Excelia Group La Rochelle

France is the largest country in Western Europe. It lies on the western edge of the continent of Europe and shares borders with six neighboring countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. Within these boundaries, France has exceptionally varied scenery. This, together with its rich cultural heritage, make it a common tourist destination and the world's fourth most popular destination for international students.

La Rochelle is city on the south west coast of France and a seaport. The city offers many opportunities for tourism, as it is located close to three islands and surrounded by three major cities (Paris, Nantes, and Bordeaux). La Rochelle's citizens benefit from economic prosperity and the city's environmentally conscious mindset. Known for its beauty and connected community, La Rochelle is very popular among international students.

Excelia, a triple accredited institution, has campuses in four locations: La Rochelle (main campus), Tours, Paris, and Orleans. The university was established in 1988 and has 5 core values of sharing, humanism, courage, responsibility, and engagement.

Watch a tour of the La Rochelle campus:

Courses in English

Excelia offers a variety of courses in areas such as: marketing, finance, accounting, international management, strategy, tourism management, and entrepreneurship.

View courses

U of L students may currently only enroll in courses offered by the Excelia Business School.

The European academic structure varies from the North American system. Courses completed at a European exchange partner will not be transferred back to the U of L on a course-for-course basis. Rather, students will be required to successfully complete a certain number of ECTS (European Transfer Credit System) credits to earn U of L credit equivalency. Typically, a full course load is 30 ECTS, and 6 ECTS = 3 U of L credits.

You are eligible for this exchange if you are:

• A full-time Dhillon School of Business student
• In at least the 2nd year of your program
• In good academic standing, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher

For a stay of more than 90 days, it is MANDATORY for students to obtain a study visa. There is no fee for exchange students.

Students from Canada must register on the Études en France platform before applying for a visa. 

You must apply for your visa at the nearest French Embassy or Consulate. As this can take quite some take we strongly advise you to apply for your visa as early as possible.

For further details about this visa, visit the Campus France website, email outgoing@uleth.ca, or contact the Consulate General of the French Republic in Vancouver.

For detailed information about vaccination recommendations when visiting France, please visit the Government of Canada's website.

Excelia does not have campus residences. Students will receive an access code to Excelia's accommodation platform after their application is approved, which provides access to a variety of private housing options.

It is MANDATORY and free for students to register for the French Student Health Insurance (social security).

You must register  as soon as you arrive in La Rochelle. You will then be given a Social Security number and be issued with a "Carte Vitale", the French health card. You will need to provide this card whenever you go to the doctor’s, or if you go to the pharmacy with a prescription. This card allows you to be reimbursed for up to 70% of medical charges, on the same basis as French citizens. It is advisable to take out a policy with an insurance company who will reimburse the remainder.

For more information about health insurance in France click here.

Students going on an exchange pay regular U of L tuition and fees. For up-to-date tuition information, visit the U of L's Financial Services website.