French Language Courses for Foreign Students
For many years, the École Pratique des Hautes Études – PSL has welcomed a significant number of international students.
EPHE-PSL supports its students by offering language courses aligned with the levels of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
EPHE-PSL offers French as Foreign Language (FFL) courses [Français langue étrangère (FLE)], as does the Language Centre of Université PSL.
FLE COURSES OFFERED BY EPHE-PSL
Master's Degree
Non-French-speaking students whose French proficiency is below B2 on the CEFR framework must enrol on FLC courses.
Those with a level equal to or above B2 may choose to enrol in another foreign language course related to their program (to be agreed with their tutor) or continue learning at higher FLE levels (C1 and C2).
Students who have never taken an FLE certification test must take the EPHE-PSL placement test (written and oral) to determine their level. These tests are held in autumn, before the semester begins.
PhD and Institutional Diplomas
Intensive FLE courses at the start of term and semester-long FLE courses are open to PhD students, subject to availability. Within the framework of the doctoral programme, these courses result in the award of ECTS credits.
Intensive FLE Courses
The intensive courses are optional and do not result in any ECTS credits, except for those awarded as part of the doctoral programme.
The courses are offered at the beginning of the first semester and are open to all international students at EPHE-PSL.
Location: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme - 54, boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris
Reference Teacher: Madame Rachel Lauthelier-Mourier
Level B1 – B2: Advanced
From Monday 29 September to Friday 10 October 2025* - From 1pm to 4pm
Level B2 – C1: Independent
From Monday 29 September to Friday 10 October 2025* - From 9am to 12pm
*Dates are indicative and subject to change.
Semester-long Weekly FLE Courses (1st Semester Only)
Master's students and doctoral program participants can earn ECTS credits for the semester-long FLE courses.
Location: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme - 54, boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris
Reference Teacher:Madame Rachel Lauthelier-Mourier
Level B1 – B2: Advanced
Tuesdays, from 14 October 2025 to 27 January 2026* - From 3pm to 5pm.
Level B2 – C1: Independent
Tuesdays, from 14 October 2025 to 27 January 2026* - From 1pm to 3pm.
*Dates are indicative and subject to change.
Enrolment
Master's students and students on an institutional diploma programme enrol at the time of the pedagogical enrolment procedure via the Pegasus Portal.
PhD students enrol via the Adum Portal.
Master's and PhD students participating in an international mobility program should contact DEVE (Direction des Enseignements et de la Vie Etudiante) for enrolment (single address for all categories of mobility).
Students at level B1–B2 or B2–C1 who wish to continue studying at this level in the second semester should contact the Language Centre of Université PSL (see the relevant section below). Students at levels A1–A2 are invited to contact the Language Centre of Université PSL (see section below).
COURSES OFFERED BY THE LANGUAGE CENTRE OF UNIVERSITÉ PSL
FLE Courses Offered
Two languages are offered: French as a Foreign Language and French Sign Language.
Level groups range from A1 (beginner) to C1 (advanced).
Various time slots are offered each week (group divisions and adjustments may be made following enrolment, according to demand).
Location, Timetable, Calendar & Contact Hours
Classes take place from Monday to Friday from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, at 60, Boulevard Saint-Michel, 75006 Paris (École des Mines de Paris).
Each course consists of 16 weekly sessions, each lasting 1 hour 30 minutes, per semester (24 hours per semester).
1st semester: from late September 2025 (Week 39) to late January 2026 (Week 4)
2nd semester: from the first week of February 2026 (Week 6) to around late May 2026 depending on the calendar specific to each formed group.
In the 2nd semester, A1 level courses are not offered to absolute beginners.
Assessment
Assessment will be based on continuous assessment, taking into account marks for assignments or tests, as well as the evaluation of work provided, progress and participation. This will result in a mark out of 20.
Each course has its own dedicated Moodle space and benefits from the support of the Université PSL Pedagogical Innovation Centre.
Semester Enrolment
First semester: enrolment open from the last week of August to mid-September 2025 (with final group stabilisation by mid-September 2025).
Second semester: enrolment will be open from mid-January to the last week of January 2026, with final group stabilisation by the end of January 2026.
Important notes
=> Students must enrol via the Moodle of the Language Centre of Université PSL
=> Courses are freely accessible subject to availability. Priority is given to Master's students for whom language training is compulsory.