The UFAR was created in 2000 as a limited company with the backing of the French Embassy and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the educational involvement of Lyon's Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the University of Lyon 3 for Law.

Since autumn 2003 the French University in Armenia has become an inter-state foundation directed by a French vice-chancellor (Paul Rousset, Lyon 2), with three local deans (one for each faculty) and three associate deans appointed by the vice-chancellor as recommended by our university.

With 600 students, the UFAR is the largest French university abroad. It strongly encourages the integration of its students from Armenia and the region into the professional workplace.

To begin with, the UFAR had created the Franco-Armenian DES university degree, which, under certain conditions, was added to existing local specialist degrees lasting five years.
With Armenia adopting a law that forced all universities to offer a two-grade degree system, signing up to the Bologne convention, and implementing the French LMD system (Undergraduate - Master - Doctorate), an opportunity arose to implement double state degrees, both French and Armenian, at Undergraduate level (in Armenian: Baklavr, taken over four years, after shorter primary and secondary studies than in France) and Master level (Magister in Armenian).
These agreements were the subject of a convention adopted by our university's administrative council and the UFAR, which includes two representatives from the Armenian government, including the Minister for Education and Research.