L1, L2, L3 refer to the three years of the university degree, the first level of the LMD (licence-master-doctorate) system. Each acronym corresponds to a year of study after the baccalaureate: L1 for the first year, L2 for the second, L3 for the third. This division structures almost all the programs offered by French universities.
ECTS Credits and Block Validation: The Mechanism That Conditions Progression
The concrete functioning of L1, L2, and L3 is based on a system of capitalizable ECTS credits. Each semester represents 30 credits, totaling 60 per year and 180 for the entire degree.
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This structure is not just an administrative counter. Validation works in blocks of two semesters: S1+S2 for L1, S3+S4 for L2, S5+S6 for L3. A year is acquired when the average of the two semesters reaches or exceeds 10/20. Obtaining the final diploma requires validation of each of the three blocks.
The direct consequence affects retakes and reorientations. A block that is not validated prevents the issuance of the diploma even if the other two are acquired. To understand what L1 L2 L3 are, this block logic is the first element to grasp, as it determines the actual pace of the course.
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ECTS credits have another advantage: they are recognized throughout the European Higher Education Area, facilitating mobility between institutions or countries.
L1 and L2: Multidisciplinary Foundation and Initial Orientations
L1 serves as a transitional function. Students discover a main discipline while following complementary courses (languages, university methodology, introductory subjects). The volume of theoretical teaching is dominant here.
The failure rate in L1 remains the highest in the license cycle. Several universities offer remediation systems, such as the “yes if” on Parcoursup, which conditions admission to a tailored course including support or an additional year.
L2 deepens the fundamentals of the chosen major. The program becomes more technical, and some courses already introduce options that foreshadow the specialization of L3. Depending on the curriculum, short internships may appear as early as this second year, even in historically very academic degrees.
What L1 and L2 Are Not
These two years do not confer a diploma in the strict sense. The former DEUG (bac+2) still formally exists but is only issued upon the express request of the student. Only the validated L3 grants the degree of license.
L3 License: Year of Specialization and Choice of Further Studies
L3 marks a clear break from the first two years. In many majors, it is designed as a year of strong disciplinary specialization and targeted preparation either for a master’s degree or for rapid professional integration.
At the University of Bordeaux, for example, the AES license in L3 offers distinct pathways oriented towards public law, management, or economics, taught on a single site. At Sorbonne University, the L2-L3 in sciences is divided into eight license disciplines with highly differentiated curricula.
The integration of mandatory internships in L3 is becoming widespread, even in general fields. Some licenses also include tutored projects or short theses that bring the final year closer to a professional format.
General License or Professional License in L3
Two types of L3 coexist:
- The general license primarily aims for continuation in a master’s program (bac+5). It remains theoretical but increasingly incorporates practical situations.
- The professional license prepares for direct entry into the job market. It includes a significant volume of internships and applied teachings.
The choice between these two paths often occurs at the end of L2, during the application for L3. Professional licenses are selective, requiring a dossier and sometimes an interview.
LMD System and Equivalences: Positioning L1 L2 L3 within the European Framework
The LMD system structures French higher education around three degrees:
- License (bac+3, 180 ECTS)
- Master (bac+5, 300 ECTS)
- Doctorate (bac+8)
L1, L2, and L3 correspond to the first of these three degrees. This architecture, adopted in the vast majority of European countries, allows for direct equivalences between universities from different countries.
In practice, a student who validates their L2 in France and wishes to continue in L3 at another European university can assert their 120 ECTS. Recognition is not automatic (each institution retains some discretion over course content), but the common framework significantly facilitates the process.
Reorientation between L1, L2, and L3: What the Curricula Really Allow
The capitalization of ECTS credits opens up possibilities for reorientation, but with concrete limits. A student who has validated their L1 in law and wishes to switch to an L2 in economics-management will need to check which credits are recognized by the new major. Transversal teaching units (UE), such as languages or methodology, are generally transferable. Disciplinary UEs are not always so.
Some universities facilitate these pathways through multidisciplinary portals in L1, allowing students to delay their choice of major. Others offer dual licenses combining two disciplines from the first year, which broadens options for entering L3 or a master’s program.
The license remains the most accessible diploma in French higher education, with enrollment open to any holder of the baccalaureate via Parcoursup. Selection mainly occurs at the entry into the master’s program, which gives the three years L1, L2, and L3 a progressive filtering role where each validated block conditions the continuation of the course.