In Bayreuth, you can easily engage with your professors

→ Link to the video presenting the Bachelor programme

→ Link to the programme description

The University of Bayreuth has many years of collaboration with Bordeaux, in different fields: African studies, law, economics…. One of them is the double Bachelor degree in law that was launched in 2019. Today, we meet with Emma, who is telling us more about her own experience.

A few words about you…

My name is Emma and I’m currently in the second year of a French-German Bachelor degree in law, between the University of Bordeaux and the University of Bayreuth.

Why did you decide to apply for the programme?

I have always wanted to study law. In high school, I was informed by our career advisor that a new double degree was about to start in Bordeaux, in partnership with Bayreuth. As I was learning German and was fond of it, I thought it was a good opportunity to combine both law and language skills.

Some students who are not fluent in German may be a little bit afraid of enrolling at this programme. What is your view on that?

Don’t be afraid! I was good but not the best from my class and certainly not fluent in German, when I applied for the programme. For sure it’s not easy to take classes in a field you know nothing about and in a language you don’t master: it requires hard work from you if you want to succeed but it is not impossible. All my fellows and myself reached a B2-level at the end of our first year, which allowed us to go to Bayreuth for our second year.

You can also count on the support of all the people involved in the programme: you have specific language courses to prepare the B2-test, a French-German lawyer comes 3hrs a week to help you better understand concepts in German, professors send in advance their courses so you have some time to look at them and translate what you don’t understand… Finally, there is a solidarity between students, so you’re not alone!

According to you, what are the main assets of this double degree?

I really appreciate that we are part of a small group and that we are not only students among hundreds, as it is the case in traditional law degrees. As a consequence, we have a close contact to our professors, it is easy to talk to them. They are here to help us succeed.

The specificity of a French-German double degree is to get a double perspective on the field you’re studying, in this case law, but also on methodology (more theoretical on the French side, pragmatic on the German one) and in a broader sense on the higher education system. That’s very convenient if you consider a career in European or international law for instance.

Of course, it helps develop yourself. Your German skills are largely improving. You befriend with other international students you wouldn’t have met otherwise. Having two different experiences on the higher education system helps you to put things into perspective: you have a better understanding of differences, you are more open-minded and aware that even if it’s different, it doesn’t mean it can’t work. You are more flexible in the way you’re interacting with people.

You have just talked about different perspectives. What major differences do you observe between France and Germany?

Among differences I saw between my first year in Bordeaux and the second in Bayreuth, tutorials are mandatory and graded in Bordeaux, which is not the case in Bayreuth. German professors rely much more on the individual responsibility of students, by offering them the opportunity to improve their knowledge without forcing them.

The period of exams is one week long in Bordeaux, whereas it is spread over the month in Bayreuth, as each professor is actually in charge of organising his/her own exams. If you want to pass your exam, you have to register for it, so do not forget to do so!

Something which is quite impressive to observe is the relation between students and professors. In Bayreuth, students are really encouraged to ask questions, to engage with their professors. The fact that they receive the course content before the class helps prepare these interactions. In France, we are much more passive.

Last question about Bayreuth: is it a good place to study?

Definitively! The University of Bayreuth has one campus with a round place to which all buildings and fields are leading, where everything and everyone meet. There are many green spaces. The city is medium-sized, which means that I can reach everything by bike within 20 minutes. You get your bearings easily and quickly.

There are also welcome incentives from both the university, which organises an integration week for its international students, and the city hall which offers as a welcome gift vouchers for culture or sport activities.

Thank you Emma for your time and testimonial!

→ read the testimonial of Inès, student from the same double degree