Hyphenation
What is a gap year?
A gap year is defined as a period during which a student enrolled in an initial higher education program temporarily suspends their studies in order to gain personal or professional experience, either independently or under the supervision of a host organization in France or abroad.
It should be noted that the gap year is not a parallel path to degree-based education.
Forms of caesura
Students may apply for a gap year in the following form:
- Training in a field other than that of the enrollment training
- Commitment tocivic service (voluntary civic service commitment, volunteering, European Voluntary Service, civic service for firefighters)
- Starting a business as a student entrepreneur
- ExperiencePersonal
- Experience inthe workplace: professional experience may be assessed on the basis of an employment contract (fixed-term contract), a volunteer contract, or an internship agreement.
BREAK DURATION
The duration of a gap year can vary from a minimum of one academic semester, i.e., an indivisible period of six months, to a maximum of two academic semesters.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
1 – The quality and consistency of the project
2 – The student's motivation with regard to their project
3 – The shape of the caesura
4 – Supervision by the host organization
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BREAK
The various stages of processing a request for a hyphenation device
REQUEST FOR A BREAK
The gap year application form must be sent tothe registrar's officeand must be accompanied by:
- A cover letter describing the terms and objectives of the gap year, demonstrating the coherence of the student's project.
- A certificate from the host organization confirming its commitment for the period in question, if applicable, or any other document proving your activity for the duration of the requested gap year (one supporting document for each period/organization).
List of documents to be attached
If the UM president's decision is favorable, a gap year agreement will be drawn up in duplicate.
File to be sent toodonto-scolarite@umontpellier.fr