Study in FranceBest Psychology Universities in France

Best Psychology Universities in France

Like all other courses, France also has some of the best Psychology Universities. Although psychology is not as popular a course in France as for example business or art might be, there are many psychology programs of well-known Universities in France. International students opt for France because of its low costs of tuition fees and the chance to enjoy the French culture while studying and/or working there. 

Here are five of the best Psychology Universities in France, and later on you can read about what you can do with your Psychology degree after you graduate.

  1. The American University of Paris
  2. University of Strasbourg
  3. University of Nantes
  4. INSEAD
  5. Universite de Paris

The American University of Paris 

The American University of Paris offers an internationally recognized, globally relevant, American-accredited liberal arts curriculum. AUP’s reputation is established and recognized around the world as a site of interdisciplinary scholarship and academic convocation. 

Their diverse programs of study, that concentrate on areas like neuroscience and clinical, developmental, and cultural psychology, will prepare you to work or pursue further study in a variety of fields where knowledge of human motivation, critical thinking skills, and sensitivity are valued. To become a practicing psychologist, you should prepare to pursue a Master’s or Doctorate degree.

 University of Strasbourg

The Faculty of Psychology of the University of Strasbourg offers graduate and undergraduate study programmes in many fields, all master’s degrees awarded by the Faculty enable graduates to pursue doctoral studies leading to research and/or higher education teaching. The University of Strasbourg fosters innovation and positions itself for future excellence in education and research. 

Their projects are fueled by the determination to achieve international prominence and to assert their position as a research leader. This university is committed to enhancing the curriculum and implementing facilities which will provide the students with the best possible learning environment. 

University of Nantes 

Université de Nantes is located in a beautiful natural environment situated in the heart of Nantes, a city renowned for its vitality, culture, economic development and its quality of life. The latest Shanghai ranking puts Université de Nantes in the top 4% of world universities. Nantes is in the best 500 Universities for nine fields. Their academic offers “Life sciences, health and medical technology” which includes Psychology along with these other courses. In the last 50 years, Université de Nantes has taken training and research to the highest level and, in 2015 took a spot in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking. Université de Nantes is one of the rare French universities to promote interdisciplinarity. 38,000 students mix within the 20 faculties and schools there. 295 specialities are represented, 44 laboratories work in all fields of knowledge.

INSEAD

If you’re looking to get a PhD in Psychology in one of the most prestigious Universities in Europe and the world, INSEAD is the place for you. You will specialize in Organisational behaviour. Organisational Behaviour is a core field of study at INSEAD. Drawing upon psychology, anthropology, sociology and economics, this field examines how the organizational, social, and economic context influences behavior and how, in turn, behavior influences context. Their founding values are diversity, Entrepreneurial spirit, Rigour and relevance in teaching and research, and overall believing in intellectual freedom while enhancing students’ capabilities and teaching them so much more.

Université de Paris

Université de Paris is composed of many faculties one of which is The Faculty of Humanities and social sciences, that is made of 12 components, one of which is Psychology. The priorities for Universite de Paris are the success of all students from the moment they join the university, developing of innovative training programs and structures,  e-learning and digital resources, promoting student engagement and access to guidance programmes provide students with a study environment conducive to developing their professional plan. 

Université de Paris is committed to creating strong relations with the partners of the socio-economic world in order to articulate competencies, facilitate employment and to provide a course offering that is in line with the French and international job market.

What Can I Do With a Psychology Degree?

After you’ve graduated from a Psychology University, you’ll want to look for a job. You may think that the only job for a Psychology graduate is a therapist, but actually you have a variety of areas of work to pick from. Starting with: 

  1. Psychologist
  2. Psychotherapist
  3. Educational psychologist
  4. Human resource manager
  5. Research roles
  6. Media roles
  7. Career Counselor
  8. Case Manager
  9. Advertising Agents
  10. Child Care Worker
  11. Laboratory Assistant
  12. Market Researcher
  13. Psychiatric Technician
  14. Probation and Parole Officer
  15. Rehabilitation Specialist
  16. Sales Representative
  17. Social Service Specialists
  18. Teacher
  19. Writer

Skills acquired with a Psychology degree

When you graduate from a Psychology University, not only will you have obtained an academic record of professionalism, but also a ton of other skills that will be useful to you when applying for a job or even in daily life. You will be more skilled in handling data and statistics, solving problems, more eloquent in communicating (even writing), a team worker etc. You can even add all of these to your CV so your future employer sees that there come a lot of benefits with a Psychology degree. 

What Do Psychology Graduates End Up Doing?

After graduation, many students go about looking for their dream job, some might even want to continue further study and specialize in their major, and unfortunately, some even unemployed. Take a look at what the approximate percentage of these outcomes is. 

Destination Percentage
Employed59.2
Further study11.5
Working and studying14.1
Unemployed6.1
Other9.1
Area of workPercentage
Childcare, health and education22
Legal, social and welfare12.9
Secretarial and numerical clerks11.6
Retail, catering and bar staff10.5
Other43

Facts About Psychology and Psychologists in France

  1. To register as a psychologist, the applicant must be
  • Medical doctor.
  • Psychologist (master degree).
  • And/or psycho-analyst regularly registered in a psychoanalysis association directory.
  1. The title of “psychotherapist” has been protected since 2010 in France, without any definition, whereas the practice is not regulated by French law.
  • The use of the title of psychotherapist is restricted for professionals registered in the national register of psychotherapists.
  • This register is established by the regional authorities (ARS) in the district of the professional practice. 
  1. All new students must have these titles to begin any specialised training required by the law.
  2. Apart from psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, all must undergo some additional training: 200 to 400 hours of psychopathology, and 2 to 5 months of practice in an institution (fieldwork).
  3. The former psychotherapists who have been officially practicing for more than 5 years before the 20th of may 2010 can apply to be registered, after a control by a regional committee of 6 professionals: 2 psychiatrists, 2 psychologists and 2 psychoanalysts; 2 of them must be professors in University.
  4. The applicants can be required to follow a complementary training in psychopathology and/or 2 to 5 months of field training (fieldwork).
  5. Some private institutes can ask to be accredited (by the same committees) for the training in psychopathology. They must have a scientific committee and a research team.

What Do Psychologists in France Do?

Psychologists in France offer various forms of therapy such as:

  • Couples therapy by a psychologist, psychotherapist, or counsellor.
  • Psychotherapy for depression, symptoms of depression.
  • Treatments of stress and anxiety by a psychologist.
  • Trauma psychotherapy, definition and symptoms of a trauma.
  • Bereavement counselling, the process of grief can be manageable.
  • Illness counselling such as cancer and HIV.

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