Hi all, does anyone know what a 2:1 degree translates to in French? ie what is the equivalent level?
Thanks
you've said it all, Brian, it's a bloody minefield! I'm just glad I did my maîtrise/masters here in France so I've never had to go through any of the explaining/trying to get equivalences etc. :-D
When I did the seminars in Bordeaux they gave me the sheet describing academic awards that I copied from, so yes you may well be right, but do all universities apply the same standards? As you know, ENS is peculiar to France in the entire world, yet the way their minds worked in the personnel office was to say 'Ah oui, Cambridge, Oxford et LSE sont ENS, mais aucune autre université britannique'! Duh! Double duh! They phoned an academic in the university to find out whether or not a Cambridge diploma has a seal or stamp in case it was a forgery in my case. Fortunately he/she had their diploma in the filing cabinet and could confirm it is just the two signatures from the Administrative Officer and Registrary of the University, not even the Vice-Chacellor!
I suspect it is just like the UK where a Scots degree that is an MA or MSc since they do not have BA/BSc is graded a BA by several English universities, ditto some universities want to have it that honours is more significant than a straight degree. In short, countries regulate, universities ignore, so who really knows? Except that we both agree on our answer to Nick's question.
Just to clarify, Brian, the DEUG is a bac+2, licence is bac+3, masters 1 = bac+4 which replaced the maîtrise, and masters 2 is a bac+5 which replaced the DESS amongst others ;-)
After the implementation of the Bologna Process, which was up to about 2005-06 here in France, the Diplôme d'études universitaires générales (DEUG) or licence as it is commonly called, is the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree. The grade (mention) is of little importance here in France, more a case of having passed one has a degree, so a DEUG is a DEUG as they say in the best kennels universities, but a first is avec mention très bien, 2:1 is avec mention bien, 2:2 avec mention assez bien and a 3rd is a pass. If one is try to use it here in France, they want us to prove we have the equivalent of bac+3 to recognise a degree. I had to prove that in order to do three seminars in order to be paid. I then had to prove I was at the equivalent of one of their Écoles normales supérieures, my diploma bearing the word Cambridge almost did not convince them because it has only signatures but no stamp or seal, which might well be the case with a BA certificate too.
Thanks Andrew. We are updating the website and these quirky things are coming out and leaving most in here scratching their heads.
If it's an honours degree then it's a bac +3/licence avec mention : BA (hons) Licence (avec mention). And from what I can remember a first is avec mention très bien, a 2:1 is avec mention bien, a 2:2 avec mention assez bien and a 3rd is just a pass, rather like in the UK. But I've been out of higher education for a while, Nick, I'm sure Véro will confirm one way or the other ;-)