Exchange students

Do you want to spend a semester or a year at the University of Burgundy on an exchange programme? We have over 300 international partners all over the world!

Last update: February, 5, 2024.

 

APPLICATIONS

Application to the home university


Contact your home university in order to see if a bilateral agreement exists in your field and level of studies between the University of Burgundy and your home university.

Your home university will also inform you about the application procedure you need to follow for them to select you to study at the University of Burgundy as an exchange student.

Application to the University of Burgundy


If you have been selected to go on exchange by your home university, you must apply at the University of Burgundy as an exchange student.

STEP 1: fill out our online application form.

Application period:


STEP 2: after having sent your application via the online application form, you will receive an e-mail asking you to create your personal account. Once your personal account has been created, you will need to download all the requested documents directly:

Your application must be complete :


STEP 3: we will review your application and if accepted, you will receive an admission letter from the University of Burgundy.

No late applications will be accepted. All applications must be submitted online – we will not accept any file sent by e-mail or post.

 

COURSES

Course catalogue


In order to complete your learning agreement you must pre-select the courses you would like to enrol in at the University of Burgundy.

All courses are open to exchange students, provided that you have the required language level, but be aware that at least 60% of the courses must be selected within your faculty, school or institute at the University of Burgundy.

All other courses can be taken in other faculties/schools/institutes or departments if the person responsible of the selected course agrees you enrol in their class.

Remember that your choice of courses must be validated by your uB coordinator and by your home university.

COURSES TAUGHT IN FRENCH

The majority of our courses are taught in French.

To find courses in your field and your level of study, consult all the courses offered at the University of Burgundy.

COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

We are developing courses in English in different areas.

To find out whether courses in English are offered in your discipline, write to the Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. who will put you in touch with your exchange coordinator at the University of Burgundy who will inform you on this topic.

Good to know: some institutes, schools and faculties have courses in English specially designed for exchange students:

Language level required for exchange students


In order to be able to come and study on exchange at the University of Burgundy you must have at least a B2 level in French and/or English, depending on the language of instruction of the pre-selected courses.

We do not require official diploma to prove your language level but if you have one, you can add it to your application file.

Academic calendar


General structure of the academic year at the University of Burgundy:

Please note that this information is purely for informational purposes – each study programme operates according to their own schedule.

The academic calendar for each study programme is usually published in June or July for the following academic year.

Good to know: if your courses start before your administrative enrolment, don't worry - you can (and should!) still go to class. The fact that you haven't yet been enrolled administratively does not prevent you from attending class.

Grading system in France


20-point grading system

20 - Excellent
19 - Excellent
18 - Excellent
17 - Excellent
16 - Very good
15 - Very good
14 - Good
13 - Quite good
12 - Quite good
11 - Sufficient
10 - Sufficient
Less than 10 - Fail

Unlike many other countries, in France it is possible to pass your year even if you did not get a mark above 10 in all your subjects. This is possible thanks to the compensation system which allows you to 'make up' a bad mark in one subject or unit with a good mark in another. The "compensation" rules may differ from one university to another.

For more information on this topic, please contact your exchange coordinator at the University of Burgundy.

French language courses

 

Courses at your faculty/school/institute

Your faculty, school or institute may offer courses in French as a foreign language. Write to the Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.who will put you in touch with your exchange coordinator at the University of Burgundy. Your coordinator will tell you if French as a foreign language courses exist for exchange students at your faculty/institute/school.

For example, the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy (UFR Lettres et philosophie) offers methodological preparatory writing lessons in humanities, literature, and social sciences for exchange students.


Transversal course unit Interculturalité

This unité d'enseignement transversale (UE), or transversal course unit, is a one-semester course that makes it possible to learn or perfect your skills in a foreign language (French for example) and to gain professional experience while working as a tutor (depending on your availability) at the University's Language Centre.

Additionally, it's a great opportunity to meet other students, both French and international.

This course unit is worth 5 additional ECTS credits, and can be added on to your curriculum in the majority of cases. You can visit the Language Centre's website to learn more.

 

Other tips for improving your French

 

ENROLMENT

Required documents


The exact list of documents needed to complete your registration is published here:


The list of documents required for registration in the 2nd semester of the academic year 2023/2024.

Registration fees


Students coming on exchange under the Erasmus+ programme do not pay tuition fees.

The majority of exchange students coming under a cooperation agreement outside the Erasmus+ programme do not pay tuition fees either. To find out if you have to pay registration fees at the University of Burgundy, contact your home university. 

Administrative enrolment


Administrative enrolment usually takes place:

Enrolling is a mandatory procedure that confirms your status as a student at the University and allows you to obtain your student card, access university resources, take courses, and pass exams.

Usually, detailed information and procedure for administrative enrolment are published here:


Administrative enrolment for 2nd semester – year 2023/2024

 

Administrative registrations will take place from Monday January, 8th to Friday January 19th, 2024 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in office R24 on the ground floor of the Maison de l'Université in Dijon (point 21 on the Dijon campus map). If you cannot register before January, 19th, please write to Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. to set up an appointment for your administrative registration.

Procedure

  1. Come with all the necessary documents.
  2. The International office verifies your documents and carries out your registration if your file is complete. If the agreement between your institution and the University of Burgundy implies the payment of the registration fees you can pay by credit card or French bank check.
  3. You receive your student card and a welcome pack offered by the International office and the European Union's Erasmus+ programme.
  4. Students WITHOUT health insurance from one of the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland must apply for French social security (more information here below in Social security – Health paragraph).

If your study programme is not on the Dijon Campus but in Nevers, Auxerre, Chalon-sur-Saône or Le Creusot please contact the administrative office of your study programme and your exchange coordinator to find about the administrative and pedagogical registration there.

Pedagogical enrolment


Once you have enrolled within the International office, you must contact the scolarité (administrative office for your study programme) in order to find out about your pedagogical enrolment (for example, to choose subjects, etc.) if necessary.

If your courses start before your administrative enrolment, don't worry: you can (and should!) still go to class. The fact that you haven't yet been enrolled administratively does not prevent you from attending class.

 

USEFUL INFORMATION

Visas and residence permits


Students with citizenship of a country within the European Union, European Economic Area, or Swiss Confederation


Students from countries with a Campus France - Studying in France procedure

If you DO NOT have citizenship of a country within the European Union, European Economic Area, or Swiss Confederation and you live in one of the countries from THIS list: in addition to the admission process above, you must contact Campus France in your country of residence in order to indicate that you will be coming to the University of Burgundy under an exchange cooperation agreement, and then follow the instructions that they give you to obtain your student visa.


All other students

The official website for French visas as well as Campus France website contain helpful details about validating and renewing your visa/residence permit. Also take a look at this Campus France tutorial video.

Housing


As an exchange student, you can get a room in a CROUS student centre residence hall. To do that, be sure to indicate your choice in the correct section on your application form and the International Office will pre-book a room for you. Please also specify your planned dates of arrival and departure.

If you decide not to pre-book a room in a CROUS student residence hall, you will have to search for other options.

Here are some solutions:

Good to know

Student card and digital services

 

Student card

Once you enrol, you will receive your student card which you can use to eat at the student restaurants, borrow books at the University's libraries, and get discounts at the cinema as well as other cultural institutions or events (theatre, museums, athletic events, etc.).

You can also load your card with money so that you can use it to pay at university restaurants.

In order to use this feature you must activate your card.

 

Electronic student account and digital services

48 hours after your administrative enrolment, you must activate your University of Burgundy student account, which will enable you to access several features, such as:

You can activate your account on the University's website under the Espace numérique de travail (ENT) tab - Mon compte – Étudiant – Activer mon compte.

Your account will also grant you access to the many Wi-Fi hotspots around campus, as well as to computers in the self-service labs.

To learn more, take a look at the pages Mes services numériques.

Living costs in France


To get a rough idea about life expenses in France you can check the Campus France website, rubric Preparing your budget.

To find out the difference between the cost of living in your country of origin and in France, you can consult the following comparison sites: Numbeo or Expatistan.

Students who are required to obtain a visa for their stay in France must provide to the French authority delivering visas a proof of their financial resources.

There is no specific financial aids you could apply for once you arrived in France so be aware you must have a reliable solution of financing your studies in France.

Good to know: in the Student life paragraph here below you can find useful information on different types of help for students with social difficulties (food donation associations, state financial assistance for housing, etc.).

Student life

 

You can find plenty of useful information about student life on the uB-link student portal.

In particular, you will find information on:

To succeed in your studies and your professional insertion, you can access:

If you encounter social difficulties, you can benefit from food aid for students in need: Epicerie solidaire, Febia and Campus comestible (community groceries) and consult a social worker, among several CROUS Social Services. Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. of the University of Burgundy also can help you with the issues related to housing, free food, administrative steps, loan of computers, finding student job… You may be eligible to receive financial aid from the French government through the CAF (Family Allowance Fund) to finance a portion of your rent or housing fees.

Dijon's cultural life is rich. The campus even has its own cultural centre Atheneum and its radio station Radio Dijon Campus in which you can participate. Also take a look at the Mansart theatre's programme, managed by CROUS. You can also get the city of Dijon's Carte culture (Culture Card) which offers discounts on numerous cultural events happening in the greater Dijon area.

Divia, the public transport service in Dijon, offers a variety of subscription passes and means of transport. Companies for traveling around Burgundy, France, and internationally: Mobigo, Eurolines, FlixBus, BlablaBus, SNCF discount rail cards.

Also take a look at the:

Contacts


General contacts at uB


Contacts within your faculty, school or institute

The Contact page, as well as the ENT directory, contains the contact information of anyone at uB whom you wish to contact. All agents of the University of Burgundy are also present on the TEAMS platform.


In case of emergency, you must contact national services outside the University by dialling the following numbers according to your situation:

 

Social security - Health

You have health insurance in one of the countries of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland


You must come in France with your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) valid throughout your stay abroad. This is a free card issued by your health insurance organization which allows you to benefit from the French public health care that you would need during a temporary stay abroad under the same conditions and at the same price as people insured in France. Find more information on the EHIC on the European Commission website.

When you receive health care in France, you must present your European Health Insurance Card (or provisional certificate).

If you are obliged to pay in advance for health care that is usually free of charge in France, you have two options for reimbursement: 

If you wish to be reimbursed in France you must present the following documents to the CPAM:

Good to know: in the case of hospitalisation, in general you will not be obliged to advance the costs because your European Health Insurance Card is sufficient (except in specific establishments not covered by the French health insurance system in cities like Paris).

You DO NOT have health insurance in one of the countries of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland


French social security (Health Insurance)

Once your administrative enrolment has taken place, you must apply for social security online through the etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr website in order to be covered in case of health problems (illness, hospitalization, etc.).

 

Complementary health insurance (mutuelle)

Social security allows you to receive care in case of health problems and covers the majority of the cost (up to 70% on average), after which you must pay the remaining cost. To cover the expenses not covered by social security, we strongly advise you to obtain a complementary health insurance plan, called a mutuelle. This insurance is not mandatory, but can be very useful because it can cover one part or all (depending on the option you have chosen) of the costs that are not covered by social security. If you wish to enrol in a complementary health insurance plan, you can contact one of many organisations to find the offer that suits you best:

Do you have a modest income and cannot afford to subscribe to a "mutuelle" ? Check if you are eligible for the state complementary health insurance (complémentaire santé solidaire) which will cost you nothing or less than 1 euro/day.

 

Good to know

As a student at the University of Burgundy, you have free access to the University Health Centre, where you can consult a general practitioner, a psychiatrist, a gynaecologist, nurses, a psychologist, a marriage counsellor, and staff from the Diagnosis and Testing Centre for sexually transmitted infections.

 

SETTLING IN

Student organisations

 

There are more than 140 student organisations at the University of Burgundy, across all campuses. They are great opportunities for meeting people and making friends, and many of them were created specifically for students of different origins to help you get settled into university life.

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) InsiDijon


Other student organisations

 

Events at the University and around the region

 

All year long, there are a wide variety of events happening at the University, in Dijon, and around the Burgundy region: cultural, sporting events, scientific events, etc. Many events, especially those at the University, are free and open to all. It's a great way to meet other people and learn more about the environment around you.

To find out what's coming up, take a look at the various event calendars:

 

Events of particular interest to international students

 

International Student Welcome Days are hosted by the International Office, City of Dijon and the ESN InsiDijon student association at the beginning of every semester. This event is a great opportunity to get acquainted with both the campus environment and the city of Dijon, and to meet other students, both French and international. 

Erasmus Days take place in October.

CROUS events Invitez le monde à votre table (Invite the World to Your Table) and Apprends-moi ton pays (Teach me your country).

Campus Days: all uB students are invited to join in various fun activities at the beginning of each academic year in September.

 

Alumni network

 

Keeping up with what uB alumni are doing can be very useful.

Cultural adaptation

 

Since you will be spending several months in France, there are many resources available to you that can help speed up the adaptation period and avoid culture shock.

Culture shock and student mobility workshops

These workshops, conducted mainly in English by students in the Intercultural Management programme, allow uB students to learn more about different cultures and meet new people.

Discussion topics include: sensitivity to cultural differences; cultural differences in the working world; how to overcome culture shock while abroad; different concepts in other cultures: values, humour, stereotypes, table etiquette, food, etc.; group discussions about cultural experiences and more.

Workshop structure:


More information:

 

Learning about French culture

Ensemble en France (Together in France) is an online platform with interactive tools to help those who have recently settled in France better understand its customs, habits, and traditions.

Before and during your time at the University of Burgundy, there are several options available to you for learning or improving your French level. Use the examples given in the French languages courses section here above.

 

French and international student testimonies

Reading other international students' experiences and reactions, as well as those written by French students who went abroad, can help you better understand cultural differences and familiarise yourself with the country in which you will be studying.

Take a look at the many pages online featuring student testimonies:

 

Co-funded by the European Union