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What's the difference between short and long degree programs ?
Long degree programs are offered in universities, grandes écoles, and other specialized schools. Their structure differs depending on their setting.
In universities...
Long programs are divided into three successive levels or cycles:
.The first level ends after three years of university study. Graduates are awarded the licence, the equivalent of a bachelor's degree.
.The second level may last 1 or 2 years. Students may earn a maîtrise in 1 year, and, after an additional year of study, a diplôme d'études approfondies (DEA) or diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées (DESS). These degrees are equivalent to a 1- or 2-year master's degree.
.The third level, that of graduate research and scholarship, ends in the award of a doctoral degree following successful defense of a thesis or dissertation. Equivalent to a PhD, the doctorat requires 3 years of study after the DEA.
In grandes écoles and other specialized schools...
Most long programs involve 5 years of study, including 2 years of preparation.
Students who successfully complete the 2 years of preparatory classes earn the right to sit for one or more very selective entrance examinations. The grandes écoles enroll most of their students through such examinations, but almost all hold open some places for international students and others seeking admission on the basis of their academic record and experience.
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