Glossary

colloquium discussions and debates on a research topic.

communal living space on campus run by student associations.

studies resumed after an interruption.

continuous assessment of the student’s knowledge throughout the semester/year.

courses offered across different programmes.

lecture given to a large number of students in an amphitheatre.

Acronym: Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie

French agency that manages health insurance, particularly for foreign students, staff, lecturers and researchers on mobility programmes at French universities. The agency ensures that they are affiliated to the French social security system and enables them to be reimbursed for health expenses incurred during their stay in France.

Acronym: Centre régional des œuvres universitaires et scolaires

French public network dedicated to welcoming and supporting students and teaching and research staff, including foreign students and academic staff on mobility programmes. The organisation offers essential services such as accommodation in university halls of residence, subsidised meals, social advice and administrative support to help you settle in and make the most of student life in France. It works with universities and partners such as Campus France.

Acronym: Contribution de vie étudiante et de campus

compulsory annual financial contribution required from most students enrolled in a first degree at a French university, including foreign students on individual mobility programmes. Its aim is to fund services that promote welcome initiatives, health, sports, community engagement and cultural activities on campus. In 2025, this contribution is €105.

refers to a candidate who has failed an examination and must retake it in a subsequent session.

sum of money paid to a landlord or real estate agent. It corresponds to one or two months’ rent and is refunded at the end of the lease. The refund may be partial if the flat is damaged during your stay.

a Sorbonne University service that supports and coordinates the activities of the university’s 23 doctoral schools and provides personalised support to international PhD students on mobility programmes. The doctoral college organises cross-disciplinary training to support PhD students throughout their studies, encourages international mobility and develops initiatives to facilitate students’ integration into the workplace. It manages the admissions, enrolment and graduation of PhD students.

fixed-term public-law employment contract concluded between a PhD student and the university where they are registered (such as Sorbonne University, for example). PhD students under contract have the status of non-tenured government employees and their remuneration is set annually by a decree issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

university structure that organises and supervises the training of PhD students. Sorbonne University’s doctoral schools form the Doctoral College. Each of them comprises several laboratories or research teams in the same scientific field (e.g. engineering sciences, human and social sciences, life sciences, etc.). Each PhD student is attached to a doctoral school and a research laboratory and is supervised by a thesis director.

this is the equivalent of eight years’ study after the French baccalaureate (secondary school leaving certificate), and follows on from the bachelor’s degree (baccalaureate +3 years) and the master’s degree (baccalaureate + 5 years). The doctorate is awarded after three years of research, following the defence of a thesis based on original body of scientific work.

units that measure a student’s workload and achievements in a course or university programme in Europe. One ECTS credit corresponds on average to 25 to 30 hours of student work, including teaching hours (lectures, tutorials, practical work), personal work (reading, research, projects, exam preparation) and assessments and exams. ECTS credits can be accumulated throughout a course of study and are transferable. They facilitate academic recognition between institutions and countries, particularly in the context of international mobility programmes such as Erasmus+.

refers to a candidate who has passed a written examination and can proceed to take the oral examination.

written or oral exams at the end of each semester.

information portal for researchers. This service provides free support for researchers, irrespective of whether their host university is a member of the network or not.

card issued to people covered by the French Assurance Maladie scheme to facilitate the reimbursement of medical expenses incurred in one of the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) member states, in Switzerland or in the United Kingdom.