Table of Contents
3 Introduction
4 Contacts
5 Important procedures before departure
6 Accommodation and French Language Courses
7 Budget
8 Planning your arrival
9 Important procedures after arrival
12 About La Rochelle
13 Extra-Curricular Life
16Services
17 Maps: How to get to the School
19 Map: The School’s ground floor
20Map: The School’s first floor
An introduction to
Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle-
The La RochelleBusinessSchool
Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle (known in English as the ‘La Rochelle BusinessSchool’) was founded in 1988. It is located in the ‘Minimes‘ area of La Rochelle, in the middle of the University campus district. Within the French higher education system, it is a Grande EcoleBusiness School. But what is a ‘Grande Ecole’ ? :
-The French Higher Education System is broadly divided into universities and specialized Schools. They differin terms of their goals, structure and admission requirements. France’s famous GrandesEcoles(literally in French ‘grand Schools’ or ‘elite Schools’) are a type of specialized School and are focusedon a single subject area, either Business or Sciences - mainly devoted to training high-level Business managers andEngineers. A Grande Ecole is a unique institution, prestigious and selective in their admissions. UnlikeFrench State Universities which have an obligation to accept all candidates of the same regionwho hold a Baccalauréat, the selection criteria of GrandesEcoles rest mainly on written and oralexams and on the basis of the applicant’s credentials.
-A degree from one of France’s elite business Schools is a passport that allows the bearer to contemplatea career with no ceiling, extending to top management or to the creation of a new company.La Rochelle Business School is a member of the Conference des GrandesEcoles and a recognized institution in the French Higher Education System.
The original Grande Ecolecourse is known as the ‘ESC’ programme(écolesupérieure de commerce). Students are admitted to this programme after two years of intensive study which take place after high School in special preparatory classes.
Following the successful development of the flagship ESC programme, La Rochelle Business School has expanded over the years to include a number of other programmes at different levels. Today, these are:
- Bachelor of Business (BB)
- Bachelor of International Business (BI)
- Bachelor and Master of Tourism (BMT)
- Specialized Masters programmes in Business Environment, Finance, Sustainable Development, etc.
International exchanges and study abroad are a key part of all of these courses and the La RochelleBusinessSchool values the presence of its international students very highly. Every year we welcome 350 overseas students to our campus and send all our French students abroad to partner universities or on corporate internships. We know how important the global dimension of modern business is and we hope that your experience living and studying in our international community will be both successful and personally enriching
Your contacts in the
Department of International Affairs
The Business School staff all aim to make your stay in La Rochelle and at our School as happy and successful as possible. As international students you have a number of contacts who can help you with your academic and administrative needs.
Academic issues
During your studies, your study programme will be managed by your particular program of study. You will be introduced to them when you arrive and should feel free to contact them directly about any issues relating to your academic course.
International student administrative and pastoral matters
The Department of International Affairs is available at all times to help you with practical, administrative and pastoral matters which are specific to international students. These staff members are multilingual and highly experienced in looking after international students who are new to France. Their various responsibilities are listed below - so don’t hesitate to get in touch with them for advice, information or administrative assistance.
David Evans / Maria BelhajDirector of International Relations / Deputy Head of International Relations
Office : 125 / Office : 125
Tel: (+33) (0)5 46 51 77 19 / Tel: (+33) (0)5 46 51 77 90
Email: / Email:
Géraldine Crespeau / Luminita Georgescu
French language courses coordinator / Exchange coordinator for the BI
Office : 125 / Office : 138
Tel: (+33) (0)5 46 51 77 73 / Tel: (+33) (0)5 46 51 77 51
Email: / Email:
Emilie Carde / Katia Barbier-Puente
International Student Housing Officer / Exchange coordinator for the BB
Office : 122 / Office : 133
Tel: (+33) (0)5 16 19 62 54 / Tel: (+33) (0)5 16 19 62 19
Email: / Email:
Camille Berge / Marina Kchouk
Exchange coordinator for the ESC / Exchange coordinator for the BMT
Office : 125 / Office : 111
Tel: (+33) (0)5 16 19 62 27 / Tel: (+33) (0)5 16 19 62 72
Email: / Email:
Claire Fresnais Email:
International student liaison officer
Office : 043
Tel: (+33) (0)5 16 19 62 50
Important administrative procedures before leaving your country
YOUR PASSPORT
All students coming into France must have valid ID document.
-If you are a citizen of the European Union*, an identity card from your home country will be acceptable for this purpose.
-If you are from outside the European Union you must have a passport from your home country. The passport must be valid for the full duration of your studies in France and contain the appropriate visa if necessary.
*Member states of the European Union : Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
STUDY VISA
Students from the European Union do not need a study visa (see list above). The same appliesfor students from the following countries of the European Economic Area -Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Andorra and Switzerland.
Students from outside the European Union and who are studying for more than 3 months in France must request a long stay student visa.
This visa enables students enter and stay in France.
Please note that a tourist visa is not sufficient to undertake long term studies in France. If you do not have the appropriate visa you risk being expelled from the country. It is not possible to obtain a study visa once you arrive in France and if you arrive with a tourist visa, you will have to return home in order to get a study visa.
You must apply for your visa at your nearest French Embassy or Consulate. As this can take quite some time we strongly advise you to apply for your visa as early as possible.
Students living in the countries listed below are obliged to register with the CEF (Le Centre des Etudes en France – The Centre for Studies in France) to complete an online administrative file and obtain their visa:
Algeria, Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, India, Korea, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Senegal, Syria, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, United States and Vietnam.
The procedure is outlined on the Campus France website:
Finding accommodation in
La Rochelle
Before looking for a place to live in France, students must decide, according to their financial means and the length of their program, what sort of arrangement is best for them.
La Rochelle is a very busy city for tourists and students so it is essential to reserve your accommodation before you arrive!
Sup de Co La Rochelle has a housing service specifically designed for international students and can provide you with information on accommodation in host families, private apartments, studio flats and student residences.
For more details, please contact:
Emilie Carde
International Student Housing Officer
Office number: 122
Tel: (+33) (0)5 16 19 62 54
Email:
A youth hostel is also available near the School if you plan on arriving before the orientation days and finding accommodation by yourself:
French Language Courses
Our French Language Institute (Institut d‘Etudes Françaises – IEF) has been offering French lessons to international students since 1931.
IEF is part of the Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle and is welcoming in his french classes international students from all over the world.
Please note that all the international students – registered in the different programs of Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle – have the possibility to attend the French classes during their stay in La Rochelle and validate ECTS credits.
! If you want to enroll, you need to register with our French language courses coordinator! You will be informed about the process of registrationduring the orientation days.
For further information, please contact:
Géraldine Crespeau
French language courses coordinator–Office: 125
Tel: (+33) (0)5 46 51 77 73 - Email:
Your student budget in
La Rochelle
An international student applying for a visa must provide proof of sufficient solvency to the French embassy. The minimum amount required is 450€ per month. But this is a strict minimum and will not be enough to cover your full living costs!
The total amount you will need will depend on your own personal lifestyle. However, an indication of the approximate monthly budget for a student in La Rochelle living in a private apartment is given below.
Accommodation and bills / 550€Food (campus cafeteria) / 180 €
Personalspending/extras / 150€
Bus pass / 23€
Leisureactivities / 50€
ESTIMATED MONTHLY TOTAL / 953€
Food costs
Some students may prefer to buy and cook their own food but a number of food outlets providing cheap meal options are available on campus:
-Our School cafeteria (around 4 to 7€ depending on the meal)
-University restaurant (RU)situated near the School, 2.80€ per meal(in 2011).
-Bakeries and other food outlets less than 5 minutes’ walk from the School.
Transport costs in La Rochelle
The city of La Rochelle offers a wide variety of environmentally-friendly public transport. We strongly recommend that you take out a monthly subscription for a student bus pass ( For only 23€ a month, this allows you unrestricted access to buses in and around La Rochelle and also entitles you to free use of:
-‘Le bus de mer’ (the sea bus) which takes you from the old town to the Marina at ‘Les Minimes’. A complementary fee may be asked on board.
-‘Le passeurélectrique’ (the electric ferry) which carries passengers across the old port harbour.
Other methods of transport available include:
-‘Vélosjaunes’ or ‘Yelo’ (yellow hire bikes) for cycle rides.
This system provides users with bike hire facilities for rides across the city from one bike station to another. A annual subscription is required, costing 25€ (or 20€ if you already have a bus pass). The first half hour of use is free, but hourly rates are applied for longer daily rental periods.
-Municipal taxis which take travellers from one bus stop to another for a reduced price
-Yélo Mobile, electric cars which can be hired for a monthly subscription fee and a cost per hour -
Planning your arrival in
La Rochelle
WHEN SHOULD YOU ARRIVE IN LA ROCHELLE?
All international exchange students who are receiving this document are expected to attend an orientation week including an intensive French Language seminar from the 3rd September until the 14th of September 2012. Please make sure that you arrange to arrive in La Rochelle before this date in order to settle into your accommodation before the Orientation Week.
Arrival by plane at La Rochelle’s airport
Some international students will be arriving at the airport located in La Rochelle. There is a bus service running from outside the entrance that will take you into the town centre bus station, the fare is 1.30€. A bus leaves once every 25 minutes or so from Monday to Saturday (no buses on Sunday). To get to La Rochelle BusinessSchool from the Place de Verdun (the central bus station) you will need to take the Illico bus and get off upon arrival at the “Rond Point de l’Europe” or “La Sole” stops.
Arrival by plane at one of the main Paris airports
Most international students will arrive in France at one of the two main airports in Paris (Roissy Charles de Gaulle or Orly: the website is ) and will then need to get the train to La Rochelle from the Paris Montparnasse railway station. There is however another way to get to La Rochelle: by taking the train from Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport to Poitiers, and then on to La Rochelle.
It is possible to take a suburban train (called the ‘RER’) and then the subway (metro: the website is ) from the airports to get to the Montparnasse train station, but we strongly advise you to go by shuttle bus. Air France runs buses every 30 minutes to take you directly to the train station and not only will this make things easier with your luggage, but this way you’ll also have a guided tour of Paris!!
Air France Shuttle buses to Montparnasse train station
- From Orly Airport: take route 1
- From Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport: take route 4
For more information about the times and fares of these shuttle buses, go to the following website and click on the route you are interested in:
Travel by train from Paris Montparnasse railway station to La Rochelle
Direct high speed trains called ‘TGVs’ (Trains à Grande Vitesse) run several times a day between Paris and La Rochelle. The journey takes about 3 hours.
Please note that buying train tickets in advance is much cheaper than buying your ticket on the day of travel. It is possible to book your ticket from abroad using the following website:
Travelling by car
If you travel to La Rochelle by car, please remember the speed limits in France:
- 130 km/ hour on motorways; 110 km/hour on dual carriageways; 90 km/hour on main roads and 50km/hour in built-up areas.
You can plan your journey on the following website:
(Driving with a foreign driving license is allowed in Europe:
Important administrative procedures to be carried out when you arrive in France
Please read this information carefully
► RESIDENCE PERMITS
European Union citizens
Students from the European Union do not need a Residence permit: they will simply need a passport/identity card, depending on which country they originate from (we advise you to check with the French embassy in your country to be certain which document will suffice).
Non-European Union citizens
Since June 2009, students from outside the European Union are able to get a long term student visa valid for 1 year.A Residence Permit (carte de séjour) is therefore no longer necessary during your first year of study. However, if you intend to stay longer than one year then you must apply for a resident’s permit at least 2-3 months before your VISA expires.
LONG TERM STUDENT VISA (TYPE D)
All incoming non-EU students should have a long term student VISA. No matter what the marked expiry date is, you will need to validate your VISA within 90 days after arriving in France.
The process can take up to 2 months to finish, so it is best to meet with Ms Claire FRESNAIS in office 43 as soon as possible. She will supply you with the necessary information for the validation of your VISA.
You will need to supply a photocopy of the following documents when meeting with Ms FRESNAIS:
- Your passport
- Your VISA
- Your stamp of entry (usually done when you arrive in the French airport)
RESIDENCE PERMIT / CARTE DE SEJOUR
Those of you wishing to stay in La Rochelle for a period longer than 1 year will need to apply for this card toward the end of your first year of study.
Our International Office will supply you with the Resident’s Permit Application Folder and will explain the procedure and how to complete it. They will check the application and transmit your file to the Préfecture of La Rochelleon your behalf.
► HOUSING BENEFIT FOR STUDENTS
The French government provides a housing subsidy for students called ‘APL’ (Aide Personnalisée au Logement). This is available regardless of nationality to all students who are paying for accommodation in France. The amount of subsidy awarded varies according to income, the type of housing occupied and the rent payable. Information on applying for the housing subsidy will be provided on arrival by the International Student Liaison Officer.
► OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT
For students living in France for a long period, it will be essential for you to open a bank account in La Rochelle. Groupe Sup de Co and the BDI (The International Student Association) have signed a partnership with a national bank which proposes special advantages for students. Details about how to open a bank account will be given to you at the start of the new School year by the BDI. Feel free to come and see the BDI upon arrival.
Documents required toopen a bank account:
-A copy of your passport
-Proof of residence in La Rochelle (your lease, or proof of accommodation if you are living in a host family)
-A Sup de Co Student Card
► SECURITE SOCIALE- HEALTH CARE: compulsory for all students in France
╬ For European Union Students:
1/ If you have state health insurance in your home country:
You must apply for a European HealthInsurance Card (EHIC) from your national health serviceat least two weeks before leaving your country.
Thanks to this card, any medical costs at the doctor`s,chemist`s or in hospitals will be refunded in the same conditions as French citizens.
2/ If you don`t have health insurance in your home country
You can subscribe to student health insurance when you arrive in La Rochelle. The cost is currently 200€ for the academic year.
European Union Students should be aware that state health insurance in France only covers a maximum of 70% of the total cost of prescriptions, doctor’s appointments and hospital care. French citizens choose either to pay the remaining costs themselves or subscribe to an additional private health insurance called a mutuelle. Without a mutuelle, or additional private insurance you will have to pay the outstanding costs of any healthcare you receive in France.
It is also important to note that French citizens have to pay for the costs of their treatment and prescriptions when they receive them and are then reimbursed by the social security service. For example, an appointment with a French general practitioner will cost 23€ which must be paid to the doctor at the time of your visit. You will then apply for reimbursement and receive a repayment of 14€ from the state social security service.