Université Pierre et Marie Curie – UPMC

In Paris, there is one of the best public universities in the country - Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC). The year of foundation of the French University named after Pierre and Maria Curie (Paris VI) is 1971. The institution was opened on the basis of the Faculty of Natural Science at the time of the reorganization of the Sorbonne. And today this university is not just the largest medical educational center in France, but also an educational institution that is famous for its high level of teaching, as well as progressive research.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What firstly should be considered when choosing a university? Subjects, employer value, percentage of employment in the first year after graduation?

It depends on the student - everyone determines the most important criteria for himself. I would advise you to take several rankings and compare them with each other, plus take into account the cost of the course, the location of the university and its scale, the percentage of graduates' employment. See where graduates continue their studies or where they go to work.

Sorbonne Université is developing distance and hybrid learning. The inter-university language learning service SIAL already offers classes in these formats.

The International Online Welcome Desk helps international students, doctoral candidates, and researcher-teachers prepare for their arrival in France and supports them through the end of their stay. Materials are available in French and English. Practical information and tailored guidance have been compiled for each category.

University social workers advise students, refer them to appropriate services, and review applications for emergency financial assistance.

• In 2025, the Seal of Excellence Sorbonne Université program was included in the list of 70 European success stories in research management,
• Sorbonne Université's success rate for European competitive calls stands at 18.5%. The university ranks first in France for funding and participation in European research projects,
• under the Horizon 2020 program, the university received funding for 193 European research projects, including 120 joint projects. The consortia involved 450 organizations from 34 countries. The jointly managed research units counted 106 ERC grant recipients, the portfolio included 70 Marie Skłodowska-Curie projects, and the research teams received more than €100 million,
• Sorbonne Université coordinates EMBRC-ERIC — a European network of nearly 20 marine biology infrastructures and stations in nine countries. In 2018, the network received ESFRI Landmark status, and Sorbonne Université became the first French university to lead a European infrastructure.

Sorbonne Université accepts artists for research and creative residencies related to the dissemination of research results to the general public.

UPMC is not only the strongest medical university in the region, but also an institution that is recognized as one of the best in a variety of world rankings. For example, QS considers this university to be one of the most prestigious in Europe and contributes it to TOP-10 higher education institutions. In the rating of THE, this institution is on the honorary list of hundreds of the best educational centers around the world.

University medical faculties are located in St. Antoine Hospital and in the Pitje-Salpetriere complex. This allows students to consolidate theoretical knowledge in practice, as well as participate in the development of new methods of treatment. One of the areas of work at this university is to find a way to cure cancer.

However, the University named after Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI) is interesting not only for doctors. Natural and exact sciences are also strong directions, which makes the university an advanced not only in the field of medicine. Qualitative knowledge is also given in UPMC in the following specialties:

• Mathematics;
• Mechanical engineering;
• Chemistry;
• Biology;
• Astronomy;
• Engineering.

Scientific research is conducted here absolutely in all areas taught at the University of Paris 6. The strongest are the developments in psychology, molecular biology and genetics from the faculties of pharmacology and medicine. And powerful innovative projects on scientific calculations, architecture, programming, communication networks and information systems have glorified the faculty of modeling and engineering not only in the university, but in the whole scientific world.

The university currently owns 125 laboratories with modern equipment and cooperates with a variety of clinics. The number of partner institutions in the university reaches 400.

The main building of this higher educational institution is in the fifth district of Paris, which is also called the Latin Quarter. Near the university there is the Luxembourg Gardens and prestigious educational institutions in France, such as the University of Pantheon-Sorbonne, the University of Paris-Sorbonne, the College de France.

In the UPMC central campus there are faculties of science, a library, and administrative buildings. In its northern part there are cozy restaurants, a beautiful view from the windows, including the River Seine.

There are no hostels for UPMC, but the students are assisted by the student association CROUS, which selects the best variant of housing for students (at affordable prices and next to the university). Students can also rent their own housing in the private sector. Cheap and tasty food can be found in any institution of Resto U, a network of student's buffets.

Outstanding graduates and teachers

• Dominique Strauss-Kahn is Professor of Economics, Politics, Minister of Economy of France in 1997-1999, former head of the IMF.
• Nicole El Karui is an outstanding mathematician, a professor of applied mathematics. He studies risk management and is engaged in modeling situations on the financial market.
• Peter Slonimsky - Doctor of Biological Sciences, geneticist and civil activist. One of the first to study the genetics of mitochondria. Active participant of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

Interesting Facts

Campus Université Pierre et Marie Curie Jussieu is built on the territory of the old abbey of St. Victor. In the Middle Ages it was the largest educational and philosophical center.

Before enrollment, all students in undergraduate programs must pay the mandatory annual CVEC contribution to CROUS.

After the application is approved, the student undergoes administrative enrollment. The procedure depends on the faculty and level of study.

Smapse specialists will guide you through every stage of the admissions process.

It is not difficult for foreigners to enter French universities, because the state does not put forward any special demands on them. Applicants from abroad do not participate in the general competition. Admission is based on the decision of the admissions committee, which is taken after the discussion of the applicant's application. In most cases, foreigners become students of this university without problems.

For graduates of Russian schools to enter UPMC, it is necessary to create a dossier on the CampusFrance website, download the translation of the certificate into French, before that it must be notarized. It is also necessary to fill out a request form for admission (in French).

Applicants entering the Master's program, you must provide a diploma of higher education. The peculiarity of the universities of France is that it is possible to study for a master's degree only in the specialty that is written in the bachelor's diploma.

As for the language of instruction, the bachelor's programs teach only in the state language. That is why the entrants should confirm the knowledge of the French at a level not less than B2. The applicant must provide the commission with a certificate of TCF or DELF. On master's programs there is an opportunity to study in English. To do this, it is also necessary to pass language tests and get a result of at least B2.

Terms of the introductory company for foreign applicants: November 15-January 22.

Tuition and scholarships

Université Pierre et Marie Curie, like other public institutions of higher education in France, are financed from the country's budget. Thanks to this, the tuition fee is symbolic. The size of the registration fee will depend on the level of the student. It can be from € 183 to € 606 per year of study. It is absolutely necessary to pay a social contribution of € 211. Also in spending on education include student housing costs. Monthly it costs between € 400 and € 900.

A scholarship program is available for Russian students financed by the state. Masters can count on payments from the government of € 767. The European Commission invites students enrolled in the Master's program to participate in the Erasmus Plus program. Scholarships are available to those who know perfectly a foreign language and are educated in one of the Russian partner universities.

Exchange students are eligible to receive a scholarship of € 850. Students at the magistracy can apply for financial benefits under the Global Education program, which covers spending not only on education, but also on living in France.

The university itself does not have its own scholarship program, but it does not refuse financial assistance to its students. All students who find themselves in a difficult situation can count on financial payments. One option is an interest-free loan, that is, payment of a certain amount with the possibility of an installment plan.

• Students from non-EU countries who are subject to differentiated fees and for whom automatic exemption does not apply may apply for a fee waiver,
• the committee takes into account the applicant's financial resources, health status, distance from family, family hardship, social isolation, and disability,
• depending on the circumstances, the university offers one-time assistance, exemption from registration fees, or a refund in exceptional cases. Scholarship holders who paid fees upon administrative enrollment may be reimbursed,
• the FSDIE fund provides financial assistance to students engaged in projects and initiatives related to Sorbonne Université, or who are facing financial hardship. Part of the fund's resources comes from the mandatory student contribution CVEC.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision