EXCHANGE STUDENTS
Information for Exchange Students
(Pensionnaires étrangers and Erasmus)
Welcome to the Ecole normale supérieure! We hope your stay at ENS will be enjoyable and rewarding. Below you will find information related to your arrival, registration, and class enrollment. Please do not hesitate to contact the International Relations Office (Direction des relations internationales) with any questions you may have before your departure: dri@ens.fr. (The office will be closed for the summer holiday from July 23 to August 22.)
Orientation Agenda
Monday, September 6
Arrival at ENS
Students who are housed in ENS accommodations are asked to arrive beginning on Monday, September 6. If necessary, you may arrive the weekend prior (or earlier), but staff will not be available to show you to your room.
Tuesday, September 7
Welcome Day
To adhere to sanitary guidelines, each student will receive a personal timeslot between 9 am and 4 pm to meet with staff from the International Relations Office in the Salle des Résistants. At this meeting, you will receive your ENS multifunction card (which allows you to enter the campus, take out books at the library, and pay for meals at the dining hall) as well as your ENS email address and wifi password. Come with any questions you may have about your stay at ENS.
From 4-5 pm, all students are invited to attend a welcome presentation in the Salle Dusanne featuring ENS faculty.
A welcome reception will take place outside following the presentation (subject to the school sanitary guidelines in effect).
September 8-17
French Language Intensive Course
A “stage” or intensive course for those learning French as a second (or third, or fourth …) language is offered by ECLA, l’Espace des Cultures et Langues d’Ailleurs. Suitable for French students of all levels (A0 to C2), the course is an excellent opportunity to brush up on your French language skills, get to know other exchange students, and visit some of the city’s cultural attractions as part of the program. If you attend the classes and turn in an assignment at the end, you will receive 6 ECTS.
Dates
Wednesday September 8th - Friday, September 10th
Tuesday, September 14th - Friday, September 17th
*Cultural activities interspersed between these dates and especially on the weekend
Times
Most levels: 13h30 - 16h45 (with a break between 2 sessions)
Advanced level: 13h30 - 15h30 (with a break between 2 sessions)
Content
The course is intended to prepare you for a semester or a year taught and lived in French — you can learn the basics in the beginning levels if you'll be studying primarily in English at ENS, in the middle levels you can brush up on your skills, and in the advanced levels, you can learn more about using your language in the French higher education system.
There will be one course separated by subject groups and dedicated to methodology and vocabulary in your subject area, as well as a section on how to speak with (and email with) professors.
Level
You will be contacted in late August with a short online assessment in order to place you in a course level. Don't worry about your results on the assessment — they are only to help place in a course level, and if the result doesn't seem to match your ability, you can always speak to the professors in person when you arrive to make sure you're in the right class.
September 7-18
ENS Welcome Activities
Keep an eye on this website to find out about university-wide welcome events, including department presentations, events, conferences, and student activities. Registration for these activities will take place via the 'Agenda et inscriptions' menu.
Class Registration
Classes begin on Monday, September 20. In accordance with health guidelines, the ENS will require preregistration for courses — more information on this process will be provided at the Welcome Meeting. Regardless of the intricacies of the preregistration process, you will still have the opportunity to try a variety of courses before deciding on your final schedule and course load.
Exchange students are attached to an academic department at ENS according to their primary area of study, but may take classes in any department. Students are not required by ENS to validate, or receive a grade for, a minimum number of classes — it is up to you and your home university whether you choose to receive a grade for classes or simply enroll as an auditor.
Academic Calendar
The university’s Academic Calendar for the year is currently in the final stages of the approval process and will be made available as soon as possible. We recommend that you wait to plan your fall and winter holiday travel until you have had the opportunity to review your final paper and exam dates with your professors, as these may vary by course.