Exchange students at Inalco

Exchange students can select courses from four different categories, according to their
individual needs and French proficiency level. Please note that all courses are taught in French.

• Language and Civilisation courses – French B1 level achieved
  These courses refer to teaching in language-area studies. Please note that:
   
  
  •  Korean studies department – all courses are closed to exchange students
  • Japanese studies department
    
    • Courses from the 1st year of bachelor degree are closed
    • Students wishing to take courses from the 2nd year of Bachelor degree must have a JLPT N3 with a minimum grade of 120/180
    • Students wishing to take courses from the 3rd year of Bachelor degree must have a JLPT N2
    • Russian, Arabic and Chinese studies departments – Full beginner classes are closed to exchange students. Students wishing to take courses from these departments must attest that they previously studied the language for about 200 hours.

• Thematic and Disciplinary courses – French B1/B2 level achieved
  Exchange students with at least an intermediate level in French (B2 recommended) can enrol in courses which focus on examining phenomena through a cross-national lens. The information regarding these courses is available on this page.
  Please note that access to Inalco's thematic and disciplinary courses is subject to final approval by the teachers. Students should therefore confirm their admission to the course with the teachers during the first week of classes.

• French Language courses (Inal’FLE) – no minimum, full beginners accepted
  Inalco offers French as a Foreign Language courses. All proficiency levels are available from A1 (full beginner) to C1 (advanced).
  Please note that a French language test will be sent to all incoming students before their arrival at Inalco, regardless of the courses they decide to take. Its results will determine the group level to which the student will be registered at Inalco, regardless of other results from DELF/DALF exams.

• Professional Track courses – French C1 level achieved (+B1 or B2 in English depending on the track, see factsheet at the bottom of the page)
  Please note that access to Inalco’s Professional Track courses is competitive and subject to final approval from an admission committee. 
  
   

1. The partner university informs Inalco of the students it has pre-selected: this is the nomination period.

   Please note that nomination by the partner university does not automatically mean admission to the exchange programme. Admission is only guaranteed on receipt of the Acceptance Letter.

2. Inalco contacts the pre-selected students and sends them an application form to be completed online. Students must provide a valid passport photo, a photocopy of their identity card and a certificate of French language proficiency (DELF/DALF or certificate from their home university) for students wishing to take Language and Civilisation or Professional courses.

   If they wish to enrol in professional track courses, students must also provide the following documents:

   • CV (in French or English)
   • Cover letter (in French)
   • English language certificate
3. Inalco reviews the submitted applications and sends admitted students an Acceptance Letter.  
4. Students who have been accepted can then start preparing for their study stay in France (visa process, accommodation research, OLA for Erasmus+ students, etc.). Inalco's International Office is available to answer any question they may have at this stage.

Academic year 2024-2025

Fall semester

• Welcome session: September 12, 2024
• Beginning of classes: September 16, 2024
• End of classes: December 22, 2024
• Examination period: January 6 to 23, 2025

 Spring semester

• Welcome session: January 24, 2025
• Beginning of classes: January 27, 2025
• End of classes: May 16, 2025
• Examination period: May 19 to June 6, 2025
• Repeat session for both semesters: June 24 to July 5, 2025

Inalco's complete academic calendar is available on the following page.

Inalco works with external residences (CIUP/CROUS/ALJT), located within the Paris city limits, to provide exchange students with student housing. Prices range from €420 to €620, or about half of the average price of housing on the private market. However, please note that housing cannot be guaranteed, especially during the Fall semester.
Students wishing to apply for one of these residences must include this information in their online application form.