Q&A for exchange students - Bordeaux Montaigne University v1.2

Before the mobility

  1. Your home university has nominated you for a mobility at Bordeaux Montaigne University. The Mobility office of Bordeaux Montaigne will contact you within a few weeks after your nomintation to explain the next steps. You will be asked to complete an online application form and download supporting documents. Please respect the deadlines! After completing your registration, you will receive a letter of acceptance. The final registration will be made upon your arrival at Bordeaux Montaigne University.

  2. The general training offer is available here. Find the list of courses open to international students here.

  3. Because of its quality of life, Bordeaux is a very attractive city and the demand for housing is very high! We recommend exploring different accommodation options, such as CROUS residences, student halls and accommodation on the private market. See the accommodation guide (on the left column) for more information on accommodation in Bordeaux.

  4. For Erasmus students, a B1 level in French is recommended for better integration into everyday life and to attend classes. However, no certificate or diploma is required.

    Students coming from partner universities outside of Europe must provide a B2 level certificate or diploma in French, by the time of the application. Language certificates must be sent with the application.

  5. The coordinator is the reference person for the student. They are the professors in charge of exchanges in the chosen disciplines. Each student must refer to a coordinator in his home university as well as at Bordeaux Montaigne University. This teacher will be able to guide you in the choice of classes and will have to validate and sign your Learning Agreement (if your home university requires one).

  6. You may find the list of coordinators inside the “Infos pratiques” section, on the left. Search according to your home university.

  7. The Learning Agreement, contrat pédagogique in French, is a contract between the host university, the home university and the student. On this document, you will have to indicate the courses chosen at Bordeaux Montaigne University which correspond to the courses that you would have followed if you had stayed at your university of origin.

    The Learning Agreement must be drawn up by the student and validated by the coordinator of both the home and host university.

  8. The Learning Agreement can be obtained from your home university or from the OLA website (https://learning-agreement.eu/). You only need to fill a Learning Agreement is your university requires one (generally Erasmus+ students and students from British universities).

    You will have to consult the training offer website and the list of courses open to international students and select the classes you will take at Bordeaux Montaigne University. As a mobility student, you must choose at least 50% of the courses in a major department or in the field for which you have been nominated. Courses are generally taught in French, only some classes are held in a foreign language. On the Learning Agreement, you must note the names and codes of the selected courses as well as the number of ECTS awarded (the number of ECTS required to validate the semester is defined by your home university).

    Once the document is completed, the coordinator of the home university and the coordinator from Bordeaux Montaigne University must sign it. Please note that the International Relations Department of Bordeaux Montaigne University cannot sign learning agreements.

  9. The DEFLE (Département d'Études de Français Langue Étrangère) offers evening courses for students who come to study in Bordeaux Montaigne as part of a mobility. These courses are fee-based and not compulsory. You can earn 4 ECTS credits per year or for a semester.

    Interested students must pre-register with DEFLE and take a placement test that will determine their level of French. Visit the DEFLE website to learn more. 

  10. When arriving in France, you must subscribe to various insurances, namely:

    • Housing and liability insurance: these are mandatory in most housing situations (except hotels or other special situation). It may be worth checking with your home country insurance if they do not offer international coverage. Students from European countries/EU area must ask for a European Health Insurance Card or Global Health Insurance Card.
    • Affiliation to the French Social Security: it is free and compulsory. It allows you to benefit from the coverage of your health expenses during the entire duration of your studies in France. As soon as you arrive in France and after obtaining your certificate of enrolment at a higher education institution, register on the dedicated website of the Health Insurance.
    • Visas: as an international student, mobility can be based on the acquisition of a visa to access French territory. Information on visa procedures can be found on the government website: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/etudiants

    The EU website may provide access to additional information.

During the mobility

  1. An administrative registration (inscription administrative) is the moment you register at the university. This mandatory step allows you to confirm your arrival at Bordeaux Montaigne University and to issue the certificate of tuition and your student card. You will receive an invitation with date and time from the Mobility Office. 

  2. An pedagogical registration (inscription pédagogique) is when you register for class, it is compulsory. Once you have selected the courses and that the schedule is set, it is necessary to register for all of the desired classes. You will be accompanied by tutors throughout the months of September (for 1st semester courses) and January (for 2nd semester courses).

    • TD stands for “Travaux dirigés”, it indicates smaller and more practice-oriented classes.
    • CM stands for “Cours Magistral”, it is a lecture often given in an amphitheatre, which brings together all the students of the promotion.

    These two types of courses are combined to form a single teaching unit. It will be necessary to follow a TD and a CM in order to recover all the ECTS indicated on the training offer.

  3. The Learning Agreement is a contract between the home and host universities. Once signed by both parties, the contract must be kept and sent to the International Relations of both universities.

  4. A document entitled Certificat de scolarité (Certificate of Registration) is sent and handed to you at the time of your administrative registration. On this certificate are noted an identifier and a password that will allow you to access your student space (student messaging, schedule, e-campus, etc.), called "Espace étudiants".

  5. The E-Campus platform is mainly for asynchronous or online courses. The existence of a group on E-Campus is not systematic. You must contact the teacher in charge of the class in question so that he or she can add you to the dedicated group.

    If some professors fail to add you on E-Campus, contact the Student Mobility office at the International Relations Department.

  6. The Aquipass card is not only a student card, it also allows you to make purchases or pay for services on campus. The IZLY system, affiliated with CROUS, allows you to “load” your student card with money. Once the card is loaded, it will be possible to pay for food at Crous Market and university restaurants, make photocopies at the university, use the washing facilities of the Crous residence, etc.

    Once the card is collected, an email will be sent to you (within 10 days). In this email will be indicated a temporary secret code that will allow you to create an IZLY account and therefore activate your card.

    Once the IZLY account is created, it will be possible to transfer money to the card. Simply log in using your login and password, then choose the preferred card loading option.

  7. As a mobility student, you are assessed on the basis of continuous evaluation (contrôle continu), that is to say throughout the semester. Teachers are free to choose the exams they wish to take (oral presentation, dossier, supervised homework...). The only requirement is that they do not take exams after the official end of term date.

  8. Anne Strazielle, the university nurse, welcomes you in the Administrative building, in her office ADM011. To contact her: anne.strazielle @ u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr

    It is also possible to visit the “Student Health Centre” (Espace santé étudiante) located on the Pessac campus. This service brings together a variety of health professionals with whom you can easily make appointments. Do not forget your European health insurance card, global health insurance card or vital card!

  9. The DLM is the "Department of World Languages", located in the CLEFF building, offers languages courses in more than 20 languages (English, Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, etc.),  for students, university staff and general public, from beginner to advanced level. These courses take place in the evening and are subject to a registration fee if not included in the Learning Agreement.

    The DEFLE is the department for teaching French as a foreign language. It offers French courses for foreign students wishing to learn or improve their skills in this language. Evening courses are not compulsory and are subject to fees. They can also be used to obtain 4 ECTS credits over a year or for a semester. It is also part of the CLEFF building and adminstration.

    The day courses are a separate course and are reserved for students enrolled in DEFLE specifically for the day classes.

  10. The directory is available on the university’s website. It allows access to information (telephone, e-mail, place of work, function...) of all the teachers and staff of the university.

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