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The University of Perpignan Via Domita is a modestly sized, multidisciplinary, and dynamic campus. Involved in projects at the local level, its influence also extends towards southern Catalonia and the rest of the world. Every year, some 9500 students follow courses in a broad range of areas, including literature, languages, human and social sciences, law, economics, management, exact sciences, sport, and tourism. In addition to the academic courses that it offers, the UPVD is also involved in renewable energies: it runs a Master's degree in solar energy, with support from the DERBI competitivity cluster and has a "Renewable energies" department, SUP'EnR school. The Catalan "Perpignan-Font Romeu" site has obtained both a Labex and an Equipex project, establishing it as a major international center in solar power research. The UPVD has developed expertise in several critical areas at its various satellite campuses: sport in Font Romeu, tourism in Mende, urban planning law in Narbonne, and Marketing techniques in Carcassonne. And finally, the high quality of life that this southern city offers – sandwiched between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, only one hour from Barcelona – should be emphasized. The first University of Perpignan was established in 1350 by King Peter IV of Aragon. Even then, it had a reputation as a multidisciplinary center of learning – a reputation that has endured to this day. In 1979, the University of Perpignan became financially, administratively, and educationally autonomous. We are proud of our ancestral origins, which date back to the 14th century, and our Catalan roots are intertwined with our history and identity. And at the same time, we assert our national and international outlook, which is inextricably linked with our French university status. As they move about the campus, students will brush shoulders with company leaders, professionals, experts, and specialists from a wide range of socio-economic sectors. The UPVD is also a committed university. Committed to the digital revolution and providing its students with the very best of the technologies available: a whole department and building dedicated to digital technologies – Pl@tinium+ – has been created and continues to expand across the campus. It is also committed to an ecological and energy transition and incorporating the principles of sustainable development into all that it does through training workshops and action plans targeting waste and energy usage and optimizing how building stock is used. Within the framework of the drive to standardize higher education throughout Europe, the French university system is now structured around three national qualifications: the Licence, the Masters, and the Doctorate. This new "LMD" structure gives European students greater mobility between disciplines and between professional and general courses. In France, students study for the national license diploma over six semesters. It has replaced the former diplôme d'études Universitaires générales (or general university studies diploma), which was obtained after two years, followed by one year studying for the license (it is awarded after three years of post-baccalaureate study). After the Licence, students can study for a master's diploma, which marks the successful completion of primary or continuing course pathways. Students study for it over four semesters (it is awarded after five years of post-baccalaureate study). Once they have completed the Master's program, students can register for a doctorate. All students who have obtained Master's degrees can register for a doctoral thesis – whether they have a Master's diploma, an engineering qualification, or a diploma from an advanced business school equivalent to a Master's degree. As a general rule, it takes three years to study for a doctorate (they are awarded after eight years of post-baccalaureate study). View full university