Study in France

19 Apr Study in France

Posted at 18:46h in Study Abroad by

France is one of the most sought-after study-abroad destinations, a country which attracts large number of students each year from across the world. The quality of higher education offered in France is widely recognised across the world. France is the fourth most popular destination for international students.

French universities represent an immense diversity of educational programmes that respond to the full spectrum of students’ academic and professional objectives. The medium of instruction for the wide spectrum of programs and specialised courses is English. France offers more than 1,100 programmes in a variety of fields.

Work Rights For Students

Every foreign student has the right to work while studying in France. This right applies to all students in France. If you are not a citizen of the European Union, you must have a student resident permit.

French law authorises foreign students to an auxillary work of 964 hours during the year, the equivalent of 60% of the legal work year. It can only be auxiliary income.

When you work in France, if you are a student or not, you are guaranteed a minimum wage by law. It is commonly called the SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance – the minimum wage). It is 9.76 Euros gross per hour as of January 1st, 2018. This wage is gross; you have to deduct mandatory social charges (about 20%) to find out how much you really take home: €7.61/hour. If you work 10 hours per week for the minimum wage, you will earn about 78 Euros net.

Post-study Employment Rights

International students or those who are going abroad to study from India, are not just looking for good education but also employment opportunities.

Students who are taking up long term courses such as an undergraduate or master’s degree can apply for the work permit. They will be given work permit for 24 months at least.

Also, French government has made employability easier for the International students, as they can freely apply for various job opportunities. A lot of French universities also has a network or partnerships with large multinational companies that assure campus placements.

If you take an example of FIGS as an institute, then it has network of over 10,000 companies based in France and across the world. It has a whopping alumni of 90,000 students who are now placed in various organisations across the world.

Health & Welfare

All international students who will be in France are required to have health insurance, either public or private. Many international students are eligible to take part in their universal health care coverage, though this is dependent upon factors such as age, country of origin, and length of their degree program.

To be eligible for the national health insurance program offered in France, students must be:

  • Under the age of 28 by October 1st of the current University year
  • Enrolled on a degree program for a period of 4 months or longer
  • Have a home country that is outside of the European Union or Switzerland

If any of these provisions are not met, an international student would be required to obtain private health insurance for themselves.

Dependents Stay

The France Family visa is a French long stay visa has been established in order to permit foreigners to come to France and visit their family members, spouse, child or parent, for more than three months, up to a year.

The main eligibility criteria for those who wish to join a family member that is permanently or temporarily living in France, aside from the supporting documents, is that this relative residing in France must be:

If you enter France through a long-stay visa, then you will have to register and obtain a residence permit at the French authorities, upon your arrival in France.

Course options in France

  • BTech
  • MBA
  • MS
  • BBA
  • BSc
  • MIM
  • MFin
  • MA
  • MIS
  • MFA
  • BHM

Why Study in France

As a student at one of these institutions you can rest assured that you will receive an amazing education, while also enjoying the many other things that are to be loved in the country.

The universities in France offer students the chance to attend their institutions, on a full and part time basis, with a number of class schedules and courses available. These courses will all vary by the college, as well the times that you can attend.

However, it is quite easy to find something that accommodates your schedule and allows you to go to university in your own time.

Some of the universities in France may also offer their students the chance to complete some of their courses at home via their own computer.

This is again something that you should check with the university concerned, as not all of them will offer this option. Additionally, it may not be offered for all courses or for all subjects.

Every year, the French Embassy in India along with French companies award scholarships totaling up to 7.1 crore Indian rupees to more than 500 meritorious young Indian graduates who wish to pursue their higher education in France.

Indian applicants with outstanding academic records have a number of funding options for their studies in France.

Some of the most popular ones include grants from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, funding made by National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), awards from regional councils, Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programs.

France has more than 3,500 institutions of higher education, including the following:

  • 77 publicly-funded universities, offering degrees in all disciplines and serving as the primary academic research centers
  • A parallel system of Grandes Ecoles offering  scientific, business, art and other specific programs, which offer 5-year diplomas which are equivalent to a Masters degree
  • Schools of architecture
  • More than 3,000 specialized schools offering degrees in a wide variety of subjects, including hotel management, culinary arts, tourism and social work.

The French higher education system is one of the best in Europe, and the world. Dozens of French universities are regularly placed high in international university rankings. Among the well-known universities are École Normale Supérieure, École Polytechnique, Pierre and Marie Curie University, and University of Paris-Sud.

There are also many great options to study for an MBA in France: The country is home to many of the best-ranked elite business schools in Europe. Among them are HEC Paris, Insead, ESCP Europe (which also has campuses abroad), and Edhec Business School, to name but a few.

France is particularly a good choice for those wanting to study business related subjects.

The country is a hub for international business and management education, and has lots of business schools in the worldwide rankings.

France ranks sixth in the world in terms of domestic spending on research and development.

The country’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) is the world’s leading research organization (Nature Index, 2015). 13 of 55 Fields medals (the equivalent of the Nobel prize for mathematics) have been awarded to French nationals.

42% of the doctoral candidates in France are internationals.

France is one of the safest metropolitan areas in Europe. Violent crime rates are fairly low although some petty crimes like pickpocketing are not unheard of.

The quality of life a country offers greatly influences your overall experience. The health insurance system, male and female student safety, special benefits for international students, accommodation, transport, food – France excels in all these important criteria.

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