Types of institutions
Higher education is provided in universities, Hautes Ecoles, Arts Colleges and social advancement education.
Each type of higher education institution has its own purposes which determine different teaching structures and methods.
Universities, “Hautes Ecoles” and Arts Colleges are part of the so-called full-time education.
Social advancement education (teaching for adults) is part of the dynamics of education and lifelong learning in the French Community and offers adults a wide range of programs and training at the secondary and higher education level. Finally, it is a modular education through which learning activities are organized by training units, which are capitalized to lead to the award of a diploma via a so-called integrated examination. Social advancement education institutions empowered to organize higher education programs and to issue higher education diplomas are listed in Article 13 and Annex VI of the Decree of 7 November 2013 defining the landscape of higher education and the academic organization of studies.
Higher Education consists of short-type programmes (professional cycle, bachelor's degree including between 180 ECTS and 240 ECTS) and long-type programmes (1st cycle bachelor, of 180 ECTS followed by a 2nd cycle leading to a master's degree comprising from 60 to 120 ECTS - sometimes 180 ECTS). Both types of education are organised in the Hautes Ecoles, Arts colleges, and Social Advancement Education, whereas the Universities only offer long-type programmes and are the only ones able to offer 3rd cycle studies. Long-type education has the character and level of university education.
The reorganisation of the higher education landscape foreseen by the decree of 7 November 2013 also saw the creation of a new body, namely the "Academy of Research and Higher Education" (Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur – ARES). ARES brings together all the higher education institutions with the aim of simplifying administration and of researching consistency of the whole system. On the other hand, the institutions have also to organise themselves in five academic clusters. A cluster is an association of higher education institutions based on the geographical proximity of their teaching and research facilities, with the main aim of encouraging and federating their collaboration and joint or cross-disciplinary activities.
Study programs
Higher education includes 27 fields of Higher Education : Philosophy ; Theology ; Languages, Literatures and Translation studies ; History ; History of Art and Archeology ; Information and Communication ; Political and Social Sciences ; Legal Sciences ; Criminology ; Economics and Management ; Psychology and Education ; Education and Teaching (sinc 2023-2024) ; Medical Sciences ; Veterinary Sciences ; Dentistry ; Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences ; Public Health Sciences ; Motricity Sciences ; Sciences ; Agronomy and Biological Engineering ; Engineering Sciences and Technology ; Art of Building and Urban planning ; Art and Art Sciences ; Plastic, Visual and Space Arts ; Music ; Theater and Performing Arts ; Performing Arts and Broadcasting and Communication Technology ; Dance.
These fields are divided into 4 sectors: "human and social sciences", "health", "sciences and techniques" and "art".
Specific missions
The aim of higher education is to train graduates who meet its general objectives. Depending on the discipline, these objectives are achieved through initial, complementary or continuing training of one of the following types :
- short courses of higher education, which combine theory and practice, work placements and laboratory training to meet specific professional objectives; these courses are given in higher education institutions (Haute Ecole, Arts Colleges or Higher Social Advancement Education) ;
- long-term higher education, which is based on fundamental concepts, experiments and illustrations, and thus provides both general and in-depth training in two cycles ; it is provided in universities, Hautes Ecoles, Arts colleges or Higher Social Advancement Education ;
- doctoral training and preparatory work for the doctorate are carried out within research teams, at the university or in close collaboration with it and under its supervision ; they may lead to a 8 level of qualification awarded exclusively by a university.
In essence, university education is based on a close link between scientific research and the subjects taught.
Higher education organised in the Haute Ecole and in the institutions of Social Advancement Education pursues a highly qualified professional objective. The institutions that organise it carry out their mission of applied research linked to their teaching in close collaboration with workplaces and university institutions.
By its very nature, education in Arts Colleges is based on a close link between the practice of art and its teaching. Artistic research is carried out in direct connection with the artistic practice of the teachers and the artistic and professional environment.
To be noted : Social advancement education, including social advancement in higher education, more specifically has two purposes given its nature and target audience (adult education). It contributes to individual fulfillment by promoting a better professional, social, educational and cultural integration (development of people) and it responds to the needs and requests for training coming from companies, administrations, education and in general from the socio-economic and cultural backgrounds (needs of society).
Public and private education
Each higher education institution belongs to a network which may be either state-run (institutions run by the French Community or other public bodies) or free (institutions run by a confessional or non-confessional private institution), subsidied by the French Community.
The programmes that each higher education institution may provide are defined for each cycle and each site by its accreditation.