Does it matter if my bachelor's degree has a grade de licence, state recognition?

If you're an international student looking for an education in France, you'll certainly have noticed that you can quickly find yourself lost amidst all the programs, degrees and other designations, not always easy to understand. In recent years, bachelor's degrees have become an increasingly important part of the French higher education landscape. If you look closely, you'll notice that some have a grade de licence, state recognition, while others don't? But what difference does it make? And above all, does it really matter if a bachelor's degree has a grade de licence, state recognition?

Spoiler alert, the answer is yes, it does!

Before we jump in, let's take a moment to review the 3 levels of higher education in France. They'll help us to understand why it's vital that your Bachelor's degree in France have a grade de licence, state recognition.

Levels of higher education in France

In France, there are three levels of higher education. They correspond to levels of training and are associated with credits (or ETCS).

For information, this system of levels and credits harmonizes training within Europe, making it easier for students to switch from one European country to another.

The 3 levels include

• Licence: bac +3 level, leading to 180 credits;
• Master's degree : bac +5, 120 credits;
• doctorate: level bac +8, leading to 180 credits.

However, since private schools and establishments have adopted the same model, offering 3-year Bachelor's and 2-year Master's courses, labels have appeared to certify the quality of the programs and their recognition by the State.

One example is the visa, which is awarded to a specific diploma and lasts for 6 years. It is issued by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. It is a guarantee of the quality of the program, and is necessary for setting up agreements with international universities.

The “licence” or “master” degree, on the other hand, validates a bac +3 or bac +5 level. It is awarded to diplomas that have already been accredited following a quality audit by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. In other words, only state-approved bachelor's degrees can be awarded the grade de licence, state recognition. This is recognition of the high quality of the program.

So, yes, it's important for a bachelor's degree to have the grade de licence, to assure you of the quality of the training, but that's not all! Let's go into a little more detail to better understand the issues surrounding this grade.

What's the difference between the bachelor's degree and the Diplôme national de Licence?

To understand the difference between the Diplôme National de Licence (DNL) and the grade de licence, state recognition, you first need to understand that the grade de licence is reserved for schools. As mentioned above, it recognizes the quality of teaching at a business, management or administration school. It is awarded after an analysis of defined criteria such as the school's international partnerships, research work, governance and others. Schools are awarded this recognition for a defined period (maximum 5 years), after which they must apply for renewal.

The Diplôme National de Licence is awarded by a public institution of higher education (university). It confers the grade of licence and therefore carries 180 ECTS. The DNL is therefore a diploma and a grade awarded by public establishments. A private institution will not issue a diploma as such, but a grade de licence, a guarantee of the quality of their training and teaching.

The key to studying abroad

When a Bachelor's degree is awarded, this means that it carries 180 ECTS, in the same way as a Diplôme National de Licence. These ECTS are extremely important in the European higher education landscape. Indeed, ECTS, and above all the number of ECTS, means that your diploma is recognized throughout Europe. Thanks to ECTS, you can switch between French and European establishments.

To put it more clearly, if you want to enter a master's program in a European country other than France after your bachelor's degree, you need to have accumulated 180 ECTS in order for your degree to be recognized by your host institution and for you to be able to join a master's program. If you have completed a Bachelor's degree that does not have the grade de Licence, you are not guaranteed to have accumulated enough ECTS for your diploma to be recognized within Europe.

So, once again, it's important that your bachelor's degree have a grade de licence, state recognition.

How do you obtain the grade de licence?

The bachelor's degree is awarded following an audit based on a number of criteria:

• the quality of the students and teaching staff recruited
• the school's pedagogical structure
• Validation of services offered (student supervision and support, internships, work-study programs, etc.)
• Placement of students on work-study programs (quality of positions, job prospects, etc.).
• Professional integration or types of further study
• School strategy and governance

💡Did you know? Esdes Business School's Bachelor in Business degree was recently renewed for the maximum duration of 5 years!

To find out more