University diploma of French studies

University diploma of French studies

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Contact
Email

intl.fle.duef@unicaen.fr

Address

For more information you can find us at Campus 1, on the second floor of the “Maison des Langues et de l’International”, Espace AAPI, office Li 248.

Phone

(+33) (0)2.31.56.59.61

Opening hours

Our offices are open to the public during the following schedules
Monday to Friday : 9:00 – 12:30 | 13:30 – 17:00

The University diploma of French studies (DUEF) is a semester-long program for learning or perfecting the French language.

It is offered for the following levels:
DUEF A1 · DUEF A2 · DUEF B1 · DUEF B2 · DUEF C1 · DUEF C2

For the DUEF B2 & C1, two tracks are available, provided that a sufficient number of participants are registered (see program fact sheet):

  • Language & Culture
  • French for academic purposes
Student handbook
Registration terms

The DUEF is open to anyone over 18 holding a diploma or qualification recognized as equivalent to the French baccalauréat.

Registration deadlines

  • Semester 1 or full year 2026/27  : from mid-March until June 26, 2026.
  • Semester 2 2026/27:  from September 21 to November 29, 2026.
Pre-registration are closed

This procedure is only valid for the DUEF. It does not constitute pre-registration for other courses at the University of Caen Normandy.

Upon pre-registration, candidates must certify of their French proficiency (DELF/DALF, TCF, TEF) or take the online test provided by the Carré international. They will be assessed a 2nd time on arrival to determine their final level of placement.

If you obtained your high-school diploma outside Europe, you will be required to provide proof of comparability issued by the ENIC-NARIC centre. You can find details of the procedure on their website. Alternatively, a translation carried out by a sworn translator of a French Court of Appeal or the French Court of Cassation may be accepted.

As the DUEF duration is over 3 months, it requires a long-stay study visa: depending on their country of origin, candidates may be required to present a pre-admission certificate and official certification of their French proficiency before applying for a visa (DELF/DALF, TCF, TEF…).

Program fees
  • Semester 1 or semester 2: € 1,522
  • Full year: € 2,818 (instead of € 3,034)

+ University registration fee:  € 178 *
+ CVEC (Student and Campus Life Tax): € 105*

For your information, student social security is compulsory for all students under 28 who are not nationals of a European Union country.
If you are a job-seeker registered with France Travail or an employee of a company in France and would like to apply for continuing education funding, please contact us directly at intl.fc@unicaen.fr.

*2025-2026 rates

Housing

Students enrolled in the DUEF program can request a furnished room at the Carré international, which offers 2 types:

The allocation of accommodation depends on housing availability and payment deadlines. It is therefore not systematic.

Housing requests must be made when pre-registering online, by selecting “YES” in the “Would you like accommodation?” section.

The request will be processed by our program officers, who will provide detailed information about the procedure. If you have any questions, please contact: intl.fle.duef@unicaen.fr

2026-2027 DUEF schedule

The DUEF is organized around 12 weeks of face-to-face classes (216 hours) and a compulsory week of exams.

  • Semester 1: September 2 – December 18, 2026 included
  • Semester 2: January 13 – May 5, 2027 included