By Ordo Liberalis News Staff
Did you know that in France there is a clear distinction between national diplomas (official degrees) and university diplomas (proprietary degrees) at the master’s and doctoral levels? This distinction is fundamental to understanding the structure of higher education in the country and directly affects the recognition and value of academic titles in France and abroad.
- National Diplomas (Official Degrees)
Definition:
National diplomas are officially accredited and recognized by the French government. Their academic quality and legitimacy are guaranteed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. These degrees are part of the LMD system (Licence–Master–Doctorate), which standardizes higher education levels across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
Legal Basis:
The issuance of these diplomas is regulated by national laws, including ministerial decrees such as the Arrêté du 25 mai 2016, which defines the national training framework and the conditions for awarding master’s and doctoral degrees.
Issuing Institutions:
Only public universities and higher education institutions accredited by the State are authorized to award national diplomas.
Recognition:
These diplomas benefit from automatic national and international recognition within the EHEA and in countries with academic recognition agreements with France.
- University Diplomas (Proprietary Degrees or Diplômes d’Université – DU)
Definition:
University diplomas are created and issued by individual universities without direct accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education. They are often designed to meet specific professional or continuing education needs and offer greater flexibility in terms of curriculum and duration.
Legal Basis:
These degrees are not governed by a unified national legal framework. Instead, they are regulated by the internal policies of each issuing university, which has full autonomy over their creation and conditions for issuance.
Issuing Institutions:
Only the university that created the program can issue the diploma. Not all universities offer DUs at the master’s or doctoral level, and their recognition can vary widely.
Recognition:
Recognition of university diplomas is more limited and often depends on the reputation of the issuing institution or on specific professional contexts. Unlike national diplomas, DUs do not benefit from automatic recognition and may not be accepted by other institutions or employers outside the issuing university’s network.
