Please find useful information below about Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University as an exchange destination. Learn more about the location, the campus, courses and student life!
The multidisciplinary Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University is a multi-campus university in Paris, specialising in the teaching of humanities such as economics and law. Until the May 1968 Paris student riots, Panthéon-Sorbonne was part of the wider University of Paris network (generally known as the Sorbonne) and is renowned for having the second-oldest faculty of law in the world after the University of Bologna. Numerous distinguished lawyers, judges and prominent intellectuals have been among its alumni for over 800 years.
Queen Mary exchange students in Law attend the Sorbonne Law School at Panthéon-Sorbonne. In its current form since 1970 and at the very core of the university, the Sorbonne Law School encompasses the Academic and Research Departments of the former Paris Faculty of Law (in existence until the 1968 student protests) and areas of speciality include Administration and Public Sector Law, Business Law, International and European Studies, and General Legal Studies.
Since 2009, the Sorbonne Law School (in French, École de droit de la Sorbonne, often abbreviated as EDS) now includes all Law departments of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University: undergraduate department; Public Law department; Private Law department; International, European and Comparative Law department; and the Economic and Social Administration Institute. The Sorbonne Law School counts 14,000 enrolled students, 300 incoming exchange students annually, 180 full-time professors, 45 annual visiting scholars, and 3 labs. Learn more here.
Consult Pantheon-Sorbonne on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas, such as being among the top in the world in the field of Law and Legal Studies.
Paris is a beautiful and historic city, known by many as the European cultural capital. Many of Europe’s most iconic features of the world can be found in the galleries, museums and streets of Paris. With teaching taking place across several sites in Paris including Place du Panthéon, the Pierre-Mendès-France Center (commonly referred to as "Tolbiac") and the newer Port Royal, the Sorbonne Law School's central offices are located on the Place du Panthéon in Paris's historic Latin Quarter, which can be easily accessed from all neighbourhoods of the city via public transport. The location of the Latin Quarter, the fifth arrondissement is noted for its bookshops, cafés, student life and libraries – and as the site of the 1968 student protests. There’s a wealth of culture on its doorstep: the Jardin des Plantes botanical gardens, the National Museum of Natural History, the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Panthéon and Paris’s grandest mosque.
This exchange is only open to students in the School of Law.
Law bilateral agreement: Competitive **
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
French – students are required to be fluent in French as the vast majority of courses are taught in French (as a general rule of thumb, all courses are taught in French unless the title is in English or the course listing says it is in English). To be considered for an exchange space at this partner institution, students must have followed the mandatory French classes with the Queen Mary Language Centre during years 1 and 2 (unless official exemption was granted by Queen Mary's School of Law) and possess a minimum B2 level in French, and a letter from the French language instructor at Queen Mary will be requested by the partner.
Panthéon-Sorbonne's language department also provides specific language courses to help you improve your French throughout the year. Once fully enrolled (administratively and academically), you can take a French as a Foreign Language (FLE) course during one or two semesters (verify with the School of Law at Queen Mary if ECTS from French classes can be approved by Queen Mary as part of your credit load/in your Learning Agreement).
Important: Students must attend "Welcome Days" (induction week) taking place early/mid-September during the week before teaching begins. Panthéon-Sorbonne will ask nominated students to fill out an application form online that will be sent to them prior to their arrival as places are limited. The Welcome Days are critical to your successful integration and enrolment at the university and include important general information for international and exchange students, a French placement test and French language courses. Participating students are even awarded 2 ECTS for successful completion. Bear in mind that your successful enrolment at the university is integral to being able to apply for your French social security number (required for many things in France including accessing healthcare and French government benefits, such as for housing; see next tab).
Students generally have around two weeks off for Christmas, in addition to various public holidays. Additionally, Panthéon-Sorbonne is closed for a week during the middle of the first semester for Toussaint and also for a week in February. It is also compulsory for students to stay in Paris until the end of each examination period, which is late January for semester 1 and late May for semester 2.
Important: Resits take place during the second half of June (for both semesters); any student who fails any module due to results from the main round of examinations is strongly advised to remain in Paris to sit these to attempt to improve their grade.
At Queen Mary (pre-departure): The School of Law at Queen Mary strongly recommends for you attend the French Law Methodology classes in your second year as preparation for your exchange, once you hold a Conditional offer for the Panthéon-Sorbonne. Taking place every spring over several dates (typically March), these classes are organised primarily for the students completing the four-year double degree programme between Queen Mary and the Panthéon-Sorbonne, yet all students who studying in Paris the following year are encouraged to attend. Attending these pre-departure will support you in your understanding of crucial aspects of French Law, critical for the success of this year abroad integral to your English and European Law degree. See also related document available for download below. Contact the School of Law for more details on when the classes are organised.
At the Panthéon-Sorbonne: You can choose from a list of courses open to exchange students. In each department, an international relations delegate teacher who is in charge of helping incoming exchange students with any questions about course. See for "Law (EDS)," i.e. Ecole de droit de la Sorbonne.
Incoming exchange students studying Law have some but limited flexibility on the selection of courses, as certain requirements must be met. In general, you must choose a minimum of three pure Law courses from a set list, noting that courses listed under the heading "Matières d'autres départements (hors EDS)" are not pure Law courses (the latter can only be chosen by students as a complement to the three compulsory pure Law courses). You may also visit the incoming exchange student webpage to browse the courses open to exchange students by topic/subject area (see blue icons). Some classes may be available in English, more information here.
Except for the third-year lectures which take place in the Panthéon Centre or sub-centres in the Latin Quarter, Law tutorial classes and lectures for undergraduate students tend to take place in the Port Royal campus' René Cassin Center (17, rue Saint-Hippolyte), with some taking place in the Pierre-Mendès-France Center, commonly referred to as "Tolbiac." The newer Port Royal campus also offer students the opportunity to book rooms for group study. As a student at Panthéon-Sorbonne, learn also about the impressive library network to which you have access (physical study space and borrowing rights), including six integrated libraries and 34 associated libraries!
In order to reach the required 30 ECTS credit load per semester (see below), attendance of and/or participation in certain conferences and seminars may be possible options to award you with ECTS (conditions apply; discuss with the international relations unit, i.e. the DRI).
Important note about TDs: The number of TDs ("travaux dirigés," i.e. smaller group tutorials) is limited to one per student, unless the student requests a specific exemption. Queen Mary and the External Relations Department (Pôle relations extérieures, or RE) of the Sorbonne Law School (Ecole de droit de la Sorbonne, or EDS) strongly advise against students taking more than one course per semester "avec TD" (course with the TD/tutorial); this is because the version of any course with the TD is typically more time-intensive and academically challenging. Academically, it is advisable to select more classes without TDs (ECTS credit value of each class will be lower) than fewer classes with TDs. Even if the total number of classes is higher (as you must meet the 30 ECTS creditload per semester), the workload will be less rigourous and more feasible with fewer TDs.
Queen Mary students interested in or preparing to study at Panthéon-Sorbonne as an exchange student should consult former student feedback and/or speak to Global Opportunities Ambassadors to gain a better, more in-depth understanding of the French education system and the differences in French teaching and learning styles (and expectations) compared to the UK.
For more information about joining Panthéon-Sorbonne as an exchange student, the methodology of the French legal system (in English), selecting courses and the online course catalogue, please visit the below resources. Please note that some information may be slightly updated since the resources were created during the 2022/23 academic year.
This destination is only open to Queen Mary Law students following an English and European Law degree programme. Academically, Law students will only be able to follow modules per above guidance and lists provided by the Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Students must enrol on a full courseload: 30 ECTS per semester / 60 ECTS for the full academic year (equivalent to 60 Queen Mary credits per semester / 120 Queen Mary credits for the full academic year). Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversion.
At Panthéon-Sorbonne, students are assessed either by oral or written examinations. Resits are offered in June to students who do not pass exams during either semester (note that the resit period does not count as part of the official mobility period).
Consult Panthéon-Sorbonne's International Student Welcome Guide (note: 2023/24 edition): English version / French version
For information about visas/residence permits, learn more here.
Blog posts on Queen Mary Global Bloggers:
Panthéon-Sorbonne has some accommodation units allocated to exchange students. However, the university does not have enough accommodation to meet all demand and can therefore not guarantee any student with an offer of university accommodation. Please consult the university's webpage for more information regarding accommodation. The EDS-RE, which is the External Relations Department (Pôle relations extérieures, or RE) of the Sorbonne Law School (Ecole de droit de la Sorbonne, or EDS), can also direct Law students towards the central international relations services of the university who can assist students further with accommodation queries.
Accommodation in public French student residence halls (all subsidised and managed by each region's student welfare office known as the Centre régional des œuvres universitaires, abbreviated as CROUS) is price-controlled in Paris yet varies depending on if any facilities are shared or private/en-suite. Typically accommodation in these halls reserved exclusively for students studying in France includes a single bed, kitchenette, shower, toilet, desk and all utilities (water, electricity and internet).
It should be noted that both navigating the French housing market and finding accommodation can be quite difficult in Paris (not only privately but also in student residence halls), as many students (French and international) are trying to reserve and secure housing across the city via many routes. Students without any French language skills may find this challenging especially if they are searching for accommodation late at the start of the academic year. Students are advised to begin researching options and consulting advice from former participants as soon as possible, once they are nominated to the host institution.
Students in France who meet certain conditions are entitled to modest, monthly fiinancial housing assistance payments from the French government to help with the cost of rent, whether they rent student accommodation or privately, alone or in a flat/houseshare (referred to as colocation); procedures to apply will slightly differ depending on the situation. These housing benefits are commonly referred to as "la CAF" or "the CAF" in both French and English (Caisse des Allocations Familiales), as this is the service of the government delivering the financial support. The type and amount of the funding you may be eligible for will depend on your living and renting situation, yet most students are eligible to receive Custom Housing Assistance (aide personnalisée au logement, abbreviated as "APL") in the amount of €180-€200 per month. You must open a French bank account in order to be eligible to receive payments. You must also eventually have a French social security number (enrolment and registration at Panthéon-Sorbonne facilitates this), yet you may be able to begin the application process without this. Learn more here about eligibility and further conditions for applying; guidance for international students applying for the first time can also be found here.
Private accommodation: Students can rent privately either through an estate agent, homestay or private student halls. However, the cost will be higher, and students will likely be asked to provide details of a caution (or guarantor) required for signing any rental contract. Studapart, mentioned on Panthéon-Sorbonne's accommodation webpage thanks to their agreement with Studapart) is a useful resource to search for accommodation and, as an organisation, can serve as a caution (learn more here). Due to the size and popularity of Paris as a global destination, finding secure and affordable private accommodation is competitive and challenging year round, especially at the start of the academic year. Queen Mary students looking for private accommodation in the Paris metropolitan area are advised to follow the above guidance and any guidance from the host institution as soon as possible to begin their accommodation search safely. Guidance about searching for private accommodation safely is also available on the QMplus resource page, “Pre-departure” tab from early spring.
Consult the relevant section in Panthéon-Sorbonne's International Student Welcome Guide (see links at the top of this tab) for more information about budgeting and money in Paris. You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Paris here.
Living expenses can vary depending on individual lifestyle, especially in Paris where renting private accommodation can be as (if not more) expensive than renting privately in London. Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Important: Students considering to live and study in Paris must be realistic about financial matters, this being one of the most expensive cities in the world. In the decision-making process, Queen Mary students must calculate their forecasted budget with confirmed funding to which they will have access against the rising cost of living.
Students may also be expected to pay local student/administrative fees just like other full-degree local students, which in France may include the fee to register for sécurité sociale as a student.
Panthéon-Sorbonne has its own health service called the service de Santé étudiante (SSE), composed of health practitioners available to inform and advise you on health, contraception and nutrition. Some psychologists are also available for students free of charge and by appointment. Disabled students can be assisted by the Relais handicap, providing information and support on how to engage with the university's various departments.
Any Law exchange student in need at Panthéon-Sorbonne can visit colleagues within the EDS-RE, which is the External Relations Department (Pôle relations extérieures, or RE) of the Sorbonne Law School (Ecole de droit de la Sorbonne, or EDS). These colleagues regularly support Queen Mary students on exchange and will be pleased to support you, or direct you to the proper service if ever they are not able to help you directly (dre.eds@univ-paris1.fr).
As a current Queen Mary student you will be able to find a summary sheet for the Panthéon-Sorbonne on our QMplus page, with an overview of the local student support services available on the following topics: specific learning differences, physical impairments, sensory impairments, long term medical conditions, autism spectrum conditions, mental health and wellbeing difficulties, special accommodation provision, non-emergency health care, emergency services, harassment and trauma and suicide prevention.
In addition to the various cultural activities and opportunities offered as part of the "Welcome Days" (like Queen Mary's Freshers Fair), there are many opportunities to get involved in Panthéon-Sorbonne's student life, with over 150 clubs and societies - including cultural, sports and academic societies as well as students' unions. For those who are interested in theatre, music, writing or the radio industry, the cultural service of the university offers various workshops for students and also promotes events organised by the university's associations.
Sports: As an international student, there are also many sporting activities at the university that you can participate in for free as part of your studies or independently in your own time, either through the UEFAPS or the AS Paris 1. You can enrol at the beginning of each semester, exclusively online through the Reservasport platform.
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@aseedsorbonne (student society account: AsEED Sorbonne - Association des Étudiants de l'École de Droit de La Sorbonne)
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