St. Linus University

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

The nominal length of VAE equivalencies under the Bologna Process may be classified as follows:

​

• Bachelor's Degree: Bac + 3 UNESCO ISCED code 6 = ECTS 1st cycle: 180-240 credits (3 to 4 years)

​

• License de Lettres (equivalent to the US Bachelor of Arts degree)

​

• License de Sciences (equivalent to the US Bachelor of Science degree)

​

• License en Administration des Affaires (equivalent to the US Bachelor of Business Administration degree),

 

• Master's Degree: Bac + 5 UNESCO ISCED code 7 = ECTS  2nd cycle: 60-120 credits (1 to 2 years)

​

• Maitrise (equivalent to the US Masters degree) and

 

• Doctoral Degree: Bac + 8 UNESCO ISCED code 8 = ECTS   3rd cycle: no specific range

​

• Diplome de Ph.D (equivalent to the US Doctoral degree).

 

ESUSL® does not issue transcript of records; instead, a Complement au Diplome or a Diploma Supplement is issued with diplôme ou certificat professionnel according to the guidelines developed by the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES.

 

CAVEAT EMPTOR

​

• There is no mechanism for the automatic recognition of university degrees at European level (or anywhere in the world for that matter). 

​

• The Europass Diploma Supplement is not an automatic system that guarantees recognition.

​

• ESUSL® does not offer VAE certifications for licensing purposes.

​

MINIMUM YEARS REQUIRED FOR VAE APPLICATION

​

The Ministère de l'Education of France emphasizes that the VAE is for any person, no matter his/her age, nationality, status, education level, who already had at least one year of work experience continuously or discontinuously, on a full-time or part-time basis, in France or abroad.

 

The working time regulation in France for one year is equivalent to 1,607 hours, which is 35 hours per week. (Sarkozy’s ‘work more to earn more’ -- Travail, Emploi et Pouvoir d’Achat, TEPA law)

​

CERTIFICATION BODIES

​

France has statutorily regulated procedure with unlimited legal right to validation. Each certification body concerned organizes the issuance of its own VAE certifications. 

 

There are three main categories of certifications:

 

(1) diplomas,

 

(2) Professional titles, and

 

(3) Certificates of professional qualification (CQP).

​

The word "degree" in France education system refers to a certification awarded at the university level. 

 

A diploma, on the other hand, is a document testifying to the completion of a course of study (or through VAE).

 

Technically, certificats d’enseignement supérieur privés issued by private HEIs (offering VAE) are not grades ou titres universitaires because only the State can award diplômes nationaux. 

​

Besides these national diplomas (degrees) approved by the Department of Higher Education, universities can set up diplomas under their own responsibility. These diplomas fall under the exclusive competence of institutions without the State being able to intervene on their recognition or control their quality.

 

Institutions can resort to this practice to satisfy specific or transitory needs, professional in particular. However, the policy conducted by the Department of Higher Education aims to favor the national diploma system which provides students with better guarantees.

​

QUALITY ASSURANCE

 

Quality assurance in France is done mainly through national legislation (Social Modernisation Act 2002). "There is, however, no quality assurance framework with precise quality standards and no formalised quality control processes." 

 

The institution which awards the diploma is responsible for the quality assurance of the assessment procedures. Further, both the institution and the quality assurance body are indirectly involved when they assess the quality of the institution. 

​

When a degree is not recognized by the State, it bears the name of the CERTIFICATION BODY that awarded it (et sa notice explicative - est fixé par arrêté du 29 janvier 2018 publié au Journal officiel du 1er février 2018). It may have value on the work market (as diplôme professionnel), but does not provide an equivalence (as diplôme académique) enabling the bearer to continue his or her studies. By law, all degrees via VAE are french "Diplômes d'enseignement supérieur privé" not "Titres ou Grades Universitaires."

 

A degree obtained through VAE has the same value (equivalence) as a degree acquired through formal (regular route of) education (Code de l'éducation-Articles L-613-4; L-335-5). However, different education institutes do not state whether the qualification has been obtained through VAE or formal route to prevent discrimination.

​

FEES FOR VAE CERTIFICATION

 

For Low Income Countries (LIC), our fee is USD2,100; for High Income Countries (HIC): USD2,600. In Europe, the fee for VAE, ± EURO3,000. 

 

These fees are applicable for all VAE levels in accordance with their economic category. The payment schedule is indicated in the assessment form upon enrollment.