Exchange students
Welcome to emlyon business school
Welcome!
As a student at one of emlyon business school's 181 international academic partners that has chosen to spend part of their studies at our institution, we look forward to welcoming you in France!
Choose you academic period
Coming to emlyon business school for an academic exchange grants you the status of Exchange Students. You can choose the period that matches the best your ambitions: Fall Semester or Spring Semester. You can also come for a full academic year.
Get credits recognized by you home institution
The grades received from the Global BBA courses allow you to obtain the credits needed for your home institution's degree program (credit transfer system).
Exchange program in the Global BBA
The Global BBA, a Bachelor’s programme, is designed to prepare and arm young students to become true actors in the transformation of firms and the world of business. It will develop both personal and professional skills that will allow you to support organizations and society throughout these mutations (mental agility, international openness …) and become a maker.
The Global BBA program is a four-year diploma. Undergraduate students on exchange join our Global BBA and can select courses either on Year 3 or Year 4. All of these classes are only taught in English.
Exchange students have to choose a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 35 ECTS per semester.
A number of combinations of Y3 classes and Y4 classes is possible within the timetable structure.
There follows the list of possible combinations:
- All Y3 classes + Business Challenge + One Y3 Elective (S1) or Up to two Y3 Electives (S2)
- All Y4 classes, with a choice of major specialization track (depending on availability)
- Some Y3 core courses + Y4 major specialization track (depending on availability)
- Some Y4 Core courses + Up to two Y3 Electives (S2)
The year 3 classes emphasize on decision making, meaning that you will learn the tools and the methods which help in this key process of business administration.
In order to apprehend this, you will have the choice of different components:
- The core courses: composed of 4 classes worth 2.5 ects credits each and 1 classe worth 5 ECTS.
- Electives, where out of 3 classes, you may study 1 of them in S1 and two of them in S2, each one worth 5 ects credits
- One action learning project:
- Business Challenge: built around a specific issue that a single entrepreneur or SME owner-manager is facing, you and your teammates will have to imagine an appropriate business model or an appropriate organization. This class spans for the entire semester and is a true immersion in a real-life business case.
On another hand, the year 4 classes of the Global BBA focus on strategic thinking. To allow students to achieve this knowledge, we offer you two distinctive types of classes:
- The core courses: composed of 6 classes worth 2.5 ects credits each and one hybrid class (managing a competitive advantage) worth 5 ects credits, with half of it being face to face classes and the other half being a group project.
- Majors, where you students can dive in depth of one aspect of business administration. The major classes are:
- Branding & Communication (Fall)
- Corporate Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Fall)
- Creative Technologists (Fall)
- Digital Marketing: Leveraging Digital Tools to Grow Your Business (Fall/Spring)
- Developing Business in an International Environment (Fall/Spring)
- Finance and Control (Fall/Spring)
- Supply Chain Management (Fall)
All majors are composed of 4 classes each worth 5 ects credits (Except: Digital Marketing), meaning if you validate an entire major, you can be awarded of 20 ects credits.
Students will choose one complete major and may not cherry-pick courses from the different majors. It is mandatory to take all the classes of one major as they are interrelated on many levels.
Course modalities
In the Global BBA program, classes are awarded either 2.5 ECTS or 5 ECTS credits.
For 2.5 ects classes you are required to follow 12 hours face to face classes, whereas for 5 ECTS credits you need to attend 24 hours.
Nevertheless, for each hour of face-to-face classes you are required 4 hours of personal or group work to prepare this class. Hence a class worth 2.5ects credits classes will require you around 60 hours work and 5 ECTS classes you must work around 120 hours.
Course registration is scheduled few weeks before the start of each semester. In any case emlyon business school cannot guarantee the exchange students will get all the courses listed as 1st choice on the learning agreement. For that reason, we strongly advise exchange students to select a few replacement courses.
To learn the full content of each class, please refer yourself to the syllabuses prepared by the professor.
In each syllabus you will be given key information, such as which competencies and knowledge you will acquire whilst attending the given class, how the different sessions will be composed and how you will be evaluated at the end of the course.
Syllabuses are available for exchange students when they are registered with us.
Exchange student must comply with the starting date of each semester, including the orientation days. He/she must ask the agreement of emlyon business school for any late arrival.
Attendance at classes is compulsory. The student can be excluded from the class if he/she misses more than 1 class session.
If the student plans to miss one week, he/she must ask emlyon business school beforehand for its agreement (which is not guaranteed).
The student must attend the workgroups in which he is enrolled.
Plagiarism or cheating will be sanctioned by the grade 0.
Non–validated courses will appear on the transcript of records and won’t be removed.
All activities are assessed; for most classes part of the assessment comes from continuous assessment (case studies, group or individual project, mid-term quizzes, class participation...), part of the assessment is obtained via a final exam. You find the description of the assessment mode in the syllabus.
You are subject to the same obligations as emlyon business school Global BBA students. It is therefore imperative that you take the final exams, even if some of the classes are not credited by your home institution. If these rules are not respected, we reserve the right to refer the matter to the home institution.
Exams are to be taken at the scheduled date and time and under the form requested by the teacher. You need to obtain a final grade above 10 to pass the class.
If you get a grade below 10 you will be able to participate in a retake exam, but this new grade will caped-up at 10/20.
Academic calendar
Key dates
Arrival dates (including orientation days)
- Exchange Students arriving for Fall Semester: 1st of September 2025
- Exchange Students arriving for Spring Semester: 2nd of February 2026
Specific welcome arrangements are offered to exchange students. It is therefore imperative to be present at emlyon business school on the above-mentioned dates.
- Fall Semester (1S): 1st of September – 19th of December 2025
Spring Semester (2S): 2nd of February – 29th of May 2026
- Fall Semester: 15th of May 2025
Spring Semester: 10th of October 2025
- Toussaint (All Saints) : 1 November 2025
- Christmas holidays: 20 December 2025 – 03 January 2025
- Easter Monday : 6 April 2026
- Labour Day : 1 May 2026
- 1945 Victory day: 8 May 2026
- Ascension day: 14 May 2026
- Whit Monday : 25 May 2026
- Bastille Day : 14 July 2026
- Summer break: to be confirmed
Application Process
Your application process to prepare your exchange semester in our institution start in your home institution: All exchange students are nominated by their home institution coordinator, informing us of your wish to join our global BBA for a Semester.
Nomination and Application Deadlines for 2025/2026
Fall Semester (Sept-Dec)
- Nomination Deadline: May 1st, 2025
- Application deadline: May 15th, 2025
Spring Semester (Febr-May)
- Nomination Deadline: Oct. 1st, 2025
- Application deadline: Oct. 10th, 2025
Students are pre-selected by their home institution through their own criteria, following which they are nominated to our programme through our Mobility Online Platform.
Once nominated, our international mobility team will contact the student to proceed with their application procedures.
We expect incoming exchange students to have a B2 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages -CEFR) in English. English tests are required. If unavailable, the student must provide an official document (letter from their home institution, certificate …) to prove their level of English.
Students must be enrolled in a Bachelor programme in their Home institution.
- The coordinator of the home institution of the student nominate their students through Mobility Online platform (Before the deadline).
- Students receive a connection link and information to proceed with their application through our platform. They complete all information and provide all requested documents (Before the deadline). Documents to provide:
- Copy of the Passport (valid for the entire exchange period)
- CV and motivation letter
- ID photo of the student (full face, neutral background)
- Recent transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency
- Proof of French Language proficiency (non-mandatory)
- Application files are checked. If necessary, further documentation is requested to the student directly.
- The Global BBA international Mobility Team sends out Admission Letters (In the course of June/November), as well as information about housing and administrative integration.
- The Global BBA international Mobility Team sends out course registration surveys (December/June).
Formalities
Checklist of administrative formalities
Here is the checklist of administrative formalities you need to consider for your stay:
- Residency permit : students from outside the European Union staying more than 3 months must prepare all the documents necessary for the resident permit
- Insurance - all students must be insured for the entire length of the stay in France
- Accommodation: accommodation service is off campus. Accommodation partners of emlyon are available to guide you in your search for accommodation. Students are responsible with finding their own accommodation in the city.
Insurance & Expenses
Insurance
The “sécurité sociale” is the French health care system, also called CPAM (“Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie”) operated through the offical website ameli.fr. The French Health Insurance plan “Sécurité sociale” is MANDATORY & FREE. This system will reimburse your medical expenses up to 70%.
Students who are citizen the European Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, The United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), as well as Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, can be exempted of applying for registering with Social Security. They must provide, no matter the length of their stay, a European Health Insurance Card (Carte Européenne d’Assurance Maladie) which covers them for the entire length of their stay in France.
They must use this card when going to the doctor, pharmacy, hospital…
If this document is missing on the arrival at emlyon business school, they will have to sign up for the French Student Social Security. In this case, they will have to provide an Official Birth Certificate, with its French translation.
It concerns private insurance in case you cause damage to a third-party. If you are not insured against this risk in your own country or within your international insurance, you could be insured upon arrival at emlyon business school via a special offer from our partner Livinfrance.
Complementary insurance plan called “Mutuelle” is an optional health insurance that you can subscribe to in order to receive a better reimbursement of your medical expenses. This is not free and will require annual or monthly payment.
You are free to choose if you want to subscribe to a “mutuelle” or not and free to choose which company suits you best.
HEYME is emlyon’s partner and we have a 10% discount code for you: EMLYON-10
- Stay less than 3 months
You will have to be covered in France by an international Insurance. This insurance is mandatory and is also requested to get a Visa. An official document, including the detailed list of the following incurred risks: accident, medical care, hospitalization, repatriation, third-party liability, attached with the official French/English translation, will have to be presented to the Student Support department.
- Stay more than 3 months
International students (excepts UE/EEE/Switzerland nationals) who register for the first time in a French Higher Institution for 3 months and more than 3 months have to register to the general social security CPAM through a dedicated website (available in English and French): https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr/
All international students are entitled to this coverage, and registration is completely free.
Important: Registration to ameli and coverage can take several weeks to complete. We strongly recommend obtaining international health insurance, before your arrival to France, for at least the first 90 days of your stay.
Particular cases for students from:
- Québec: you have to provide the form SE 401 Q106
- Andorra: you have to provide the attestation SE 130-04
- Monaco: you have to provide the agreement of coverage delivered by Monaco
If you have an illness or such before coming to France and you need medical follow-up, we strongly recommend that you come with an International Insurance covering you from the 1st day of your arrival.
In order to obtain your student card, you must have validated your administrative registration “IAEL” file. This card cannot be delivered if this procedure is not complete.
Cost of living
Monthly Budget: about €1000-1200*
- Rent: €500-600 (Lyon)
- Charges (electricity, gas, internet, water…): about €130
- Transport: €25 under 27 years old, €74,10 above
- Food: €200
- Miscellaneous (Insurances, other costs…): €100
- Phone provider: €10 à €15
- Leisure: €100
*These are just estimates which can vary depending on your lifestyle.
Residency permit
Citizens of European Union countries only require an identity card to enter France, but citizens from other countries require a passport issued in their country of origin. The passport must not expire before the end of the planned stay.
For foreign students wishing to stay in France, the first step is to obtain a visa from the French Consulate or Embassy in their country of origin. If you want to travel in Europe, please take care to mention it in order to obtain the right visa. There are two types of visas:
A. Short-stay visa (visa de court séjour) is issued for stays up to 3 months
B. Long-stay visas (visas de long séjour) are issued for stays over 3 months
Long-stay visa D “Dispense Temporaire de Titre de séjour”(Temporary Exemption of Residence Permit) It allows you to train in an institution of public or private higher education for maximum 6 months. It is not renewable and does not entitle to the residence.
The student long-stay visa, called also Visa D-VLS-TS is issued as a preliminary step toward the issue of a one-year renewable student's residence permit which will be valid from the date of your first application. If you have this kind of visa (visa - residence permit), pay attention to keep with you the official consular form. This document is mandatory to confirm your resident permit as soon as you arrive in France and at emlyon business school.
The visa D VLS-TS of one-year has to be validated by the OFII (Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration) medical visit, within 3 months of the arrival in France. It is a compulsory procedure.
Please note that you will have to provide a valid passport + valid student visa + official consular form during administrative registration at emlyon business school.
Please note 3 very important pieces of advice:
- A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa in France or in any other country of the European Union.
- A “1 Transit Schengen” visa does not allow you to travel through Europe.
- A “D visa + 1 Transit Schengen” will permit you to transit only once through a European Union country when coming or leaving France.
Life@emlyon
Today’s higher education is constructed in a global digital world.
Founded in 1872 by the Lyon Chamber of Commerce at the initiative of silk entrepreneurs, emlyon business school is one of the oldest management schools in Europe. It is part of the top 1% of business schools worldwide and holds the triple accreditations of EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.
emlyon business school hosts 9,375 students from 135 nationalities across four campuses around the world (Lyon, Shanghai, Paris, and Mumbai). The school relies on a faculty of 178 international professors and researchers, along with a network of 237 academic partners, to provide excellent and globally oriented learning pathways. It boasts a community of 48,000 alumni in over 130 countries.
Since 2021, emlyon has been designated as a Mission-driven company with the purpose of "provide lifelong training and support to enlightened people who effectively change organizations to build a society that is fairer, show solidarity for others and respect the planet."
The school fosters the ability to drive change in resonance with the world, placing the creation of scientific knowledge, the hybridization of skills, and social and environmental responsibility at the heart of its programs, while adopting a pedagogy that closely intertwines action and reflection.
Rankings and accreditations
Ranking #2 among French business schools and in the top 40 worldwide - The Times Higher Education, Global University Ranking 2020.
The Triple-Crown accreditations, from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, is a means to assess for each school and for all programs, the relevance of the courses offer and their development projects. emlyon business school was one of the first in Europe willing to undergo such procedures.
In 1998, emlyon business school achieved the European EQUIS accreditation unconditionally, renewed in 2003, in 2008 and again in 2019.
emlyon’s International MBA and Executive MBA were acknowledged by the AMBA (Great Britain) accreditation in 2000, and MSc in Management program followed suit.
In 2005, emlyon business school was also awarded the American AACSB accreditation, which was renewed in 2020.
For several years now, the Triple-Crown accreditation, only awarded to 1% of business schools worldwide, goes to show the relentless efforts emlyon business school made in terms of pedagogy, resources and with regards to its dynamic strategy.
Housing
It's not easy to find an accommodation, especially in French cities. However, there are many different solutions. The first tip is to start your search as soon as possible:
- Don't wait until you are in France to start looking for housing. Submit your request before you leave, whether it is for a room in a CROUS residence, in a student residence or in a private residence.
- Don't hesitate to send in several requests for student lodging to increase your chances of finding a flat or a room quickly.
- Try to find student rental accommodation that is furnished, especially if you are in France for a short period.
- In general, be careful and make sure the organization offering the lodging is reliable. Never send money without first signing a lease and speaking directly with the organization.
- You will need to find a property that fits your budget and with bills that you can afford to pay every month.
- When living in France, you will have to find an apartment on your own.
Download the student accommodation guide
Livinfrance
You can book your accommodation directly on the platform. Livinfrance manages the booking process from start to finish, providing pre- and post-booking monitoring. They offer almost exclusively shared accommodation, because they want international students to have an exchange within the shared apartment. These are often shared flats where the bathroom is private, it's just like an appartement.
With Livinfrance you won't have to pay anything extra when booking your accommodation. Even better, you won't even need a guarantor - Livinfrance takes care of everything.
Thanks to our partnership, Livinfrance will be able to offer you support throughout your arrival in France, your stay in France, and even your departure from France. Whether it's a question of residence permits, housing, insurance or health, a Livinfrance team is exclusively dedicated to emlyon. The aim of this partnership is to be able to offer you even more services and facilitate your integration.
Studapart
Studapart Network requires your emlyon business school email address to log in to the housing platform, or your personal email address with the activation code HOUSINGEMLYON.
Access hundreds of exclusive offers for periods of 1 to 24 months near your campus but also throughout France during your search for internship: studios, flatshares, rooms in private homes ... and benefit from a personalized support! From the rental file to the reservation of the accommodation, all the steps are done online. The rental file is simplified and in 100% digital format.
You can also benefit from services after your reservation. You don't have a guarantor living in France? Thanks to the Studapart guarantee, Studapart is your guarantor for the whole duration of your rental. A multilingual team awaits you at booking@studapart.com.
Many private student residences are open to foreign students. You can also choose to rent your own room or flat from an individual or a real estate agency. You can search for individual or shared accommodation.
SPOTAHOME
SPOTAHOME was founded by 4 Erasmus students. It is one of Europe’s leading online platforms specializing in mid to long-term furnished accommodation. With 150 000 properties in more than 100 European cities, as well as Dubai and Istanbul, SPOTAHOME properties are personally visited by SPOTAHOME home checkers.
- Enjoy 25% discount on service fees using EMLYON25 discount code.
Feel free to contact: partners@spotahome.com
Intergenerational housing
Benefit from a very competitive rent price by living at a senior’s home or a senior residence. Our partners:
ColombAge is another co-living model. ColombAge gives young people the opportunity to live with a senior in a meaningful, intergenerational shared home. They carefully match compatible profiles, connect you with welcoming seniors, and support the co-living experience every step of the way.
Students in mobility (academic exchange, internships…)? Exchange your accommodation with Swwitch !
Swwitch offers a simple, free and legal way to sublease your flat. Swwitch is a real estate agency specialising in subletting student accommodation in France.
They manage your apartment during your absence (internships, Erasmus, holidays...) and pay you 100% of the rent each month.
As a specialised agency, they will help you to obtain the authorisation to sublet from your landlord.
- Subletting is legal with the permission of your landlord
- Their service is free of charge. They earn their income from subletting
- The flat is insured against any possible damage or material deterioration
Get an exclusive 90€ discount with code: EMLYON
CROUS residences
The CROUS is a government service that provides food, housing, and subsidies for students in France. French students are given priority in CROUS residences.
GESTITUD
Gestetud offers a wide range of furnished accommodation, also develops services and guarantees monitoring to facilitate students' daily lives.
At Gestetud, you will be welcomed by a manager who listens to his residents. Each residence offers a space dedicated to students.
You may have access to social student housing, which has more affordable prices.
More info: social housing website (in French).
Staying in a homestay with a host family is a great way to practice your French, discover the local culture, and reduce your housing costs. In most cases, this would be a private room in a house or flat.
- Camarage
- ensemble2générations
- Cohabilis
- colibree
- Colocation 40+
- toitchezmoi
- hihostels
- alter-hostel
- leflaneur-guesthouse
- cis-lyon
- escale-lyonnaise
- morningcroissant
- airbnb
Living in Lyon
Welcome to the capital of gastronomy!
Located south-east of France, Lyon is a vibrant city to live in. With a large variety of cultural and touristic activities (museums, festivals, plays, monuments, etc.) and its title of the «capital of French gastronomy», you will live an experience rich in discoveries and sensations.
In addition to its lush green spaces, Lyon is surrounded by many natural sights easily accessible and is perfectly connected to the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps.
To discover Lyon and its many monuments, you can check the tourist office website.
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has a rich heritage and a variety of landscapes that you can discover departing from Lyon, its capital city. Rendez-vous on the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme website to discover your next journey.
There are many student associations at emlyon business school.
Whether you are interested in sports, politics, luxury or simply want to make new friends, there probably is an association for you. For international students, we recommend the Bureau des internationaux (BDI) which will help you meet new people and integrate emlyon business school. You will find a list of all the associations in emlyon on Makersboard.
Did you know ? With the Buddy System, you can be sponsored by a French student.
Do you want to go out and experience Lyon’s vibrant cultural offer? You can stay up to date on the upcoming concerts, events and trendy spots (in French) via:
1. Le Bonbon Lyon
2. Le petit Bulletin
3. @Culturel_lyon on Instagram For book and museum fans, you can subscribe to La Carte Culture which, for €15 a year, gives you access to the 6 public museums as well as all the services of the public library. Discover other cultural discounts for students on lyoncampus.com.
Exotic stores can help you find product from your country.
With many addresses across Lyon, you will find a concentration of exotic stores in «Guillotière» and «Saxe-Gambetta» districts. The most renowned stores are «Paris Store», «Rize Market», «Leaf Market» and «Madras Bazar».
Want to eat fresh and local food at a low price? Discover the numerous markets in Lyon where greengrocers, butchers, bakers, craftspeople, and booksellers meet. A visit to a market is also a good experience to discover the city and its people. Visit the city website to discover all the market and their schedule.
Every year, 10 million tons of food are wasted in France, which costs approximately 16 billion euros each year. The fight against food loss and waste is a major issue, and we can all have an impact when buying and eating food. Here is a list of food-loss reduction apps in Lyon :
Too Good to Go
Phenix
Pubs and restaurants
Do you want to go out and discover food from across the globe ? In Lyon, you will find all sorts of pubs and restaurants. You can also try Lyon’s own cuisine in a Bouchon, a traditional restaurant which serves local specialities. Here are 2 useful links:
1. Le Petit Paumé : this guide, made by an emlyon association, gathers the best addresses to go out, drink and eat.
2. TheFork : a website to find and book a table for your next diner.
For book and museum fans, you can subscribe to La Carte Culture which, for €15 a year, gives you access to the 6 public museums as well as all the services of the public library. Discover other cultural discounts for students on lyoncampus.com.
Learning Accommodation: inclusion of people with disabilities
The Disability Center
Initiated by emlyon business school in 2019, the disability center supports students with disabilities throughout their journey by offering adapted conditions, working with various disability stakeholders, and deploying awareness campaigns for our entire community.
The program is open to students with disabilities or suffering from chronic health conditions. It addresses all disability situations, whether temporary, lasting, or permanent. The disability center coordinates the personalized educational support assistance required, study accommodations, and examination arrangements in connection with educational services.
The center also establishes relationships with companies and associations, all key players in the field of disability, with the aim of better welcoming people with disabilities and enabling the adaptation of their education and pathways but also raising awareness among the entire emlyon community about disability issues.
