The gap year

In brief
Many people talk about a "sabbatical year" to describe a break in their studies; the official term is the gap year, which allows you to suspend your training for a semester or an academic year to have a personal or professional experience, while remaining enrolled at your institution.
Unlike an unstructured break, it is based on a project accepted by the institution, followed by an agreement that guarantees reintegration at the end: a framework that Excelia Business School students also find themselves in.

What is a gap year?

According to service-public.gouv.fr, a student may suspend their higher education studies to have a professional or personal experience: this period is called a gap year. The étudiant.gouv website specifies that this optional scheme is limited to one academic year, that no institution can impose it in place of a compulsory internship, and that a gap year is not a sabbatical leave: you cannot spend it doing "nothing".

What many people call a sabbatical year is therefore, in higher education, a project that is examined and followed through to its conclusion, not a free-standing break in your studies.

What can you do during a gap year?

The list of recognised projects is wide-ranging, giving you real freedom of choice.

• An internship or an employment contract, in France or abroad
• Civic service or voluntary work, including international corporate volunteering and international solidarity volunteering
• A French language assistant placement abroad
• Voluntary commitment, for example within an association
• A project under student-entrepreneur status
• Training in a field other than that of your course

If you are drawn to going abroad, the article on studying abroad after the baccalaureate details the options available. If it is student societies that interest you more, student engagement presents the possible forms this can take.

How long does a gap year last, and when should you take it?

A gap year lasts a minimum of one semester and a maximum of two consecutive semesters, and starts with an academic semester. It can begin as soon as you enrol on a course, provided it ends before the last semester of that same course: a gap year therefore remains possible once per study cycle, bachelor's, master's or doctorate, subject to your institution's agreement.

You can also begin your studies with a gap year straight after school, subject to an effective admission in the first year and the institution's agreement. The request is then made in your Parcoursup application, and is forwarded to the institution once admission has been accepted.

How do you apply for a gap year?

The application takes the form of a project and a covering letter, presenting its nature, terms and objectives: the procedure is set by your institution in its study regulations, the document in which it sets out its enrolment rules. If it is accepted, you sign an agreement with the institution that sets out the conditions for reintegration, the support provided and the validation rules: this reintegration is guaranteed, including on a selective course.

A refusal, however, must be justified, and you can then appeal before the appeals body provided for by your institution.

What do you keep during the gap year?

During the gap year, you remain enrolled at your institution, with the same rights as other students.

• Student status and your student card, kept for the whole duration of the gap year
• Enrolment fees, the terms of which depend on your institution's status: a reduced rate for a national qualification at a public institution, freely set fees at a private school
• The CVEC (student and campus life contribution), payable whatever the length and form of your gap year
• The means-tested grant, which may be maintained at the institution's discretion, depending on the link between your project and your course
• ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) or another form of validation, which are added to those of your course and are set out in the agreement signed with your institution

These national rules set out a framework, but do not say what it costs at your school, since each private school sets its own fees and grant conditions. To find out what applies to your programme, book an appointment with an Excelia Business School adviser. How ECTS work, however, stays the same everywhere: how ECTS credits work gives you the detail.

And in a business school?

The decree of 18 May 2018 sets the national framework for the gap year and applies to public institutions: the guaranteed reintegration and the reduced-rate enrolment fees described above fall under that framework. For grandes écoles, the logic is different: according to étudiant.gouv, a student can still take a gap year there, but subject to their school's agreement, which then sets its own terms.

In a private business school, it is therefore these institution-specific terms that apply: this is exactly the question to ask your adviser before building your project.

At Excelia Business School, the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) provides for an optional, conditional professional gap year. You will find the details on the Excelia Business School Master in Management page, which also presents the professional experience available during the course.

Discover the Master in Management

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a gap year and a sabbatical year?

In higher education, the official term is the gap year: unlike the image of a free sabbatical year, it is based on a project approved by the institution, not on an unstructured break. Throughout its duration, you remain enrolled at your institution, with the same status as other students.

Can you take a gap year straight after the baccalaureate?

Yes, subject to an effective admission in the first year and the institution's agreement. The request is made in the Parcoursup application, and is forwarded to the institution once the admission offer has been accepted.

Do you keep your student status during a gap year?

Yes: throughout the gap year, you remain enrolled at your institution and keep your status as well as your student card, with the same rights as other students.

Can you keep your grant during a gap year?

The means-tested grant may be maintained, at the institution's discretion and depending on the link between your gap year project and your course: it is therefore not automatic in every case.

Does a gap year give you ECTS credits?

It can lead to ECTS credits, or to other forms of validation set out in the agreement signed with the institution. These credits are then added to those of your course.