Program Content
Courses and workshops:
- French as a foreign language: 110 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
- Workshops for practicing the language: conversation, writing, theater.
- Introduction to methods and tools specific to academic training: university methodology, digital tools.
- Session on the French university system and admission procedures in higher education.
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): 120 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
- Introduction to methods and tools specific to academic training: university methodology, digital tools.
- Workshops for practicing the language in other contexts: writing workshop (academic and creative), conversation workshop, workshop on discovering French media, theater workshop (scenes written and performed by students are filmed).
- Sessions dedicated to the development of the study project: presentation of the French university system, CV and cover letter writing workshops, session on discovering and using the main application platforms.
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).
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 July 15 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.