Study abroad in
France

Discover all the options available for you to study in France and improve your French language skills!

Going with WEP is best

Since 1988, a wide choice of destinations and comprehensive assistance before, during and after your overseas program. WEP is the ideal partner for your adventure.

Reliable travel companions

We also get to choose who we travel with: our schools, host families and overseas partner organisations are carefully selected.

Safety first

We offer a custom-made insurance policy, specifically designed for our participants, and we have a solid network behind us.

We're there for you, always

Emergency assistance, overseas and from Australia, is available 7 days out of 7, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Guaranteed placements

Allowing all our participants to live their desired overseas experience is a mission, a challenge we're thrilled to accept.

Why study in France?

Studying in France means exploring a country known far and wide for its history, art and savoir-faire, while delving into its language and culture. Get ready for a unique adventure, made of fascinating discoveries and encounters that will leave a mark.

French society is dynamic and multicultural, from cosmopolitan big cities to picturesque small villages. You'll learn to enjoy the small daily pleasures that life in France has to offer - from grabbing coffee at your local bistrot to walking amongst buildings and landmarks that are rich in history, you'll experience a balanced and detail-oriented approach to life.

You'll be blown away by the lights in Paris, soak in the breathtaking scenery of Provence, and marvel at the majesty of the French Alps. Each region offers a surprising cultural heritage and a number of archituctural gems that will have you fall in love with the place in no time.

Studying in France is an extraordinary opportunity to combine personal growth with cultural development and high-level academic advancement, resulting in an inspriring, transformative experience.

Study in France with WEP

Whichever program you choose, a study period in France will see you return to Australia with a much higher level of French.

You will live like a local and experience the authentic French lifestyle firsthand: on a high school exchange program to France you will attend a local secondary school and share your day-to-day with a French host family, who will take you in as one of their own. You will form new friendships and collect a wide range of life experiences - it is through daily interactions with your host family, schoolmates and teachers that your French will benefit greatly.

On a language study program you will focus specifically on language improvement, as you follow a high-quality French language course in Paris with daily classes and regular activities. Whichever type of language course you decide on, you'll receive customised attention and make progress quickly, whilst having ample opportunities to socialise with your peers and discover Europe's most visited capital city.

And finally, through our teacher assistant program, you will volunteer in a French school, gaining a wealth of personal and professional skills in a supportive environment. As you work alongside qualified language teachers, help local students who are learning English, and juggle real-life everyday scenarios, you will gain unique insight into the French education system and improve your own language skills - besides feeling part of a French community.

The French education system

In France, the school system is extremely centralised and follows a well-defined course for each and every student. Education stars with École Maternelle (kindergarten) at 3 years old, followed by École Élémentaire (primary school) that starts at 6 years of age for five years. After primary schools, students enter lower secondary school (Collège), which lasts for four years and ends with students obtaining the Diplôme National du Brevet.

Upper secondary school (Lycée) lasts for three years. Here, students prepare for the Baccalauréat, the final national exam that marks the end of secondary education and grants access to higher education.

Higher education in France includes university, divided into licence (bachelor), master and doctorate degree, and grandes écoles, institutions of excellence that are highly selective. There are also professional and technical institutes offering specific educational programs to enter the workforce.

FAQ

To participante in a high school exchange program to France, you need to be between 15 and 18 years old on departure, have a C grade average, be a non-smoker, and have positive personal traits, such as being motivated, curious, tolerant, open and adaptable. You also need to be physically and emotionally healthy - please discuss any specific conditions or requirements with WEP in advance.

For a Language Study program in France, you simply need to be between over 16 years old.

Volunteering in a French school as a language assistant is also possible through our Teacher Assistant program, for which you need to be at least 18. You also need to be an English native or native-like speaker, have graduated from high school (tertiary qualifications are a bonus), and have an interest in the field of education/languages.

Our High School Exchange programs in France can be of different durations: short-term (under 90 days), an academic semester, an academic year, or a calendar year. The exact duration depends on the departure period as well as your chosen program or school - please contact WEP for more information.

Language Study programs in France have a duration of minimum 2 weeks, up to 52 weeks. You can choose the duration that suits you best.

Our Teacher Assistant program in France is either 1, 2 or 3 months in duration.

To decide which program duration is best for you, you should reflect on what you would like to achieve through the program, and discuss your preferences with your family to make sure they are on board. If you're a high school student, you should also speak to your school to ensure that you understand their policy regarding re-integrating into Australian schooling (if you're going to be missing a significant amount of school) and any requirements to repeat school back home.

It's always best to check our website and/on obtain an online quote to see updated program prices.

We know an overseas program is a significant financial investment. We do our best to offer the best possible prices, which vary depending on the destination and chosen program, and provide discounts and special promotions to help towards the cost.

Your accommodation in France will depend on your age, and on the type of program you're on.

* On a High School Exchange program, you will live with a French host family or in a boarding house if you have chosen the Boarding School program.
* On a Language Study program, you will live with a French homestay family if you're younger than 18. If you're over 18, you will be able to choose if you wish to stay with a homestay family, live in a residence, or even find your own accommodation (e.g. with friends).
* On a Teacher Assistant program, you will live with a French host family or in a boarding house, at the discretion of your placement school.