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The French higher education system is built on a rigorous vision of university study, widely recognised for the quality of its teaching and its exacting academic standards. It places particular emphasis on the development of intellectual discipline and scholarly rigour, including:
- the mastery of structured and argumentative writing,
- the ability to organise and present reasoning in a clear, logical framework,
- the cultivation of critical thinking, in-depth analysis, and disciplinary precision.
This approach seeks to develop students who can think with precision, interrogate complex problems, draw upon sophisticated bodies of knowledge, and construct well-founded, nuanced arguments, in accordance with the specific requirements of relevant disciplines. The hallmark of French higher education lies in its commitment to the continual deepening of learning, the intellectual coherence of academic pathways, and the nurturing of students’ academic independence.
At the same time, the programmes offered at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi are carefully tailored to the particularities of the Emirati context. Course content, teaching methods, and academic pathways take local institutional expectations into account, integrate national priorities in skills development—particularly work-based and research-led learning—and are adapted to the diverse profiles of the student body.
The French education model is based on the LMD system: Licence (Bachelor/Undergraduate), Master (Master/Postgraduate), and Doctorat (Doctorate). The academic structure at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi follows this system and offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
The Bachelor’s programme is three years long (L1, L2, L3). Non-French speaking students must complete an additional year of intensive French classes to obtain a University Diploma (DU), which is required before enrolling on a Bachelor’s programme. In all undergraduate programmes, the various UEs correspond in each semester to minor or major courses, as well as elective courses.
The Master's programme is two years long, made up of Master 1 (M1) and Master 2 (M2).
All courses and optional materials are referred to as UE or Unités d’Enseignement (or Modules – Teaching Units). These divisions apply to postgraduate studies as well. UEs carry a set number of European credits (ECTS). The total amount of UE for a year is 60 ECTS. To obtain a Bachelor’s degree, a student needs 180 ECTS and 120 ECTS to obtain a Master’s degree.
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