Program Content
Courses and workshops:
- French as a foreign language: 130 hours per semester with 3 sessions a week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning). At the end of each semester, students will take the TCF exam with the aim of obtaining at least level B1. Cultural outings may be organized in conjunction with the course.
- English: 2 hours a week, shared with the Advanced DU
- Option to take additional courses as an auditor in fields of interest to students (according to spots available and subject to agreement from the responsible teacher)
- Small-group support workshops: conversation, digital assistance, homework help
- Presentation of the French university system and higher education admission requirements.
Individual support:
- Individual support for the plan to resume studies and for applications after the DU.
- Student peer tutoring: adjustment to student life at Dauphine-PSL in Paris and more broadly in France.
Discovery of the world of business:
Students have the option to enter an internship between the end of the program (early April) and the end of the current academic year (late August).
Courses and workshops:
- French as a foreign language (S1 and S2): 144 hours per semester with 3 sessions a week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning). At the end of each semester, students will take the TCF exam with the aim of obtaining at least level B2. Cultural outings may be organized in conjunction with the course. The second semester is devoted to making a podcast (listen to episodes from pervious years here).
- English (S1 and S2): 2 hours a week, shared with the Beginner DU
- University methods course (S1 and S2): learn writing and oral expression within an academic context
- Digital tools workshop (S1)
- French media initiation workshop (S1)
- Creative writing workshop (S2)
- Theater workshop (S2): at the end of the year, scenes put together and acted by students are filmed.
- Sessions devoted to preparing to return to studies (S1): presentation of the French university system, writing CV and cover letters
- Sessions devoted to working with the main application platforms (S2)
- Small-group support workshops (S1 and S2): conversation, digital assistance, homework help
- Option to take additional courses as an auditor in fields of interest to students (according to spots available and subject to agreement from the responsible teacher)
Individual support:
- Individual support for the plan to resume studies and for applications after the DU.
- Mentoring by a Dauphine teacher or a professional from the field that the student is interested in: support for specialization, assistance with researching departments, placing students in contact with professionals, other students and institutions.
- Student peer tutoring: adjustment to student life at Dauphine-PSL in Paris and more broadly in France.
Discovery of the world of business:
Students have the option to enter an internship between the end of the program (early April) and the end of the current academic year (late August).
Organization
Dates of 2024/2025 courses
Semester 1: September 18 to December 22 (with a week-long break in October)
Semester 2: January 8 to April 5 (with a week-long break in February)
Structure of classes
Classes take place three days a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Students are required to attend all classes in order to receive the diploma. A significant amount of personal work is required.
Classes take place in person, on the Porte Dauphine campus.
Except in exceptional cases, classes are not held remotely. A laptop computer is however necessary to be able to work in the best conditions. The university can lend one to students who don’t have one (loan at the start of the academic year, return before August 31 of the next year at the latest).
Individual support
The small class sizes (max. 20 students per group) enable the supervising team (teachers, project managers) to monitor each student closely. At the start of the year each student is assigned one or two “buddies” (Paris Dauphine-PSL student volunteers to help the DU student adapt to life at Dauphine) and possibly a mentor (volunteer teacher to advise the student in his/her specialization). The buddies and mentor are not a substitute for but a complement to the support provided by the DU Passerelle team and the administrative staff at the University.
Tuition
Passerelle University Diploma students do not have to pay registration fees. They have a student card and can access all university services free of charge, including the university library, gym, medical and psychological services and computer rooms.
Scholarships, financial aid and housing aid
If they meet the eligibility requirements, students may also apply for scholarships according to the CROUS social criteria.
The university can grant occasional financial aid to students (on application, assessed by the social action committee).
Paris Dauphine - PSL cannot provide students with housing. Students with housing difficulties may in some cases be assisted by CROUS social workers or by a partner association of the university.