Secondary vocational education

There are many types of study programmes in French secondary vocational education. The study programmes often vary in terms of their duration i , content and admission requirements. You will need information about this in order to determine the level of a diploma. On this web page, we describe a diploma we often see: the Diplôme du baccalauréat professionnel.

Students follow education for a Diplôme du baccalauréat professionnel at a lycée professionnel. They can also obtain the diploma by doing an apprenticeship (l’apprentissage) at a company.

• Duration i : 3 years.
• Content: the emphasis is on subjects for a particular profession. In the 1st year, students follow subjects from a professional sector (famille de métiers) of their choice. From the 2nd year onwards, they choose a specialisation within that professional sector (spécialité) and in some cases an option (option) within that specialization as well. Students also follow some general education subjects (enseignement général).
• Function of the diploma: work. Sometimes, students gain access to higher education. This usually concerns short, vocational study programmes, such as the Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) or the Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie (DUT).
• Diploma: Diplôme du baccalauréat professionnel.

Want to know more?

Do you have any questions about secondary vocational education in France? Please contact SBB. SBB compares foreign secondary vocational education qualifications for people looking for work.