Learning Agreement for France: Choosing Courses at a French University (2026)

Fast answer

A Learning Agreement for France (often called the contrat d’études) follows the EU template and French degrees are built in ECTS, but French universities add their own rules on what you may pick: many only let exchange students take courses listed as open to them, most require a minimum share of your credits in the faculty that hosts you, and courses taught in French expect a real level of French. Grades are out of 20, and each university publishes its own rules for passing.

• Want it prepared for you? Odisea builds your Learning Agreement draft with the evidence your coordinator asks for.
• Still choosing a city? See the France country guide.

In France the Learning Agreement is often finished, not just signed, after you arrive: departments confirm the final list at the welcome meeting. Plan for that instead of treating your first version as final.

What is the same everywhere, and what is French

Which courses you are actually allowed to take

French universities rarely open their whole catalogue to exchange students. At Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne only modules explicitly listed as open to exchange students can be chosen, and the list is published by department. Université Grenoble Alpes caps you at 30 ECTS per semester and, depending on the faculty, requires at least two courses in your host faculty and allows only one or two from other faculties. At Strasbourg’s Faculty of Economics and Management, at least 60% of your ECTS must be taken in the faculty.

That changes how you build Table A: start from the host faculty’s list for exchange students, not from the university-wide catalogue, and only then add courses from elsewhere within the quota.

Language: the B2 question

Paris 1 requires a B2 certificate in French (DELF, DALF, TCF or a letter from your French teacher) for its bachelor’s and master’s courses, and an English certificate if you choose English-taught classes. Even where no certificate is required, French-taught courses assume you can follow lectures and sit written exams in French.

Signing and finishing the agreement

At Paris 1 your Learning Agreement is completed and signed at home before you leave, and the Paris 1 academic advisor signs it once you arrive. Grenoble asks you to contact your host faculty on arrival to confirm the final schedule and make any changes caused by timetable clashes. In both cases the department is where your list is finally settled.

Exams and grades

French grades are out of 20. Each university sets its own validation and compensation rules in its assessment regulations (modalités de contrôle des connaissances), as the national licence framework allows, so ask your host faculty for them before assuming how a course is passed. Exams follow the semester: at Strasbourg’s economics faculty, bachelor exams take place in the first two weeks of January and of May.

Changing it after you arrive

The EU guidelines let you start changes within five weeks after the start of each semester, and all parties should agree within two weeks of your request. In France most changes happen at the start, when the faculty confirms your list; record them in the “During the mobility” tables and get all three approvals in writing.

Before your coordinator signs: a five-point check

1. Every course is on the host faculty’s list of modules open to exchange students. 2. The share of credits in your host faculty meets its minimum. 3. Your French (or English) level matches each course’s language. 4. You stay within the per-semester cap, usually 30 ECTS. 5. Each pairing in Table B has a syllabus link and a one-line reason your coordinator can check.

Point five is what our Learning Agreement service prepares: every equivalence with its course code, ECTS, syllabus link and justification, in a PDF ready for your coordinator.

Where to go next

• France: cost of living, cities and universities
• Paris for exchange students
• Lyon for exchange students
• Toulouse for exchange students
• ECTS credits explained
• Learning Agreement for Germany

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take any course at a French university as an exchange student?

Not always. Paris 1, for example, only allows modules listed as open to exchange students, and several universities require a minimum share of your credits in your host faculty.

What French level do I need?

It depends on the university. Paris 1 asks for a B2 certificate for its courses; for English-taught classes you need an English certificate instead.

How are French grades given?

Out of 20. Each university publishes its own rules on how courses are validated and whether results compensate each other.

When is the Learning Agreement finalised in France?

Usually on arrival: the host faculty confirms your final course list, and any changes go in the “During the mobility” part within five weeks of the semester start.