Validation of Prior Learning (VAE)

The Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) allows you to validate all or part of a certification by presenting your skills acquired through experience to a jury.

You are not taking any classes: you are preparing a booklet outlining the skills you have acquired through your professional experience. These skills will enable you to validate the certification you are seeking, either in whole or in part.

You can receive assistance with writing your application and presenting it to the selection committee.

Certification can be a diploma, a professional title, or a certificate of professional qualification.
It must be registered with the RNCP (French National Register of Professional Certifications)in order to be validated by VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience).
Thus, universities, high schools, Afpa, Greta, etc. can issue their diplomas, titles, and certificates registered with the RNCP through VAE.

The University of Montpellier can only validate its own degrees.

Public

The program is now open to anyone who can demonstrate that they are engaged in an activity related to the content of the certification they are seeking.

Certifications accessible through VAE

All our DUT (University Technical Diploma), Bachelor's, Professional Bachelor's, Master's, Engineering, and Doctorate degrees are accessible through VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience).

Choice of certification:

• You have not yet identified trainingrelated to your professional experience.
  
  Before you begin, you can receive free support from a VAE advisor at anadvisory center.
  They can help you assess the relevance of your project and obtain funding.
  
  
• You haven't yet identified the degree, but you know the fieldrelated to your project and would like to find out about the programs offered by the University of Montpellier.
  
  For guidance with this initial research, please contact us: sfc-vae@umontpellier.fr
  
  
• You have identified the certification you wish to obtain through VAE.
  
  Consult ourtraining offerand familiarize yourself with the training objectives and targeted skills.

Price

• Study fee for Booklet 1: €50
• Guided tour: €2,000
• Unaccompanied tour: €800
• Oral exam preparation fee (2 hours, optional): €200

Support can be financed:visit the reference websiteto find your financing solution. Request a quote at sfc-vae@umontpellier.fr.

The stages of the VAE

1. Choice of degree
2. Withdrawal and submission of Administrative Booklet 1 (throughout the year)
   Review of your Booklet 1 by the VAE administrator
3. Meeting to explain the VAE process
   Feasibility assessment by the training manager (within one month)
4. Funding (CPF or other means)
5. Support (12 hours) for completing your Booklet 2
   Support for appearing before the jury
6. Appearance before the jury

After appearing before the jury, there are three possibilities:

• Full validation
• Partial validation s (additional training or documentation)
• Rejection of validation

Composition of Booklet 1

To compile your VAE Booklet 1, please complete the following form: VAE Booklet 1 2025.

You can submit your VAE Booklet 1 between September 1 and May 15 only.

Upon receipt of your Livret 1, we will:

•  An administrative review(correspondence between experience and the desired degree, seniority, etc.)
• An educational assessment,carried out by the program director, which gives a positive or negative educational opinion.

Within two monthsof submitting your Booklet 1, we will send you a letter of administrative acceptance and a notice of educational feasibility.

The admissibility is valid for 18 months from the date of issue.
After that, you will have to start the process again.

Composition of Booklet 2

Your VAE application has been accepted.
Now you must write Booklet 2, which you will present orally before a jury.

This booklet must demonstrate that you have acquired through experience:

• Skills
• Knowledge
• The skills targeted by the diploma

You demonstrate these skills through three or four real-life professional situations.

You can benefit from 12 hours of support(optional) in person, remotely, or a combination of both.

The support lasts between 6 and 12 months and helps you write up your skills related to the degree and prepare for the oral exam in front of the jury.

This support may be eligible for funding:visit the reference websiteto find your funding solution.

Interview with the VAE Jury

The jury is composed of teachers and professionals.
Its final decision is final.

Two sessions per year:

• October – November – December(deadline for submitting booklet 2: September 15)
• May – June – July(deadline for submitting booklet 2: April 15)

Conduct of the hearing:

• 20-minute presentation based on your Book II
• 20 minutes of questions and answers
• Deliberation
• Immediate verbal notification of the decision taken by all members of the jury: full or partial award of the diploma, or refusal to award it.

In the event of partial validation, you may be required to take a training course to supplement any missing skills.

Specific degrees

• If you would like to validate adoctorate, please contact us: sfc-vae@umontpellier.fr
• There are various ways to getyourengineering degree recognized, so just check with the engineering school you're interested in. You can find all the info you need at Polytech Montpellier
• The procedure for theaccountingprogram is specific, and we invite you to visitthe dedicated website.

VAE at the University of Montpellier

In 2022:

• 130 applicantsreceived a favorable decision on their Livret I application.
• 45candidates were interviewed by the jury.
• 37 candidatesobtained full validation of their VAE
• 7 candidatesobtained partial validation of their VAE
• 1candidate did not obtain validation of their VAE

In 2021:

• 73candidates received a favorable opinion on their Livret I
• 52candidates were interviewed by the jury.
• 35candidates obtained full validation of their VAE
• 16candidates obtained partial validation of their VAE
• 1candidate did not obtain validation of their VAE

In 2020:

• 112candidates received a favorable opinion on their Livret I
• 89candidates were interviewed by the jury.
• 63candidates obtained full validation of their VAE
• 23candidates obtained partial validation of their VAE
• Threecandidates did not obtain validation of their VAE.

Learn more about VAE