Université Paul Sabatier - Science Only
Toulouse, often called "la Ville Rose" because of its lovely brick buildings, is blessed with southern France's excellent weather. With easy access to the pastoral countryside and the nearby Pyrénées mountains, it also has a collection of interesting sites.
Visit the most beautiful pipe organ in France in the marvelous Basilique Saint-Sernin, the largest Romanesque church in Europe and part of Toulouse’s World Heritage Site, or enjoy a show at the Théâtre du Capitol, an opera house located in the famous Capitole de Toulouse. The University of Toulouse, founded in 1229, is made up of three campuses. The science campus is at Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier campus, which is located close to the canal du Midi, offers excellent biking and jogging trails and is close to the city centre of Toulouse (accessible by metro line B). Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier is currently ranked in the top 10 universities in France, is highly ranked in the fields of chemistry and mathematics (ARWU 2015, 2018) and enrolls over 29,000 students each year.
Key information
Application information
Program details
Areas of Study: Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Earth Science. Click the subjects under "les parcours de la mention", then the tab "Programm" to find offerings for 2nd/3rd year courses (L2/L3). All programs can be found here. Degree programs are organized into “Unité d’Enseignements” (UE) or teaching units which can be either compulsory or elective. They include lectures, tutorials, internships, dissertations, etc.
Because the humanities and arts campus (Le Mirail) is very separated from Paul Sabatier, non-science classes are not recommended.
In addition to classes, students can also participate in research projects, an option for students with more limited French language skills. Five months of full-time research with a written report can correspond to 30 ECTS (5 UCalgary half-course equivalents).
Course requirements:
In Europe, full-time course load is typically 30 ECTS (European credits), and exchange students are typically expected to take 30 credits per semester. 6 ECTS = 3 UCalgary units (1 half-course).
The amount of credits each course is worth corresponds to the workload/contact hours, and can vary from 1-30 ECTS per course, so please be mindful of this in your selection.
The exchange agreement with Paul Sabatier falls under TASSEP. TASSEP is the Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program, a consortium designed specifically with the curricular needs of science students in mind. Canadian science students have access to a variety of European Partners in the consortium.
Classes in Toulouse begin in the second week of September and end in December. Exams are in January. The spring semester begins between the middle and the end of January and runs to the end of April. Exams, in general, are in the first two weeks of May but can be as late as the end of May for some classes which need some work outside of the campus such as geology or ecology.
Please Note: French visa applications for Canadians may require travel to the Vancouver consulate to submit the documentation and take biometrics as needed within 3 months before departure to France, so students may not have access to their passports during that time.
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Costs
Exchange students pay their tuition and academic fees to the University of Calgary. Other expenses are paid directly to the service provider.
A recommended monthly budget for Toulouse is about €548 - €578 (accommodation in student residence) or €740 - €980 (accommodation off campus). For details see the host university website.
Toulouse cost comparison vs. Calgary: Click Here
Also, don't forget to include things like visas, insurance, vaccinations etc in your budget planning. All students on exchange in France will have to pay roughly €215 for French social security on arrival, which covers some costs of medical care, but comprehensive travel medical coverage will still be required.
Please Note: French visa applications may require travel to the Vancouver consulate to finalize your student visa and take biometrics as needed - please speak with the exchange advisor as soon as possible about whether this will be required for you.
Students considering significant rail travel in France may want to purchase a Carte Jeune via French National Rail (SNCF), which allows for reduced travel for every journey over a year.
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Funding
Did you know that you can take your UCalgary funding with you on exchange?
Since you remain a degree seeking student at UCalgary while on exchange you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are eligible to receive from the university as well as student loans.Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund (based on a funding-first model where students apply prior to committing to a global learning program) and the Global Learning Award (students apply after being accepted to a global learning program; the amount varies year-to-year as the money is split among chosen recipients). Students may only receive these awards once. Please see the funding page, linked below, for more information.
France - Housing Aid
All students in France who rent housing with a contract, regardless of national origin, are eligible for a National Housing Aid from the ‘CAF’, Caisse d’Allocations Familiales. For the subsidy application, please make sure to bring a copy of your birth certificate.E. Catherine Barclay Scholarship
The E. Catherine Barclay Scholarship is a generous award of $7500 granted to one outstanding full-time student, registered in any faculty at UCalgary, who has been accepted by us to study for a full academic year (French-taught courses only) on one of our official exchange programs.
Housing in university residences is organized by CROUS (Centre Régional des Œuvres Universitaires et Scolaires). Students have to apply early as places are limited, once they are nominated they will receive an email with further information and have support of the Housing Service of the host university.
This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in the Faculty of Science, who have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-).
Courses at Paul Sabatier are taught in French. As such, applicants must have a command of French at the B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) at a minimum, or have completed at least two 300-level or above courses in French. Certification of language proficiency may be required. Students do have the opportunity to take French language courses during their stay.
What options are available for improving my French at Paul Sabatier?
Paul Sabatier offers a week long (the first week of the year in September) intensive French language course (around 30 hours in the week), which is free for all foreign students. Additional French courses can be taken by students during the year through the FLE (Francais Langue Etrangere/French as a Foreign Language) program.
What supports or services are available at Paul Sabatier?
Information on disability support can be found here. For information on accessibility of campuses across Europe, ESN has created Inclusive Mobility which allows you to check the accessibility of universities and cities across Europe. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.
Campus Map and Transport
Campus map and transport information can be found here.
The city of Toulouse also has a public bike system VéloToulouse with several stations on campus that offers great opportunity to discover Toulouse and its surroundings.
Have questions?
The exchange advisor for this program is: Tara Jorgensen
How to Apply
Download the application guide
This PDF contains information on how to complete your application and what to do after you have applied.
Identify three programs of interest
We recommend applying for your top three programs for the priority application deadline, as placement may be competitive. We will assess your applications in ranked order.
Check requirements and deadlines
These may vary by program, so check the individual program pages and make sure that you are aware of any different application deadlines or eligibility requirements.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.