DU Diploma in Legal Studies

A Law Degree taught in English, which develops and deepens students' knowledge in French, European, International, and Comparative Law.

Why should you study in Grenoble ?

  • Be awarded a quality law degree given by the University of Grenoble Alpes, one of the major French universities (around 59000 students)
  • Give yourself the opportunity to learn French or to improve it
  • Increase you legal skills and knowledge
  • Study in a rewarding study environment where group numbers are limited
  • Enjoy a life experience in a city just 1 hour from Lyon, 2h from Geneva, 2h30 from Marseille, 3 hours from Paris (by train). The proximity with major airports (Lyon and Geneva) also gives the opportunity to discover other major French cities (such as Bordeaux, Strasbourg or Lille), but also Europe
  • Discover the French student’s way of life, in the first French “ville étudiante” (magazine L’Étudiant, annual ranking, 2016)
For exchange students, this degree can form part of their exchange programme, and can be recognised by the home institution as part of the degree.

Objectives of the Diploma                                      

  • To develop students’ expertise in the different facets of French, International and Comparative Law
  • To help students’ integration into the professional world at both European and international levels
  • To enhance graduates’ applications for admission to other exchange programme and graduate level French degrees
This Diploma is meant to be completed in one year of full-time study (60 ECTS). Students take 7 subjects each semester, each course representing 18 class hours. Students in this programme have the opportunity to improve their French by attending, in small groups, courses of French as a Foreign Language (FFL).

The lecturers of the programme are mainly from the Grenoble Law School. In addition to this, some lectures are given by other French lecturers, or by invited professors, coming from various countries, to teach in their legal specialisation.

Extra-activities

On the margins of the Diploma, the students will be invited to discover the cultural, environmental or artistic heritage of the region.
This can take the form of a commented visit to the Musuem of Modern Art, the former Parliament of the Dauphiné (used for a long time as a tribunal), the organization of a wine testing, a ski trip or a hiking in the surrounding mountains, etc.

General organisation of the Diploma

Once selected, the students have to choose at least seven courses each semester, out of a limited list. These courses offer a general overview of either French public, private and history laws, but also European, International and Comparative laws.
A course description is provided, to help the students choose their topics.

As an exemple, lectures offered in 2023-2024 are:

First semester:

  • French Legal History: From Diversity to Unity, Prof. Martial Mathieu, UGA
  • Judicial Institutions, Devin A. Rice, Attorney at Law – New York Bar
  • Public Law 1: Constitutional Law, Farah JERRARI, lecturer, UGA
  • Intellectual Property Law, Diren Kaplangil, PhD Student, UGA
  • International Relations in a Contentious World, Dr. Delphine Deschaux-Dutard, Associate Prof., UGA
  • International Contract Law, Prof. Rainer Schackmar, Schamalkalden University, Germany
  • The European Union Legal System: The European Union Stability in Crisis Time, Dr. Vérane Edjaharian-Kanaa, Associate Prof., UGA

Second semester:

  • History of Human Rights: From Domestic to International Protection of the Individual, Prof. Martial Mathieu, UGA
  • Public Law II: Administrative Law, Meriem NAILI, lecturer, UGA
  • Private International Law, Dr. François Viangalli, Associate Prof., UGA
  • International Protection of Human Rights, Manon BONNET, lecturer, UGA
  • European Business Law, Dr. François Viangalli, Associate Prof., UGA
  • Biodiversity and the Law: Crop Genetic Resources for Food Security, Climate Resilience and Livability, Dr. Fabien Girard, Associate Prof. UGA
  • Comparataive Criminal Legal System, Prof. Robert Lancaster, Louisiana State University, USA
Each semester the student can add two optional courses chosen within the list of courses (in French or in English) provided by the Law Faculty or within the list of courses of any other Department of the UGA University, or Sport.
Published on  September 20, 2017
Updated on January 19, 2024