Re-enrollment

French exam requirements, by faculty

Good knowledge in French (CECR B2 level) is usually required in order to study at UNIGE.

Some programs or faculties may have special requirements, or may not require a particular level of French: these are listed below by faculty/institute/centre/school.

When the French exam is required, the candidate may be exempted (see criteria).

For all MAS programs: there is no French exam requirement. However, study regulations may set specific language level requirements.

  • Complementary certificates: general exam, must be passed;
  • Master’s degrees: no French exam;
  • Certificates of specialization: no French exam.

  • Master’s degrees: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam for applicants to the Master of Science in Neuroscience.

  • Master’s degrees: general exam and complementary exam (must be passed);
    • Exception: general exam and complementary exam, for information only, for applicants to the master’s degrees in one of the five programs taught mostly in another language than French (German, English, Spanish, Italian, Russian);
  • Certificates of specialization: no French exam.

Any applicant whose French level is insufficient (below CECR B2) can be admitted in a master’s degree or further studies program but must take 2 hours of French lessons per week for the duration of their first year of study. The level of said lessons must correspond to the applicant’s.

  • Complementary certificates: no French exam;
  • Complementary program to access a master’s degree: no French exam;
  • Master’s degrees: no French exam.

  • Complementary certificates: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam for applicants to the Complementary Certificate in Geomatics;
  • Master’s degrees: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exceptions: no French exam for applicants to the Master of Arts in Sustainable Societies and Social Change, the Master of Science in Innovation, Human Development and Sustainability and the Master of Arts in Political Economy of Capitalism.

  • Master’s degrees: general exam, must be passed;
  • École d’avocature (ECAV): general exam, must be passed.

  • Complementary certificate: general exam, must be passed;
  • Complementary certificate from the Institut œcuménique de Bossey: no French exam;
  • Master’s degree: general exam, must be passed;
  • Certificate of specialization: general exam, must be passed.

  • Complementary certificates: general exam, must be passed;
  • Master’s degrees: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam for applicants to the Master of Science in Neuroscience.

  • Complementary certificate: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam if French is part of the applicant’s chosen language combination;
  • Master of Arts in Translation: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam if French is part of the applicant’s chosen language combination (since the entry exam includes a French exam);
  • Master of Arts in Conference Interpreting: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam if French is part of the applicant’s chosen language combination (since the entry exam includes a French exam);
  • Master of Arts in Multilingual Communication Technology (MATIM): general exam, must be passed.

  • Advanced Diploma in Teaching French/as a Foreign Language (DESFLE): no French exam. The applicant’s eligibility with respect to UNIGE linguistic requirements is directly verified by the ECLF during the pre-registration.

  • Complementary certificate: general exam, must be passed;
  • Master of Arts in Secondary Education (MASE 1) and Bi-disciplinary Master of Arts in Secondary Education (MASE 2): no UNIGE French exam. Please contact the IUFE to know more about required language level;
  • Master of Science in Special Needs Education (MESP) : general exam, must be passed;
  • Specialisation Certificate in the Teaching of a Supplementary Discipline (CSD2): no UNIGE French exam. Please contact the IUFE to know more about required language level.

  • Master’s degrees: general exam, must be passed;
    • Exception: no French exam for applicants to the Master of Science in Global Health.

  • Master in Environmental Sciences (MUSE): no French exam.

  • Master’s degree: general exam, must be passed.

  • No French exam for applicants to the Master of Science in Digital Systems and Services.
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