French Diploma Translation for WES & Credential Evaluation

Since the early 2000s, France has aligned its higher education with the European Bologna Process through the LMD system: Licence–Master–Doctorat. This three-tier structure is the framework evaluators use to determine U.S. equivalency, so precise translation of degree titles is critical.

Licence: A 3-year undergraduate degree (180 ECTS credits) obtained after the baccalauréat. WES evaluates the Licence as equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The translator renders it as "Licence" (not "License") with the field of study: "Licence en Droit" → "Licence in Law." The translator does NOT convert Licence to "Bachelor's" — that is the evaluator's determination.

Licence professionnelle: A 1-year professional degree taken after a 2-year program (DUT or BTS). It totals 3 years of post-baccalauréat study (180 ECTS). WES typically evaluates it as equivalent to a bachelor's degree. The translator preserves the "professionnelle" designation.

Master: A 2-year postgraduate degree (120 ECTS) following the Licence, for a total of 5 years post-baccalauréat. It has two stages: Master 1 (M1, first year) and Master 2 (M2, second year, with research or professional tracks). WES evaluates the Master as equivalent to a U.S. master's degree. The translator preserves "Master" with the specialization and notes whether it is a Master recherche (research) or Master professionnel (professional).

Doctorat: The research doctorate, typically 3–5 years after the Master. It requires a thesis defense (soutenance de thèse). WES evaluates it as equivalent to a U.S. PhD. The translator preserves "Doctorat" with the discipline and thesis title.

The critical translation principle: the translator preserves the original French degree title alongside the English rendering. The translator does NOT determine U.S. equivalency — that is the evaluator's role. An accurate translation gives the evaluator the raw data needed to make the correct assessment.

If your diploma was issued before France fully adopted the LMD system (roughly 2002–2006, depending on the university), it uses the older degree structure. These degrees are still legally valid and accepted by WES, but the terminology is different.

DEUG (Diplôme d'études universitaires générales): A 2-year university diploma that served as the first cycle of higher education. It no longer exists in the current system — it was replaced by the first two years of the Licence. WES typically evaluates it as partial completion of a bachelor's degree (2 years of undergraduate study).

Maîtrise: A 1-year degree following the Licence (totaling 4 years post-baccalauréat). The maîtrise was the standard "complete" university degree before the LMD reform. WES evaluates it as equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree (4 years) or sometimes as between a bachelor's and a master's, depending on the field. The translator renders it as "Maîtrise" — not as "Master's" — because it represents 4 years of study, not 5.

DEA (Diplôme d'études approfondies): A 1-year research degree following the maîtrise, designed to prepare students for doctoral research. It was replaced by Master 2 recherche. WES typically evaluates DEA + Maîtrise (5 years total) as equivalent to a master's degree.

DESS (Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées): A 1-year professional degree following the maîtrise, designed for direct career entry. It was replaced by Master 2 professionnel. WES evaluates it similarly to the DEA — as equivalent to a master's when combined with the maîtrise.

DUT (Diplôme universitaire de technologie): A 2-year technical diploma from an IUT (Institut universitaire de technologie). WES typically evaluates it as equivalent to a U.S. associate degree.

BTS (Brevet de technicien supérieur): A 2-year vocational diploma. WES evaluates it similarly to the DUT — as equivalent to a U.S. associate degree.

The translator preserves all original degree titles exactly as they appear on the diploma. Pre-LMD graduates should not worry that their older degree titles will confuse evaluators — WES has extensive experience with the French system across all eras.

The grandes écoles are France's most prestigious institutions, and they operate largely outside the standard university system. Their admissions process, curriculum structure, and degree titles differ from universities, which creates specific translation challenges.

Diplôme d'Ingénieur: Awarded by engineering grandes écoles (e.g., École Polytechnique, Centrale, Mines). This is a 5-year program (2 years of classes préparatoires + 3 years at the école). WES typically evaluates it as equivalent to a master's degree in engineering. The translator renders it as "Diplôme d'Ingénieur" — not as "Engineering Degree" or "Master of Engineering" — because the evaluator needs the exact French title to make the equivalency determination.

Diplôme de Grande École: Awarded by business and management grandes écoles (e.g., HEC, ESSEC, ESCP). This is typically a 3-year program following classes préparatoires (5 years total post-baccalauréat). WES evaluates it as equivalent to a master's degree. The translator preserves the exact title as it appears on the diploma.

Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles (CPGE): The 2-year intensive preparatory program before entering a grande école. These do not lead to a degree on their own, but they often appear on academic records. The translator notes them as "Preparatory classes for grandes écoles (classes préparatoires)" and includes any grades or completion certificates if present.

Titre d'Ingénieur certifié par la CTI: Some engineering programs outside traditional grandes écoles award a Titre d'Ingénieur certified by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (CTI). This carries the same professional recognition as a Diplôme d'Ingénieur. The translator preserves the CTI certification reference.

Grande école diplomas often do NOT use the LMD terminology (Licence/Master/Doctorat) on the diploma itself, even though they are equivalent. The translator translates what is printed and does not add LMD labels that are not on the document.

The relevé de notes is the French equivalent of a U.S. academic transcript. It lists every course taken, the grade received, and the credit value. For WES credential evaluation, the relevé de notes is typically MORE important than the diploma itself because it provides the course-by-course detail evaluators need.

WES, ECE, and other NACES evaluators require the relevé de notes for a course-by-course evaluation. Without it, the evaluator can only perform a document-by-document evaluation — confirming the degree exists without determining U.S. credit equivalency.

Key fields on a French relevé de notes: Intitulé de l'UE or Matière (Course name / Teaching unit): Every course title, translated precisely. French course names can be more specific than U.S. equivalents: "Droit constitutionnel comparé" is "Comparative Constitutional Law" (not just "Constitutional Law"). Crédits ECTS (ECTS credits): The credit value under the European Credit Transfer System. Post-LMD transcripts typically show ECTS credits. Pre-LMD transcripts may show hours instead. Note / Moyenne (Grade / Average): The grade on the 0–20 scale. Some transcripts show individual course grades, while others show UE (teaching unit) averages. Résultat (Result): Admis (passed), Ajourné (deferred/failed), or Validé (validated). Session: Première session (first exam sitting) or Deuxième session (retake). This distinction matters because it shows whether the student passed on the first attempt.

The relevé de notes may span multiple pages (one per semester or year). Every page must be translated — evaluators compare the translation against the original line by line.

Additional elements: Mention de diplôme (degree distinction/honors designation), stage (internship), mémoire (thesis/dissertation) title and grade, and any exchange program records from partner institutions.

The French grading system is fundamentally different from the U.S. system and frequently confuses American evaluators unfamiliar with it. The translator's job is to render grades exactly as they appear and include the scale context — never to convert French grades to U.S. GPA.

The scale runs from 0 to 20, but in practice the full range is rarely used. A grade of 20/20 is almost never awarded. Grades above 16 are considered exceptional. The average grade at most French universities falls between 10 and 13.

Passing and failing: The passing threshold is 10/20. Any grade below 10 is a failing grade. This means a student with an overall average of 10.5/20 has passed — which looks low by U.S. standards but is perfectly normal in France.

Mention designations (honors): French diplomas carry mention designations based on the overall average: Passable (10.00–11.99) — Passing (no distinction). Assez Bien (12.00–13.99) — "Fairly Good" (equivalent to honors). Bien (14.00–15.99) — "Good" (equivalent to high honors). Très Bien (16.00+) — "Very Good" (equivalent to highest honors). Très Bien avec les félicitations du jury (16+ with jury commendation) — the highest possible distinction, rare and prestigious.

The translator includes the mention designation on the diploma translation and renders both the French term and the English equivalent. The translator does NOT assign U.S. GPA values (e.g., "Assez Bien = 3.0 GPA") — that is the evaluator's role.

Pre-LMD and grande école grading: Some pre-LMD programs and grandes écoles use modified scales or letter grades alongside the 0–20 scale. If both appear on the transcript, the translator includes both. Some grandes écoles use internal ranking (classement) instead of or alongside grades — the translator includes ranking information as it appears.

If you are submitting French academic credentials to WES for evaluation, here is the practical checklist based on hundreds of French credential translation projects.

Step 1 — Gather your documents: You need the diplôme (diploma) and the relevé de notes (transcript). If you also have an attestation de réussite (certificate of completion), annexe descriptive (diploma supplement), or classes préparatoires records, gather those as well. Collect originals and make high-quality scans.

Step 2 — Start a WES application: Create an account on the WES website and select the appropriate evaluation type. For graduate admissions and professional licensing, you need a course-by-course evaluation. WES will provide a reference number for your institution.

Step 3 — Get certified translations: WES requires certified English translations of all documents. Upload scans to your translator. Ensure the translator preserves French degree titles (Licence, Master, Diplôme d'Ingénieur) and does not pre-convert them to U.S. equivalents. The translation must include all courses, grades, ECTS credits, and the grading scale.

Step 4 — Request documents from your institution: WES requires academic transcripts to come directly from the issuing institution. Contact your university's scolarité (registrar) or service des diplômes to request this. For grandes écoles, the process may differ — contact the direction des études. French universities typically respond within 2–4 weeks.

Step 5 — Submit translations and originals to WES: Mail the certified translations along with any documents WES allows you to submit directly. Keep copies of everything. WES typically processes French evaluations within 7–20 business days.

Common pitfall for grande école graduates: Your diploma title (Diplôme d'Ingénieur, Diplôme de Grande École) may not match standard LMD terminology. This is normal — WES has specific evaluation pathways for grandes écoles. The translator preserves the exact diploma title and does not attempt to "normalize" it to LMD terminology.

If your degree was earned at a university in Senegal, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, or another Francophone African country, the academic system is built on the French model but may have important differences.

Most Francophone African universities adopted the LMD system in the 2000s–2010s, aligning with the European Bologna Process. This means Licence, Master, and Doctorat designations are used. However, older degrees may use the pre-LMD French terminology (DEUG, Maîtrise, DEA/DESS) or local equivalents. The translator preserves whatever title appears on the diploma.

Grading systems: Most Francophone African universities use the French 0–20 scale with the same mention designations (Passable, Assez Bien, Bien, Très Bien). Some institutions modify the scale or use additional local designations. The translator includes whatever grading information appears on the relevé de notes.

Language of instruction: Academic documents from Francophone Africa are in French, but some institutions in bilingual countries (e.g., Cameroon) may include content in English or local languages. The translator translates all French content and notes the presence of other languages.

Institution names: University names in Francophone Africa often include geographic or national references: "Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar," "Université de Yaoundé I." The translator preserves these names exactly as they appear — they are the names WES uses in their institutional database.

Attestation de succès / Attestation de réussite: Some African universities issue an attestation (certificate of completion) before the formal diploma is printed. This serves as interim proof of degree completion. The translator translates the attestation and notes that it is an interim document. WES may accept it temporarily while awaiting the formal diploma.