Caesura
“A gap year is defined as a period during which a student enrolled in an initial higher education program temporarily suspends their studies in order to gain personal or professional experience, either independently or under the supervision of a host organization in France or abroad […] It is stated that the gap year is not a parallel track to the degree program; it cannot replace the requirements for earning the degree, such as the final thesis, professional internships, or foreign language instruction. The conditions for eligibility are specified in the Gap Year Policy dated January 17, 2021.
Students may apply to take a gap year in the following manner:
- Education in a field other than the one listed on the application
- Civic service programs (voluntary civic service, volunteering, European Voluntary Service, firefighter civic service)
- Starting a Business as a Student Entrepreneur
- Personal experience
- Work experience: Professional experience may be considered based on an employment contract (fixed-term contract), a volunteer agreement, or an internship agreement.
The duration of a gap year can range from a minimum of one academic semester—that is, an indivisible period of 6 months—to a maximum of two academic semesters.
Only students in their initial degree program are eligible for a gap year.
This applies to students enrolled in a higher education program who wish to temporarily suspend their studies.
The student must be enrolled in a program beforehand.
During the gap year, the student remains officially enrolled at their home institution, but is not enrolled in their degree program.
Special provision for students enrolled in the first year of the health or physical therapy track (LAS1 or LAK1)
For students enrolled in LAS1 or LAK1, the gap year program is only available for one academic year. Consequently, requests for a gap year lasting only one semester will not be accepted.
Since repeating a year is not permitted and a gap year counts as a year of enrollment, any student who decides to take a gap year in either of these two tracks will be reinstated at the end of their gap year not into LAS1 or LAK1, but into L1.
DATES
- Annual break or first-semester break in France: no later than September 15*
- Annual leave or study abroad in the first semester: by September 1 at the latest*
- Application deadline for a gap year during the second semester in France or abroad: December 15 at the latest
*It is strongly recommended that you submit your application for a leave of absence starting September 1 during the preceding spring, to allow for processing of the application and a decision to be issued before the start of your gap year.
Please submit your application to staps-cesure@umontpellier.fr or by mail to:
UFR STAPS
Academic Affairs – Gap Year Office
700 Avenue du Pic Saint-Loup
34090 MONTPELLIER
ATTACHMENTS
- The completed and signed gap year application form.
- The gap year agreement, which will be sent to you by the Gap Year Office if your application is approved, must be completed with the program director (Article 5) and signed
- A cover letter describing the plans and objectives for the gap year and demonstrating the coherence of the student’s project
- A letter from the host organization confirming its commitment for the duration of the period, if applicable, or any other document verifying your activities for the requested gap year (one supporting document for each period or organization)
- The quality and consistency of the project
- The student's motivation regarding their project
- The form of the caesura
- Supervision by the host organization
The application for a gap year is submitted to the University President for approval.
If the decision is favorable, an agreement will be drawn up in duplicate, specifying, in particular, the procedures for monitoring the student during the gap year.