Students take the equivalent of four courses a semester (note that some courses are annual while some are semestrial and some may be 1/2 credit). By permission of the director, students may overelect by one course during one semester. Regular attendance at all classes is expected of all students and counts in the final grade. Deadlines for dropping classes may be different for different institutions and will be posted at Reid Hall.
There are two main examination periods: one at the end of the first semester (late December-early January) and one in mid-late May. In addition, shorter examinations, papers and reports are scheduled during the year. The examinations are given either by the professor of the institutes and schools or by professors appointed by the director of the HCJYF. Note that Institut d'études politiques and Paris VI (Sciences) may have exams until mid June.
Students are usually graded according to the French system from 0 to 20. At the end of the academic year, grades are converted into letter grades equivalent to those used at Hamilton College. Members of the HCJYF other than Hamilton students are registered at Hamilton College as special students, not as candidates for a Hamilton degree. They must, however, meet the academic standards of Hamilton College.
The credit recommended for each course depends on contact hours and the amount and nature of the work required following the ECTS (European Credit Transcript System) which goal is to systematize course credits throughout the European university system. Hamilton therefore uses the ECTS system used by Paris institutions to guarantee accuracy and fairness in credit recommendations. While all Hamilton in-house courses are at least two-and-a-half hours per week, there are courses in the French university system that meet for only two hours per week while others require three to five contact hours per week. Some courses will require a mandatory tutorial.
French majors and students intending to use French in their future professional careers are encouraged to take one of the following certificates offered by Parisian institutions. Additional information will be provided in Paris.
