SELF | Study in English in Lyon, France
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Introduction
- SELF Program Testimonial - Albin
Albin, 23, Örebro (Sweden) - Spring Semester 2025
Lyon was the perfect base for exploring Europe and France, but even more so, it became a place of friendships and memories. I’ll always feel a deep connection to the city and to Jean Moulin 3. - SELF Program Testimonial - Andrea
Andrea, 22, Leon (Mexico) - Spring Semester 2025
Being in the SELF program was an amazing experience ! I wanted to study somewhere where I could meet people from all over the world, practice my English while getting to learn another language and get to experience a real multicultural environment, and it was exactly that. Courses where very interesting, teachers were so nice and also student life in Lyon has been great. Definitely a semester full of amazing memories I will cherish forever! - SELF Program Testimonial - Bagder
Badger Ewins, 21, London (UK) Annual Student
Studying on the SELF programme was a fantastic way to spend my year abroad in France; it allowed me to broaden what I study, explore France, and massively improve my language skills. The courses offered by SELF cover a broad range of topics and allow students to engage in new areas as no modules expect you to have studied their subject before, but if you have it’s a bonus! The timings of semesters and the amazing transport connections Lyon has allow for lots of opportunities to travel around... - SELF Program Testimonial - Emma
Emma, 23, Örebro (Sweden) – Spring Semester 2025
Lyon is the perfect city for an exchange. An exchange here gives you memories and experiences that last a lifetime! It combines the energy of a big city with charming neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, and a rich cultural history. Its location is ideal, close to the Alps, the Mediterranean, and other European countries. Université Jean Moulin offers dedicated teachers, interesting courses, and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s easy to meet new people. - SELF Program Testimonial - Matilda
Matilda, 23, Stockholm (Sweden) - Spring Semester 2025
Lyon is truly a wonderful city and I am so grateful that I got to call it my home for a semester. I chose Jean Moulin III and Lyon for my exchange semester in law school and it has truly been a wonderful experience in many ways. First of all, I have enjoyed the university very much. The teaching is at a high level and the teachers are genuinely committed both to their subjects and also to us students. An exchange is not only about studying, it's also about discovering a new place and a new...
Objectives
The SELF program is an upper-division undergraduate level program open to university undergraduates with a basic level of French and who have completed at least two years of university studies. It is entirely taught in English and offers approximately 15 courses per semester in the following fields : law/political science, business/business culture and humanities. The SELF will help students get familiar with the French University system and culture. It can also help them improve their proficiency so as to study in French the following semester (except for beginners). It is a full time program and cannot be combined with other programs.
- SELF Program Testimonial - Albin
Albin, 23, Örebro (Sweden) - Spring Semester 2025
Lyon was the perfect base for exploring Europe and France, but even more so, it became a place of friendships and memories. I’ll always feel a deep connection to the city and to Jean Moulin 3. - SELF Program Testimonial - Andrea
Andrea, 22, Leon (Mexico) - Spring Semester 2025
Being in the SELF program was an amazing experience ! I wanted to study somewhere where I could meet people from all over the world, practice my English while getting to learn another language and get to experience a real multicultural environment, and it was exactly that. Courses where very interesting, teachers were so nice and also student life in Lyon has been great. Definitely a semester full of amazing memories I will cherish forever! - SELF Program Testimonial - Bagder
Badger Ewins, 21, London (UK) Annual Student
Studying on the SELF programme was a fantastic way to spend my year abroad in France; it allowed me to broaden what I study, explore France, and massively improve my language skills. The courses offered by SELF cover a broad range of topics and allow students to engage in new areas as no modules expect you to have studied their subject before, but if you have it’s a bonus! The timings of semesters and the amazing transport connections Lyon has allow for lots of opportunities to travel around... - SELF Program Testimonial - Emma
Emma, 23, Örebro (Sweden) – Spring Semester 2025
Lyon is the perfect city for an exchange. An exchange here gives you memories and experiences that last a lifetime! It combines the energy of a big city with charming neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, and a rich cultural history. Its location is ideal, close to the Alps, the Mediterranean, and other European countries. Université Jean Moulin offers dedicated teachers, interesting courses, and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s easy to meet new people. - SELF Program Testimonial - Matilda
Matilda, 23, Stockholm (Sweden) - Spring Semester 2025
Lyon is truly a wonderful city and I am so grateful that I got to call it my home for a semester. I chose Jean Moulin III and Lyon for my exchange semester in law school and it has truly been a wonderful experience in many ways. First of all, I have enjoyed the university very much. The teaching is at a high level and the teachers are genuinely committed both to their subjects and also to us students. An exchange is not only about studying, it's also about discovering a new place and a new...
Study in English in Lyon, France (SELF)
Objectives of the program :
The SELF program is designed to encourage significant improvement in the student's level of proficiency in the French language, possible fulfilment of home university curriculum requirements and subsequent credit transfer.
Most of the courses are designed from a European or French perspective and emphasis is placed upon international comparison.
Students should be motivated by the international experience of studying in France.
⚠ This program is designed for non-degree-seeking students.
Specificities
The SELF program is a semester program or an annual program.
It starts at the end of August / in early January and ends mid-December/end of April
Fall Semester 2025/2026:
- Arrival date: 25, 26 or 27 August
- Compulsory orientation period: 28 August, 9am to 5 September included
- Add & drop period: 8 September to 19 September
- Semester break: 25 October to 2 November included
- Exam period: 24 November to 19 December included
- End of semester: 19 December
Spring Semester 2025/2026:
- Arrival date: 6 or 7 January
- Compulsory orientation period: 8 January, 9am to 16 January included
- Add & drop period: 19 to 30 January
- Semester break: 14 to 22 February included
- Exam period: 5 April to 24 April
- End of semester: 24 April included
Places
Lyon
Admission
Application
Conditions of admission / Conditions of successful application
Admission criteria:
The SELF program is available to students (exchange/non-exchange) who fulfil the following requirements:
Academic background:
Students should have completed a minimum of two years of university studies ; the academic level of SELF corresponds to upper-division undergraduate level
Level of French:
- The SELF program is designed for students with a level of French ≤ A2 (B1 maximum)
- Students staying for two semesters who arrive with an A2 level in French and have attained a B1 level at the end of the semester are directed towards classes taught in French for the spring semester (DEUF program).
Level of English:
For students enrolled in a university where English is not the official language, one of the official tests listed below is required:
- TOEFL IBT: overall score of 80 or higher with 20 at least for each section – only the official test will accepted (the local version is not adequate)
- TOEFL ITP: overall score of 560 minimum and 50 at least for each section
- IELTS Academic: overall score of 6,5 and no section score below 6
- TOEIC including speaking, writing, listening and reading test: overall score of 1020
- Cambridge Advanced: A/B
- Cambridge Proficiency: C minimum
- Duolingo English Test: overall score of 125
The English test has to be provided upon nomination (end of April for the fall semester and end of October for the spring semester) by your home university.
NB: The tests listed above must have been undertaken no more than two years prior to the commencement of SELF program.
Submission
Conditions of submission
- Exchange students are exempted from enrolment fees
- Non-exchange students: 3,500 euros for one semester (2025/2026).
They include access to many university facilities and services :
- Libraries and computer rooms
- A wide range of cultural, leisure and entertainment activities
Additional fees:
Sports : 36 euros (optional)
Contribution for student life/campus life : 100 euros (compulsory for fee-paying students only)
Application deadlines for fee-paying students:
- 15 November for the spring semester.
- 15 June for the fall semsester.
→ Exchange students: please revert to your home University
→ Non-exchange/fee-paying/free-movers:
► Application for fall semester 2025/2026: please fill out and send your application form and the supporting documents to selfprogram@univ-lyon3.fr
⚠ Download the application form here.
Program
Each semester includes:
- A one and a half week compulsory orientation program *:
- 15 hours of intensive French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes – 60 hours throughout the semester
- Campus visits
- Welcome Cocktail
- Lectures on life in Lyon & in France
- Library visits
The orientation program is compulsory and part of the SELF program and totally separate from DEUF orientation course.
* There is no orientation program in the spring semester for the annual students
- The regular course offer includes:
- Introduction to French Culture and Civilization - Compulsory for all SELF students (Fall 9230008 / Spring 9230009)
- Each semester, students can select up to 4 of the following content courses :
Course Offering - Fall Semester 2025/2026
► Timetable Fall Semester 2025-26► Integration Week Schedule (Fall Semester 25-26)
BUSINESS & BUSINESS CULTURE
International Marketing (06200962)
Multinational Business Finance (06300585)
Powerful Presentations (06290497)
Cross-Cultural Management (06260011)
Entrepreneurship & Innovation (06290496)
Design of Sustainable Organizations (6290496) (NEW!)
LAW & POLITICAL SCIENCE
Comparative Legal Traditions (02210008)
International Contract Law (01220094)
Human Rights (01290278)
Alternative Dispute Resolution (01290278)
The Right to Water (NEW!)
HUMANITIES
French History & Culture through Film (22230038)
The Political Persuaders (22200117)
Debates in Culture Wars (NEW!)
Course Offering - Spring Semester 2025/2026
► Timetable Spring Semester 2025-26
► Orientation Week Spring Semester 2025-2026
BUSINESS & BUSINESS CULTURE
Business Ethics (01280067)
Negotiating and Pitching in business contexts (6290498)
Organizational Behavior (6210980)
Strategic Management (6240583)
Company Law & Governance (1220769) (to be confirmed)
Digital Marketing (to be confirmed)
LAW & POLITICAL SCIENCE
Geopolitics and International Law (6220509)
Introduction to International Criminal Law (1220478)
Introduction to the Law of the Sea (2260124)
Paradox & Conflict in EU Law (2280093)
French Constitutional Law (2210082) (to be confirmed)
Mergers & Acquisitions, ADR, Legal Negotiation (6260224) (to be confirmed)
HUMANITIES
Staging the Supernatural in Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream (11110251)
The European Revolutionary Tide (22220094)
A History of Journalism And Its Crisis in the Internet Age (22230042)
The European Renaissance (22230046)
⚠ Please note that:
• The number of students in SELF classes is limited (around 45 per class)
• A minimum of 15 students is required to open a course
• The SELF classes all take place on the "Manufacture Campus" (6 cours Albert Thomas)
• Classes take place from Monday to Friday included
Credits
- The Introduction to French Culture and Civilization class represents 10 hours and 2 credits per semester
- The French as a Foreign language class (FLE) represents 60 hours* and 5 credits (appr. 15 hours taught during the orientation period) per semester for semester students*
- The other classes represent 30 contact hours and 6 credits each
- Number of credits for a full-time student per semester: 31 (4 content courses + French as a Foreign Language + French Civilization)
*Except for the SELF annual students in the spring semester: 20 hours
Assessment
At least 2 marks (see syllabi for details)
Transcript of records:
Will be available online at the end of January/May