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Although it has old roots, the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, with its new organization, has existed for less than thirty years. The University of Reims was created in 1548, thanks to the Cardinal de Lorraine, who made the papacy turn it into one of the leading cathedral schools in Europe in the Middle Ages. It was closed down in 1793 during the French Revolution and disappeared almost entirely for a century until it came back in the sixties. The Science Faculty (1961), the University Literary College (1964), the Law and Economics Faculty (1966), Reims Institute of Technology (1966), Medical and Pharmacy mixed Faculty (1967), the National School of Dental Surgery (1970) are the successive elements that have composed the University of Reims since 1971. The creation of a University Institute of Technology in Troyes (1973), a Superior Technical Training Institute (1985) and a University Institute of Technology in Charleville-Mézières (1995), the development in Troyes of the second unit of Law, Economics and Literature Faculties of Reims (1991) and the opening of a University Institute of Technology in Châlons-en-Champagne (1993) have now asserted the regional roots of a university that became in 1982 the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. This multidisciplinary university (URCA) develops innovative, fundamental, and applied research. The university also accompanies independent or company backed students in continuing professional development training. Fulfilling students' needs is a top priority. URCA developed student citizenship by evaluating its formations and is equipped with a student-services desk uniquely devoted to providing new students with information, a help desk to help students get employment placement, and a follow-up evaluation. URCA is situated in five different cities: Reims (leading site), Troyes, Charleville-Mézières, Châlons en Champagne, and Chaumont. The university largely contributes to the development of Champagne-Ardenne through its partnerships with local and national companies and the regional authorities. With 1557 teachers and teachers-researchers, among whom 126 are hospital practitioners and technical and administrative staff of 1038, URCA is one of the region's biggest employers. URCA aims to appeal to international students and has consequently introduced the construction of an interregional and international cluster (PRES), which will include the central institutions of higher education of Champagne-Ardenne and Picardie and Walloon universities. Situated in the heart of the Ile-de-France, the Rhineland, Northern Europe, and Italy, URCA occupies a geostrategic position favorable to European and international exchanges. The TGV is accessible in the Roissy airport and facilitates transportation to the university, which is only ten minutes away. By choosing the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne as an institution of higher education, one opts for quality education and innovative fundamental and applied research. We are happy to welcome you to the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. We do our best to help you settle in and adapt well. The URCA is the only multidisciplinary university in Champagne-Ardenne; more than 130 degrees are offered to the students. Thanks to the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System), all students - whether they are French or international - can easily understand and compare their degree program to any other European degree program. The one-stop counter is the primary point of contact between international degree students and all of the various university services surrounding student life. At the Guichet Unique, you can find all the necessary information and services to accomplish the administrative procedures: residence permit, compulsory medical examination, jobs in France, accommodations and possible supports, student social security, stand-by and social services, bank, and insurance information, etc. In France, there is no automatic equivalence between international and French academic qualifications. Each institution sets its entry requirements, considering the student's previous academic background and the program he/she wishes to embark upon. This enables homogeneous classes to be created and guarantees the level of teaching. The French higher education system includes various educational institutions. There are three types of French higher education: The "grandes écoles" offer a specialized high level and professional education with a competitive entrance examination. Specialized schools cover various professional areas and offer degree courses corresponding to specific jobs. French universities are higher education and research state schools where professor-researchers (Senior Lecturers or Professors) carry out both research and teaching works. Teachings are organized by semester, each one ending with an exam session. A degree is issued if the overall assessment of exams proves successful. The Undergraduate degree (Bachelor) is issued if the student has validated his first semesters. After this general and theoretical course, the student can carry on with a master's or enter a school based on his application or a competitive examination. Professional undergraduate degrees also exist, which prepare me for professional life. The student will be issued a Postgraduate degree (Master's) if he has validated his four semesters following the undergraduate degree. There are two masters: professional masters, directed towards working life, and research masters intended to prepare a Ph.D. afterward. This Ph.D. will only be valid once the thesis is attended and open the way to researcher or professor-researcher positions. View full university