General questions about the economics and management degree
Is the type of baccalauréat important for success in the economics and management degree?
Success rates in previous years show that general courses of study have higher success rates than technological courses, while vocational courses of study very rarely lead to L1 success.
The expectations presented on this page will help you to understand the demands of studying for a degree in economics and management, and to see if you are well prepared, particularly through your choice of high school specialties.
However, while statistics give a general idea of the chances of success according to baccalaureate stream, it's your individual attitude - diligence, hard work, motivation, etc. - that determines your personal chances of success.
Is there a selection process for entry to L1?
No, Parcours Sup does not introduce selection. However, as was previously the case, intake capacity for the first year of the economics and management bachelor's degree is limited. As long as these capacities are not exceeded, and in accordance with the law, we welcome all baccalaureate holders who wish to enroll in an economics and management degree program, as has always been the case to date.
What does the "Yes If" answer mean?
You may receive a "Yes If" response to your L1 orientation request. If this is the case, it means that the wish examination committee has established that your profile requires an adapted course to maximize your chances of success and to ensure that you have a suitable training project. There are two types of special courses available:
-Type 1 "yes if", with no lengthening of the study period, corresponding to compulsory support courses and tutoring.
-Type 2 "yes if" with a "propaedeutic" year prior to L1 to allow you to catch up on your studies and reflect on your career choices.
If you refuse to take these courses, you must refuse the "yes if" answer given by the university.
Is there a selection at the end of L1?
No, unlike medicine, which has its own regulatory framework, the first year of university studies is not selective. If you pass your L1, you go straight on to L2. However, to succeed, you need to assimilate the knowledge you have acquired (and achieve an average grade of 10). Around 75% of students who attend courses and exams pass their L1 every year, with marked disparities between general baccalaureates and others.
Are students given individual support?
Contrary to what you might think, L1 students are not left to their own devices. They are welcomed for a week, during which they are given all the information they need to make sure they don't get lost. A pair of L2 teachers and students known as "referents" will accompany you throughout the year.
What's more, the "Travaux Directeurs" (tutorials) are based on the class layout you know from high school, with around thirty students working together throughout the year, and stable TD teachers. Continuous assessment in these classes accounts for half of your L1 grade. Last but not least, you can count on the support of a school secretary and a year-long pedagogical manager. There's also a student association, so you won't find yourself isolated at the University.
In fact, you have more freedom than you did in high school, as attendance is only compulsory for practical classes. So you need to learn quickly to work for yourself, and impose a demanding work discipline on yourself. The testimonials of students who have gone through L1 before you are an invaluable help in understanding how you can quickly become self-sufficient, which is the key to success.
Is mathematics important in business studies?
The expectations that appear on the Parcours Sup platform show that it is indeed necessary to master basic mathematical tools to be able to follow the courses. Choosing the "mathematics" or "complementary mathematics" option is therefore strongly recommended. However, the mathematics courses are adapted to students who, for the most part, are not specialists, with online training exercises and inverted pedagogy enabling you to be active in class.
In addition, the principle of compensation - all grades are offset against each other to calculate the L1 result - means that a student can also make up for poor results in one subject with better results in another. Finally, as you go on to study economics and management, you can give more or less importance to quantitative subjects, depending on the path you choose.
What is the proportion of final exams and continuous assessment?
Final exams, corresponding to end-of-semester mid-term marks, and continuous assessment, corresponding to regular TD marks, are balanced. In subjects with both, the coefficients are 50%-50%. It's important to understand that doing well in the continuous assessment is the best way to ensure success in L1, as the grades correspond to regular work that is easier to cope with than the final exam. What's more, the TD sessions help students understand the lectures in the lecture hall, so they're important in that sense too.
Is there a catch-up for final exams?
Yes, it's the law. Any student can take what are known as "second chance" exams, provided of course that they have not passed the initial session. These take place in June. You can retake all the subjects you didn't pass, with no obligation. There is no minimum grade to achieve. Validation of a semester or year is based on achieving an average of 10, with all grades offsetting each other.
How much work is required?
It's hard to say, because not all of you will be equal in your ability to understand and assimilate. What's more, you'll need to acquire good working methods to make the most of your time. First and foremost, this means making the most of lectures by paying close attention, participating, taking notes and revising from one lecture to the next.
Class time, divided between lectures and practical sessions, amounts to around 24 hours a week. Revision of lectures, even research to complete course knowledge, and regular preparation for classwork sessions require you to devote a significant amount of time to personal work, between 10 and 20 hours depending on your abilities and the period. Visiting the University Library (BU) and working in groups are ways of making this work more effective.
It should be noted that the year is short (September - April for students not taking the catch-up exam). However, there is little time between the end of the course and the mid-term exams, which requires good anticipation and regular work.
What subjects do I need to have enjoyed in high school to study economics and management?
Generally speaking, to enjoy L1 Economics and Management, you need to have an interest in economic and social issues, as well as an interest in management. In the general stream, it is of course the "SES" option that will have the most correspondence with the L1 program. In the STMG stream, the Law and Economics and Management courses also give an idea of what you'll be learning in L1.
However, the content and form of university courses differ greatly. The best way to find out is to take part in events designed to help you in your choice of course (high school students' day, open amphitheaters, higher education orientation forums, etc.) and try to get in touch with students in the course who can give you some pointers. You can also consult the L1 information booklet available on the FEG website, in which you'll find presentations of the various subjects (syllabuses).
What's the difference between the Bachelor's degree in economics and business administration and the BUTs (GEA, TC, etc.)?
Both the BUT and BTS programs are different from university programs in that they are more focused on professionalization. For the BUT (Bachelor Universitaire de Technologie), which will replace the DUT at the start of the 2022 academic year and corresponds to three years of study, you obtain what amounts to a professional license. This means that, unlike a general bachelor's degree, you are not encouraged to continue your studies at Master's level. This is even truer of the two-year BTS.
The teaching methods are different too, with more hours of classes per week in BUT and BTS, less abstract subjects, group work and so on. Your choice should be guided primarily by the length of time you plan to study - short, i.e. no more than three years, or long, i.e. more than three years. However, there are many bridges that enable you to change your course of study.
Are courses paperless?
No, none of our first-year courses are online or distance learning. The Faculty of Economics gives priority to face-to-face teaching, enabling exchanges between teachers and students in lectures and, above all, in tutorials. However, the economics and management degree can be taken by EAD (see link).
What's the difference between "economics and management", "economics and management/languages" and "economics and management/law"?
The economics and management degree is a general degree. The other two are double licenses, with two licenses obtained in 3 years. They are of limited capacity, and the influx of applicants leads to a selection process. The Economics and Management/Languages degree is offered in Grenoble and Valence, while the Economics and Management/Law degree is offered only in Valence. See their specific fact sheets for more information.
Is there a difference between the Grenoble and Valence bachelor's degrees in economics and management?
No, you receive the same diploma (the licence is a state diploma). Enrollments are smaller in Valence, so we recommend this university site, managed by the Grenoble Faculty of Economics (same teaching staff), if you live in the Drôme or Ardèche. However, only one L3 course is offered in Valence, whereas there are three in Grenoble. Depending on how you wish to pursue your studies, it may be advisable to choose a particular pathway and switch to the Grenoble site, which is always possible if you are on the Valence site.
Are there any transfers to other courses during the degree course?
The Bachelor's degree is a coherent 3-year course, and a commitment to L1 implies a logical progression to L3 and beyond, to the Master's degree. Professionalization begins with the Master's degree, which is the next logical step. However, it is possible to branch off into other courses, such as business schools or a professional license... It is also possible after L1 (or during L1) to apply for a Licence in another speciality, and to reorient yourself if you regret your choice of economics and management.
Are there any jobs that can be done with a bachelor's degree in economics and management (without a master's)?
Yes, it is possible to enter the job market after graduating with a bachelor's degree, as your training has provided you with skills that are of value to recruiters. In particular, you can take competitive entrance exams for the civil service at bachelor's level. Statistics show that graduating with a general bachelor's degree is a good way to enter the job market. However, the logic of a Bachelor's degree is to continue to Master's level, i.e. 5 years of study after the baccalauréat.
Will I be able to play sports or study foreign languages?
Yes, see the L1 booklet on the FEG website. One language is compulsory (business English) from semester 2 through to the end of L3. You can also take an optional LV2 in both semester 1 and semester 2, as part of the opening courses.
Sport is also available as an option, with a grading system, and leisure activities are also possible, subject to availability. Sport earns you a bonus in semester 1 when you take it in addition to your other subjects.
Can I do an exchange year (Erasmus)?
Yes, it is quite possible, provided you have a good level of language skills, to do all or part of your third year abroad. Selection is made as early as L2, and depends on your general level of achievement and also, of course, on your level of English or the language of the host country.
Can I do internships?
In a Bachelor's degree in economics and management, an internship or student job, or civic service or other, are professional experiences that you can value by being graded as part of your L2 and L3 courses. This work experience can be gained during the academic year, or in the summer as a pre-L2 or pre-L3 internship.
It's important to have this kind of professional experience as part of your training, especially to show your motivation for the Master's selection process.
In addition to credited internships, it's always possible to do a non-credited internship, for which you'll need an agreement.
Can I spread my bachelor's studies over more than 3 years?
If you fail to pass a year, you are automatically allowed to repeat the year, and you retain the grades and credits for the subjects you have passed. On the other hand, you must attend all tutorials (TD), for which attendance is compulsory, and pass all final exams, failing which you will be in default: courses are not "à la carte".
Where is the Faculty of Economics located?
All courses are held on the Gières - St Martin d'Hères campus. The Valence site is housed in the Soubeyrand building, formerly the Latour-Maubourg site.
Are there any special arrangements for working students?
Working students are not exempt from attendance requirements, but can be accommodated by a timetable adapted to their working hours, wherever possible. Studies must remain the priority, and the constraints of student work may not be compatible. It's important to remember that university studies require time to attend classes and do the necessary personal work. If paid work takes up too much of your time, you run the risk of failing your studies.
Is going to class compulsory?
Of course, attendance is compulsory. However, attendance is only checked during tutorials. Students are not entitled to any unjustified absences, as the list of justifications is limited (official documents). Students must justify their absences directly to their TD teachers. And in the event of unjustified absence, a mark of "0" is given for continuous assessment in the subject concerned.
For lectures in lecture halls, there is obviously no call for attendance. However, attendance is considered compulsory, and it's a guarantee of success to attend classes as regularly as possible, making up the content of the session if you're absent.
Is the schedule the same every week?
Yes, except in exceptional cases (teacher absence, homework), the timetable is identical from one week to the next, allowing you to organize your extra-curricular activities (work, sports or club activities).
Are there any organized support courses?
Yes, as part of the "Oui si" program, and in the second semester, reinforcement courses are offered in certain subjects for students who have to sit the second semester exams. Tutoring by L3 or Master's students is also organized.
In semester 2, reoriented students arriving in semester 2 in the economics and management degree also have "repeat" courses to help them catch up on semester 1 courses they missed.
How much does training cost?
Apart from the personal equipment you'll need to buy, the cost is the same as for other licenses, i.e. €92 for the CVEC and €170 for the registration fee for 2021-2022.
> Any other questions? If so, please send an e-mail to :
herve.charmettant@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
antoine.clerc@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
