Université de Paris-Saclay - Science Only
Enjoy the benefits of being close to Parisian life while living in the pleasant town of Orsay. 30 minutes by train from the heart of Paris, Université de Paris-Saclay is located in the Southwest of the French capital nearby Orly airport to easily visit other regions in France and Europe.
Paris-Saclay is considered one of the top universities in the world for Math, Physics, Astronomy, and Chemistry. Université Paris-Saclay was ranked 13th globally and 1st in continental Europe in 2021 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It is one of the top universities in France and is known for its beautiful, pastoral campus with substantial woodland and a botanical garden.
Key information
Application information
Program details
Areas of Study: Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics and Chemistry. "License" refers to Bachelor-level courses. Most license programs in France are 3-year degree programs. Masters-level courses may be open to 4th year students, on a case-by-case basis.
Course requirements:
In Europe, full-time course load is typically 30 ECTS (European credits), and exchange students at Paris Sud are typically expected to take 30 credits per semester. 6 ECTS = 3 UCalgary units (1 half-course).
The amount of credits each course is worth corresponds to the workload/contact hours, and can vary from 1-30 ECTS per course, so please be mindful of this in your selection.
Please discuss the courses you need with your academic advisor.
The exchange agreement with Paris Sud falls under TASSEP. TASSEP is the Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program, a consortium designed specifically with the curricular needs of science students in mind. Canadian science students have access to a variety of European Partners in the consortium.
The academic year is divided into two semesters, Fall and Spring. The Fall semester starts early September and ends in December, Exams take place in January. The Spring semester starts mid-January and finishes at the end of June.
Please Note: French visa applications for Canadians may require travel to the Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal VFS Visa Center to submit the documentation and take biometrics as needed within 3 months before departure to France, so students may not have access to their passports during that time.
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Costs
Exchange students pay their tuition and academic fees to the University of Calgary. Other expenses are paid directly to the service provider.
The cost of living in the Paris area is around €1,000 per month.
For study beyond exchange (e.g. through a Masters program), international students may be eligible to apply for several scholarship programs (Paris-Saclay, CRIF, and Eiffel) to cover living costs.
Paris cost comparison vs. Calgary: Click Here
Also, don't forget to include things like visas, insurance, vaccinations etc in your budget planning. All students on exchange in France will have to pay roughly €215 for French social security on arrival, which covers some costs of medical care, but comprehensive travel medical coverage will still be required.
Please Note: French visa applications may require travel to the Vancouver consulate to finalize your student visa and take biometrics as needed - please speak with the exchange advisor as soon as possible about whether this will be required for you.
Students considering significant rail travel in France may want to purchase a Carte Jeune via French National Rail (SNCF), which allows for reduced travel for every journey over a year.
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Funding
Did you know that you can take your UCalgary funding with you on exchange?
Since you remain a degree seeking student at UCalgary while on exchange you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are eligible to receive from the university as well as student loans.Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund (based on a funding-first model where students apply prior to committing to a global learning program) and the Global Learning Award (students apply after being accepted to a global learning program; the amount varies year-to-year as the money is split among chosen recipients). Students may only receive these awards once. Please see the funding page, linked below, for more information.
France - Housing Aid
All students in France who rent housing with a contract, regardless of national origin, are eligible for a National Housing Aid from the ‘CAF’, Caisse d’Allocations Familiales. For the subsidy application, please make sure to bring a copy of your birth certificate.E. Catherine Barclay Scholarship
The E. Catherine Barclay Scholarship is a generous award of $7500 granted to one outstanding full-time student, registered in any faculty at UCalgary, who has been accepted by us to study for a full academic year (French-taught courses only) on one of our official exchange programs.
Costs typically range from an affordable €155-470 euros per month, and full-year students may apply for additional housing reimbursement through C.A.F.
Information on housing can be found here on the école normale supérieure Paris-Saclay page.
The Paris-Saclay exchange student handbook also has information on housing, as does the Paris-Saclay Guide to Student Accommodation.
This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in the Faculty of Science, who have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-).
Courses at Paris Sud are taught in French. As such, applicants must have a command of French at the B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) at a minimum, or have completed at least two 300-level or above courses in French. Certification of language proficiency may be required.
For additional information, please check out the Paris-Saclay international student page. This includes information on visas and taking French classes.
Be sure to check out the ENS page on arrivals as well as the Paris-Saclay Exchange Student Handbook.
Paris-Saclay offers supports for a variety of accessibility needs, including those who need technical or learning assistance, have permanent or temporary needs, need more time with exams, transportation, translation of documents into Braille, and more. For information on accessibility of campuses across Europe, ESN has created Inclusive Mobility which allows you to check the accessibility of universities and cities across Europe. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.
Have questions?
The exchange advisor for this program is: Kathryn Bauer
How to Apply
Download the application guide
This PDF contains information on how to complete your application and what to do after you have applied.
Identify three programs of interest
We recommend applying for your top three programs for the priority application deadline, as placement may be competitive. We will assess your applications in ranked order.
Check requirements and deadlines
These may vary by program, so check the individual program pages and make sure that you are aware of any different application deadlines or eligibility requirements.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.