Details

• France
• MAMgmt-14
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

You should only select the universities that are really relevant to your master's degree (marked separately), as this will significantly increase your chances. If you do not get a place in the first round, you can apply again a week later for the remaining places for the same semester and will then most likely get a place. Start looking for a place to live, things you'd like to do/try there, ways to get to the destination as soon as possible (or as soon as you get the start date of your program).

2. Accommodation

It is relatively difficult to find accommodation in Lyon – I looked on a wide variety of platforms. Leboncoin is not particularly trustworthy. Three weeks before the start of the semester, I found my flat on La Carte des Colocs (similar to ‘WG gesucht’) – a sublet of a two-room flat in the centre. Shared flats tend to be less interested in taking someone in for five months, no matter how nice you write or how much you would pay. It's not unusual to send over 40 contact requests on this site before you get a reply. There are also some private student residences in the city, and some people have rented an Airbnb for the entire period. The districts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are recommended – Villeurbanne and, above all, Guillotière should be avoided (especially for women)! The university is easily accessible by public transport (underground, tram, bus and bicycle) and the city is not really that big, so it is not absolutely necessary to live so close to the university – it is more advisable to prioritise proximity to restaurants, green spaces, etc. Some students rented an Airbnb for a month in order to find accommodation locally. I cannot recommend this, as it was very stressful for them. It is unusual to pay money in advance for a viewing – if someone suggests this, you should think twice about whether you trust them.

3. Academic life at host university

It is considerably less ‘academic’ than at WU – some of the lecturers are practitioners and the students are not as accustomed to academic work as we are. There is a lot of work with case studies, group assignments and presentations. The campus is very modern and new, but the layout is a bit confusing. I highly recommend the courses ‘Negotiating difficult trade situations’ and ‘Leading Strategic Change’! The grading system is rather opaque (this is generally true for France). It is unusual to get more than 16/17, even though the maximum is actually 20. However, grades tend to range from 14 to 16. It is also unusual to negotiate/discuss grades after the end of the course – most professors do not react very kindly to this (but it is always worth a try).

5. Every day life in the host country

Very relaxed city, a few nice green spaces, good food (few vegetarian options in typical Lyonnais cuisine), beautiful walking routes. The university offers sports classes (Zumba is not recommended). Except for Guillotière, you feel very safe everywhere – there, it is advisable to walk through quickly with a neutral expression on your face, without looking around too much.

6. Testimonial

The semester abroad was very educational. The contact and intensive collaboration with other exchange students in particular, but also with French people, was very enriching. The city and the culture were also very beautiful.