grades that same year, in higher technical sections (STS) 1,500 to 2,000 baccalauréatholders benefited from this measure at the beginning of the 2006/2007 school year.

• Vocational licence, which meets European requirements for an educational programme that issues a degree in line with European labour market standards as well as the demand for new qualifications between the higher technician level and the engineer/executive level. This course has to prepare students to quickly acquire professional qualifications that meet clearly identified needs and industry requirements. Initial training is available to a diverse range of students from STS or IUT courses as well as from the second year of general licence. A choice of differentiated programmes guides students with various educational backgrounds towards the same qualifications. The vocational licencecurriculum is one year (or two semesters) following the DUT or BTS = 180 European credits (ECST). It is also available in continuing education, thereby giving working technicians the opportunity to develop their career. It also uses the validation of acquired experience, VAE. At the start of the 2007-2008 school year, over 1,535 vocational licenceshad been created in all professional sectors, catering for 38,000 students.

Long courses

1) First level: licence

The licence of the three-level system ( LMD) replaces the former system of first cycle of university education resulting in the granting of the diplôme d’études universitaires générales(General university diploma, DEUG) achieved in two years and followed by the licence, achieved in one year. University studies leading to licences (LMD) are laid out over six semesters (3 school years). They are organised by field, and are offered in both initial and continuing education formats. Students must complete 180 European credits in order to obtain their licence. At the intermediary level, students can earn various types of national degrees after completing 120 European credits. Among these degrees are the " maîtrise" – qualification awarded to students who have presented a final written report (thesis) and passed the tests at the end of one year of university accessible to the holders of a licence; in the new three-level higher education system, "licence/master’s degree/doctorate", this becomes a qualification for the first year of a master’s preparation (M1).

The programmes operate under the objectives defined for the general university studies degree (DEUG), multi-discipline licences, the licence in public administration, the university degree in technology (DUT), the diplôme d’études universitaires scientifiques et techniques(DEUST) and the national interpreter/guide degree.

Universities can also provide programmes that operate under new objectives, both at the licence and intermediary levels.

2) Second level: master’s degree

The educational offer at masterlevel meets the dual objective of preparing students for research and providing them with a curriculum leading to high-level professional integration. The master’s degree requires 120 credits after the licence, earned over four semesters.

The first 60 credits (M1) can, at the student’s request, lead to the awarding of a national maîtrisequalification at intermediate level.

The final credits lead to the awarding of a national master’s degree.

All universities have committed to implementing the Bologna process and have integrated all their former courses into these new curriculums.

3) Third level: doctorate

The third level demands a high degree of specialisation and research training. Those accepted in the doctorate programme are chosen from candidates who hold a national master’s degree or another master’s degree equivalent qualification, an engineering degree or a degree considered equivalent upon validation of the student’s acquired knowledge.

Upon completion of a master’s degree or a degree recognised as equivalent, students who have demonstrated skills in research can be admitted to PhD programmes in doctoral institutions. Students obtain a doctorate after three to four years of work (defence of a thesis or presentation of a body of work). After obtaining the doctorate, they can register to become accredited to manage their own research projects, a degree that grants its holder the right to begin original high-level research and manage a team of young researchers. The main objective of the degree is to gain access to the body of "university professors". In accordance with the commitments made in the "Pact in favour of research", the legislative equivalent of which is the programme law for research no. 2006-450 of 18 April 2006, the doctoral curriculum was renovated after a vast nationwide consultation. Following this reform adopted by the order of 7 August 2006, the doctoral curriculum must provide young doctors with a course of excellence, attractive both nationally and internationally, as well as an improved professional integration. Four major guidelines have been selected: the reaffirmation that doctoral schools are pivotal elements of the French doctoral education offer; the priority given to "quality assurance"; the acknowledgement of the doctorate as "professional research experience" and the reinforcement of processes designed to guarantee doctoral students a course of excellence; access to a doctoral school for all higher education institutions.

In addition, doctoral schools allow for:

• Support and guidance from acknowledged research teams or units;
• Programmes that are useful to managing their own research project and working towards their professional goals;
• International exposure;
• The possibility of doing an internship in a professional environment;
• Post-doctoral follow-up.

In addition to the national degrees recognised by the Minister of Higher Education, universities can also offer degrees under their own responsibility (university or institutional degrees). These degrees remain under the sole responsibility of the universities and institutions. The State does not get involved either in recognising the degrees or monitoring their quality. The schools often have recourse to this solution when they have very specific or temporary needs, and particularly professional needs. However, it is the policy of the Ministry of Higher Education to favour the system of national degrees, which provide students with better guarantees.

In health-related fields, which are also organised into three cycles, the total duration of studies varies depending on the discipline:

• It takes 9 to 11 years to obtain a State degree as a general medical practitioner and specialised medical practitioner;
• 1st and 2nd cycles, lasting for 6 years, are completed by a 3rd specialisation cycle of 3 years for general medical practice, 4 years for medical specialties and 5 years for surgical specialties.
• In dentistry, it takes six years to obtain a State degree in dental surgery or eight years when it is completed by a degree in advanced dental surgery studies (training taken by interns);
• In pharmacy, it takes six years to obtain a State degree as a doctor of pharmacy or 9 years when completed by a degree in specialised studies.

4) Long courses in grandes écoles

Fields of study are highly diversified in the grandes écoles. The main branches are as follows:

• Technological studiesin scientific grandes écolesor engineering schools that issue engineering degrees upon approval of the Ministry of Higher Education, after consulting with the engineering degrees committee. The duration of engineering studies depends on the level at which the students are admitted: 1st year admission at baccalauréat level or baccalauréat +2 years of studies (in preparatory classes). The level of the qualification awarded is baccalauréat +5 years of higher education (This is the total duration of higher education following the award of the baccalauréat);
• Literature and sciences, four-year programmes in écoles normales supérieures(ENS);
• Business studiesin private and consular business schools. The level of the degree earned and the duration of studies depends on the schools and the level at which the students are admitted: the level of the qualifications ranges from baccalauréat + 3 years of higher education to baccalauréat +5 years of higher education. 1st year admission into grandes écoles is at baccalauréat level or baccalauréat+2 years of higher education (in preparatory classes);
• The degree in architecture, earned in three years after the baccalauréat, now has the level of the licence, whereas the State degree in architecture (five years) now has the level of the master’s degree. National superior institutes of architecture can be authorised to issue a doctorate in architecture as part of the doctoral schools in which they are members. The right to manage projects can be obtained after completing one year of additional training immediately after receiving the degree in architecture, or after several years of professional experience.

 

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