SELF | Study in English in Lyon, France

Accéder aux sections de la fiche

Call to actions

SELF Program

Details

General information

Institution
Duration
One semester or a year
Places
Lyon

Introduction

The SELF (Study in English in Lyon, France) 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.

Objectives

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 2026/2027:
  • Arrival in Lyon: 24 to 26 August
  • Compulsory orientation period: 27 August (10am) to 4 September included
  • Add & drop period: 7 September to 18 September
  • Semester break: 26 October to 1 November included
  • Exam period: 16 November to 18 December included
  • End of semester: 18 December
Spring Semester 2026/2027:
  • Arrival in Lyon: 4 to 6 January
  • Compulsory orientation period: 7 January (10am) to 15 January included
  • Add & drop period: 18 to 29 January
  • Semester break: 22 to 28 February included
  • Exam period: 22 March to 30 April
  • End of semester: 30 April 

Testimonials

  • SELF Program Testimonial - Albin

    Albin, 23, ?rebro (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, ?rebro (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 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 way of...
  • SELF Program Testimonial - Hyewon

    Hyewon, 22, Busan (South Korea) - Spring Semester
    I had the incredible opportunity to study at Lyon 3 for the spring semester of 2025, and now that I'm back home, it truly feels like a dream to me. Lyon 3's SELF program was a perfect fit for me. It allowed me to study in France while studying in English. Although I have been learning French for a little over a year, I would not have been able to fully grasp the course content without the option to study in English through SELF. As a biomedical student studying at The University of Hong Kong,...

Places

Lyon

Training contacts

Director of studies

Fanny SOUCHON
SELF Program Coordinator
selfprogram@univ-lyon3.fr 

Admission

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 4.5 of 6 or higher with 4 of 6 at least for each section 
- 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.

Conditions of submission

Enrolment fees:
- 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/澳门银河的网站多少 life : 100 euros (compulsory for fee-paying students only)


Application deadlines for fee-paying students:

  • 1st of November for the spring semester.
  • 1st of June for the fall semsester.
Application procedure
→ Exchange students: please revert to your home University

→ Non-exchange/fee-paying/free-movers:

Application for fall and/or spring semester :
? Download the application form here.
? Fill out and send your application form and the supporting documents to selfprogram@univ-lyon3.fr

Program

Program content:
Each semester includes:
A one and a half week compulsory orientation program *:
  • SELF Program presentation meetings
  • 12-16 hours of intensive French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes – 60 hours throughout the semester
  • Campus visits
  • Welcome Mixer
  • Lectures on life in Lyon & in France
  • Session on the Lyon 3 student portal/intranet
  • Q&A on administrative procedures (visas, health insurance, banking, phones, etc.)

The orientation program is compulsory and part of the SELF program and totally separate from DEUF orientation course (SIM).
* There is no orientation program in the spring semester for annual students

? Exchange Students - Calendar & Welcome Guide (2026-2027)

The regular course offer includes:
  • French as a Foreign Language (FLE) - Compulsory for all SELF students (Fall 9210024 / Spring 9210024)
  • 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 2026/2027

? Timetable Fall Semester 2026-27 (new!)
? Integration Week Schedule (Fall Semester 26-27)

BUSINESS & BUSINESS CULTURE
International Marketing (06200962)
Multinational Business Finance (06300585)
Pitching & Branding my Project (06290497)
Intercultural Management (06260011)
Entrepreneurship & Innovation (06290496)
Design of Sustainable Organizations (6290496)

LAW & POLITICAL SCIENCE
Comparative Legal Traditions (02210008)
International Contract Law (01220094)
Human Rights Law (01290278)
The Human Right to Water (02290098)
Comparative Constitutional Law (02210085)
International Economic Sanctions & Armed Conflicts (02210086)
Company Law (06290497)

HUMANITIES
French History & Culture through Film (22230038)
The Political Persuaders (22200117)
Debates in Culture Wars (22230039)

Course Offering - Spring Semester 2026/2027

? Timetable Spring Semester 2026-27
? Orientation Week Spring Semester 2026-2027

BUSINESS & BUSINESS CULTURE
Business Ethics (01280067)
International Negotiations (06290498)
Organizational Behavior (6210980)
Strategic Management (6240583)
Digital Marketing & AI Tools (06201054)

LAW & POLITICAL SCIENCE 
Geopolitics (06220509)
International Law (02210082)
Introduction to the Law of the Sea (2260124)
Paradox & Conflict in EU Law (2280093)
Introduction to International Criminal Law (6260224)
Business Law, the Legal Foundations of Commerce (02210082)
International Environmental Law (to be confirmed)
 
HUMANITIES
Staging the Supernatural in Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream (11110251)
The European Revolutionary Tide (22220094)
The European Renaissance (22230046)
Images & the Truth in the Digital Age (22230042)


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

? Please note that:
? The number of students in SELF classes is limited (35 to 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
 

Assessment:
At least 2 marks (see syllabi for details)

Transcript of records:
Will be available online at the end of January/May