Césure
"A gap year is defined as a period during which a student enrolled in an initial course of higher education temporarily suspends his or her studies in order to gain personal or professional experience, either independently or with a host organization in France or abroad [...].] It is stated that a gap year is not a parallel to a degree course, and cannot replace the acquisition methods provided for as part of the course, such as the end-of-study project, internships in a professional environment or foreign-language teaching. The conditions for taking advantage of this program are specified in the "Dispositif césure" of 17/01/2021.
The student can apply for the gap year in the following way:
- Training in a field other than that of the registration course
- Civic service commitment (voluntary civic service commitment, voluntary service, European voluntary service, fire department civic service)
- Setting up a business as a student-entrepreneur
- Personal experience
- Work experience: work experience can be assessed on the basis of an employment contract (fixed-term contract), a volunteer contract or an internship agreement.
The duration of a gap year can vary from a minimum of one academic semester, i.e. an indivisible period of 6 months, to a maximum of two academic semesters.
Only students in initial training can benefit from a gap year.
This can be a student enrolled in a higher education course who wishes to suspend it temporarily.
The student must first be enrolled in a training program.
During the gap year, the student remains administratively registered at his or her home institution, but is not attached to his or her course of study.
Special case for students enrolled in L1 health or physiotherapy option (LAS1 or LAK1)
For students enrolled in the LAS1 or LAK1 programs, the gap year system is only applicable to one academic year. Consequently, no requests for a semester break will be accepted.
Since students are not allowed to repeat a year, and a gap year counts as enrolment, any student who decides to take a gap year in one of these 2 courses will be reintegrated into L1, not LAS1 or LAK1, at the end of the gap year.
DATES
- Annual break or 1st semester in France: from April to September 15 at the latest*.
- Annual break or 1st semester abroad: from April to September 1 at the latest*.
- 2nd semester break in France or abroad: no later than December 15
*We strongly recommend that you submit your application between September 1 and the spring preceding your departure date, so that we can process it and give you our decision before you leave.
Application to be sent to staps-cesure@umontpellier.fr or by post to :
UFR STAPS
Scolarité - service césures
700 av du Pic Saint-Loup
34090 MONTPELLIER
ATTACHMENTS
- Completed and signed Césure application form.
- The internship agreement, which will be sent to you by the internship office if your application is accepted, completed and signed by the training supervisor (article 5).
- A letter of motivation describing how the gap period will be carried out and its objectives, demonstrating the coherence of the student's project.
- A certificate from the host organization willing to commit to the period, if applicable, or any other document justifying your activity for the duration of the gap year requested (as many supporting documents as there are periods/organizations).
- Project quality and coherence
- The student's motivation with regard to his or her project
- The shape of the caesura
- Supervision by the host organization
The application file is forwarded to the President of the University for approval.
If the decision is favorable, 2 copies of an agreement will be drawn up, setting out the terms and conditions for monitoring the student during the gap year.