The authorization to operate and grant degrees is from the Rector of the Paris Academy, Rector of the Ile-de-France academic region.
The rectorate office of the Paris Academy is the education authority in Paris under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Education.
CityU Paris is a privately funded (non-contracted) institution. Our authorization falls under the category of a private higher education institution. Therefore, our degrees are not equivalent to those issued by publicly funded institutions in France.
The degrees obtained from the City University of Paris are per the Code de’l Education Articles L 444-1 a 444-11 et R 444-1 a 444-28.
Each program must be approved and authorized by the Rector of Paris Academy to offer and delivered to the students. Each program, such as Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D., must be approved in writing through a letter from the Rectorate of Paris Academy.
Please request to see specific program authorization and approval before enrolling in a program.
The Ministry of National Education recognizes CityU Paris through the Rector of the Paris Academy, the education authority of Paris.
Recognition for all educational institutions is given by the Ministry of National Education of France. Recognition means the authority to operate as an educational institution. The categories of the institution in higher education in France are:
CityU Paris falls under the 3rd category of institution.
Accreditation in France is not mandatory for private institutions but can be applied by certain institutions.
1. Accreditation for Business Schools
The Commission d'évaluation des formations et diplômes de gestion (CEFDG, in English National Commission for the Evaluation of Training and Qualifications in Management) was created by Decree number 2001-295 on April 4, 2001 Decree No. 2001-295 of 4 April 2001 establishing the Commission for the Evaluation of Management Training and Diplomas - Légifrance (legifrance.gouv.fr) to give Master's degree accreditation to French business schools.
Note: Only the institutions authorized to confer national qualifications can apply for this Accreditation.
More information on CEFDG: Home
2. Accreditation for Engineering Schools
Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (CTI) is the central committee responsible for evaluating and accreditation higher education institutions to train professional engineers in France. It regulates the issuance of the Diplôme d'ingénieur and the use of the academic title of "Ingénieur Diplomé" (qualified graduate engineer).
Established by law on 10 July 1934, CTI is not an independent administrative authority but an autonomous structure within the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. In France, CTI is the relevant body in charge of carrying out evaluation procedures that lead to the Accreditation of the institutions to award the engineering degree "titre d'ingénieur diplômé.”
More information on CTI – Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (cti-commission.fr)
Note: CityU Paris is not an engineering school; therefore, this Accreditation is not applicable.
3. Association of Grandes Ecoles Schools (French Elite Institutions)
The Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE), French for "Conference of Grandes Écoles", is a French national institution, created in 1973.
It mainly acts as an association of Grandes Écoles, providing representation, research, and Accreditation. A Grande école is a French institution of higher education that is separate from, but parallel and often connected to, the main framework of the French public university system.
Grandes écoles are elite academic institutions that admit students through a highly competitive process, and a significant proportion of their graduates occupy the highest levels of French society.
Like Ivy League schools in the United States, Oxbridge in the U.K., and C9 League in China, graduation from a grande école is considered the prerequisite credential for any top government, administrative and corporate position in France.
More information on Conférence des grandes écoles - CGE
Note: CityU Paris is not a "Grande Ecole" school. Therefore, we cannot apply to be a member of this association and its quality assurance.
Private institutions may seek non-French Accreditation from some of these organizations but are not limited to:
When seeking Accreditation from non-French organizations, private institutions must ensure that these organizations are recognized and authorized by their respective governments to implement quality assurance standards and grant accredited status.
Additional information on foreign Accreditation – United States
The United States
The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognize accrediting bodies for higher education institutions. Still, U.S. recognition is necessary to access financial aid and federally guaranteed student loans under Title IV.
Neither the U.S. Department of Education nor the CHEA accredits institutions.
Some accreditation agencies may not be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education based on the scope of Accreditation but can be recognized by CHEA. One example of this is ACBSP & IACBE; both are programmatic accreditors. They are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education but by CHEA.
In the past, Accreditation was often referred to as "regional" or "national." However, as of July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education no longer categorizes accrediting organizations as "regional" but all to be "national."
The CityU Paris is an educational member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), USA, and will seek candidacy for accreditation upon qualifying. View CityU Paris listed
CityU Paris also a member of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), USA, a membership association and quality assurance agency that provides accreditation services and formative support to all types of educator preparation providers. View CityU Paris listed
You do not need a degree to get a job. Many jobs now do not require degrees but certifications in productivity and technical areas.
However, suppose you are pursuing a formal higher education in any institution, you must ensure that the relevant government authorities authorize the study you will be undertaking at the minimum.
It would be best to do your due diligence as the investor for your education and future employers' confidence in the institution's authority to teach and grant degrees.
All CityU Paris degree programs have received authorization from the Rector of the Paris Academy, the educational authority of Paris.
A Babson Survey Research Group study revealed that around 33% of college students had joined at least one online course. Most employers and educational institutes understand that an online degree is as efficient and educative as a regular degree program.
The recognition and legality of the degrees at CityU Paris are from the government authorities. While some choose to go to brick-and-mortar universities, you have chosen online learning as your study method.
While award legalization or apostille may help to add authenticity, we encourage employers to seek clarification directly with CityU Paris about the degrees and related matters. Write to general@cityuparis.fr for clarification.
No. Your learning method or location does not affect the authority of the degree and its legality. The degree will not specify study methods such as online, hybrid, or on-campus.
We are an online learning institution. Your tuition fee is for your learning and related resources, not the building.
Though we could not offer our degree programs completely free, we try to keep our fees affordable by managing our operations efficiently by using the available technology to maximize the learning benefits of our students.
WES is unable to review any of our credentials at this time. To evaluate credentials, WES requires universities to be nationally or regionally accredited by US accrediting agencies.
Yes. CityU Paris organizes the graduation ceremony in Paris, France. It is usually held in the month of June - July each year.