The professionalisation of degree courses in France

In this article, the author discusses the professionalisation of university courses, noting that there are two different views concerning the mission of universities: the dissemination of knowledge and training highly skilled workers to benefit national economies. He explains that in France, for many years, due to the singularity of the organisation of its higher educational system, it was assumed that universities were not concerned with the professionalisation of degree courses. But from the 1960s onwards, there was a change that consisted in introducing vocational courses into universities. This movement is taking on a new form in the 2010s: the aim is to professionalise general courses to improve young graduates’ employability. To achieve this goal, the state provides subsidies to universities, partly on the basis of the employment rate of graduates. The author concludes that this situation may prove untenable for universities.

Higher Education Management and Policy, Volume 24 Issue 3

The professionalisation of degree courses in France

New issues in an old debate