Gap Year

A gap year allows students to temporarily suspend their studies to pursue a personal or professional project. This period is considered an integral part of the academic program, and students are required to pay tuition fees for both the gap year and the following academic year.

The types of gap year available include:

• Internship (with an internship agreement)
• Professional experience in France (with a professional contract)
• Civic service or volunteering (with proof of engagement)
• Training in a different field (with proof of enrolment)
• Entrepreneurship (with student-entrepreneur status or DUD2E enrolment)
• Gap year abroad (with a letter from the host organization and proof of flight bookings)

Before Submitting My Application
It is highly recommended to develop a clear plan for your gap year. Students may seek guidance and support from the Business Partnerships and Career Development Office (Direction Partenariat Entreprise et Insertion Professionnelle – DPEIP).

📩 DPEIP: scuio@univ-paris1.fr

Other Key Information:

At EM-Sorbonne, a gap year must cover the entire academic year, from September 1 to August 31 of the following year.

Only one gap year is permitted per academic cycle: one during a Bachelor's degree, one during a Master's, and one during a Doctorate.

To be eligible for a gap year, students must have been admitted to the next level of study. For example, students wishing to apply between L3 and M1 must first be accepted into M1, complete their administrative enrolment, and pay tuition fees for the gap year.

The gap year request must be submitted to the institution where the student will be enrolled after the gap year. For instance, a student enrolled in L3 at EM-Sorbonne who wishes to take a gap year before starting M1 at another institution must submit their application to the institution where they will be enrolled in M1.

After the gap year, students have the right to rejoin the program in which they were originally admitted.

Students enrolled in a dual-degree program must submit their gap year request to both departments (UFRs).

For a gap year in the academic year N+1, applications will be open from April 1 to April 15 of the current year.

Students enrolled in M2 are not eligible for a gap year.

After Submitting My Application

Your application will be reviewed by three entities:

• Your academic advisor
• The Head of your degree program
• The EM-Sorbonne Management Team

If your project is approved, a pedagogical agreement (convention pédagogique de césure) will be signed between you and the EM-Sorbonne administration.

Your academic advisor will monitor your progress throughout the gap year.

At the End of My Gap Year

Before your gap year ends, you must inform the academic office of your intention to return to your program.

You are required to send an email to your academic administrator no later than May 15.

Administrative and academic enrolment will then proceed as usual.

You must also write a gap year report of approximately five pages, outlining your activities and the skills you acquired during your gap year. This report must be submitted to your program director.