University in France
Pessac, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
University profile
Université Bordeaux Montaigne is the arts, languages, literature and humanities and social sciences (ALLSH) university of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It brings together more than 17,000 students and about 1,300 teaching and administrative staff, and describes itself as a humanist university in the tradition of Michel de Montaigne, with the research signature "Questionner les mondes".
The main campus is the Domaine Universitaire at Pessac (Esplanade des Antilles), part of a university estate of 235 hectares spread across Talence, Pessac and Gradignan, about half of it green space. The university also runs the Institut de journalisme Bordeaux Aquitaine (IJBA) in the Sainte-Croix district of Bordeaux, a Bayonne site on the Campus de la Nive, and a university centre at Agen where teaching is offered in English and Spanish.
It awards nearly 200 national diplomas through three teaching and research units (UFR): Humanités (Arts, Histoire, Histoire de l'art et archéologie, Lettres, Philosophie), Langues et civilisations (English-speaking, Arabic, Basque, Chinese, Korean, German, Iberian and Ibero-American, Italian, Japanese, Lusophone and Slavic studies, applied foreign languages (LEA) and language sciences) and Sciences des territoires et de la communication (geography, information and communication sciences, planning, tourism and urbanism). Two institutes complete the structure: the IUT Bordeaux Montaigne and the IJBA. The university is associated with the INSPÉ of the Bordeaux academy for teacher training, and also houses the DEFLE (French as a foreign language), the CLEFF language centre, a work-study training centre (CFA) and a lifelong learning service.
Student life centres on the campus: more than forty indoor and outdoor sports are practised through the Département des activités physiques et sportives (DAPS), which offers about fifty activities at all levels, and student associations are attached to each UFR. Libraries on the Pessac campus include the Lettres et Sciences humaines library in the BU Droit-Lettres building, the Rigoberta Menchú library and the Robert Étienne library; the Renaudel resource centre serves the IUT and IJBA and Agen has its own university library.
The university receives about 2,500 international students from around 120 nationalities and has more than 700 cooperation agreements worldwide, including around 250 partner universities in Europe and over 150 outside Europe. An International Welcome Desk on the Pessac campus supports arrivals, and in 2024 the university renewed its "Bienvenue en France" label at three stars. It also hosts three UNESCO chairs.
National diplomas: Licence and DAEU 178 EUR; Master 255 EUR; Doctorate and HDR 398 EUR. Students holding a social-criteria scholarship, a French government scholarship, or pupille de la nation status pay 0 EUR. The university states that the partial exemption from differentiated fees for non-EU students is maintained for the 2026-2027 intake. Students in financial difficulty may apply to an exemption committee, which meets once or twice a year in the first semester.
The Contribution de vie étudiante et de campus (CVEC) is 105 EUR, paid separately through the national CVEC platform (cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr).
The university awards doctoral contracts by competition through a committee of the doctoral school, plus one additional doctoral contract per year reserved for candidates recognised as disabled (RQTH). Other routes are ministerial contracts, research-project contracts, CIFRE industrial agreements and other agreements decided case by case. Details at the doctoral school funding page.
The student portal covers national scholarships, housing aid, emergency aid and mobility aid for study or internships abroad: financial aid. Fee details: registration fees.
Aide sociale de l'Université Bordeaux Montaigne (ex-FSDIE) →
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View scholarships for Université Bordeaux Montaigne →First-year Licence applicants who hold or are preparing a French baccalaureate apply through Parcoursup. Foreign candidates without the French baccalaureate follow the preliminary admission procedure for holders of foreign qualifications: non-EU candidates living abroad file the "dossier blanc" through Campus France (or the French embassy where there is no Campus France office); non-EU candidates living in France file the "dossier vert"; candidates from the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Monaco or Andorra educated outside France file the EU dossier. Candidates must meet all higher-education entrance requirements of their home country. Places are limited in arts, theatre and audiovisual arts, music, humanist and scientific culture and information-communication, where additional documents attesting to experience in the subject are required.
Applicants through the dossier blanc must hold DELF level B2 or DALF level C1, or take the TCF-DAP test arranged through Campus France or the embassy. Non-French-speaking students can prepare through the DEFLE (French as a foreign language), which offers day courses from CEFR levels A1 to C2, evening courses and summer courses.
Admission to Master 1 goes through the Mon Master platform (monmaster.gouv.fr). Other levels, including Licence 2 and 3, Master 2 and diplomas, apply through the university's eCandidat platform. A favourable decision from the teaching committee opens the administrative registration step, which starts in July. Students with foreign diplomas follow a specific procedure through the admissions-licences office ([email protected]) and the Master's office.
Applicants need a thesis supervisor willing to direct their work, a French or foreign master's-level (bac+5) diploma with at least a "Bien" grade or equivalent, proof of French at B2 level for non-French speakers, and proof of funding (doctoral contract, CIFRE, French or foreign government grant, or professional activity). For first-year admission in 2026, applications run from 24 August to 27 September 2026, files are examined on 5-7 October, results are published from 9 October and administrative registration runs from 15 October to 20 November 2026. Contact: [email protected].
Non-EU nationals staying more than three months need a long-stay student visa issued before leaving their country; a tourist visa does not allow university enrolment. Students from outside the EU must register their residence permit or equivalent visa with OFII.
Students coming under a partnership agreement apply through their home university and the Student Mobility Office ([email protected]).
Libraries: Lettres et Sciences humaines (BU Droit-Lettres with the Atrium), Rigoberta Menchú (Flora Tristan building), Robert Étienne (Maison de l'Archéologie), Centre de Ressources Montaigne IUT/IJBA, Agen university library; associated documentation centres at IKER (Bayonne) and the Centre Regards (Maison des Suds, Pessac). The DAPS offers about fifty sports and wellbeing activities.
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