I choose UM!
Join the 49,000 students currently enrolled and pursue a top-quality education at one of Europe’s leading universities. Secure your future—join the UM community today! A glimpse into the many advantages of the University of Montpellier.
I choose: a university steeped in history with a strong identity
As the successor to the medieval Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier (1220), the University of Montpellier has a exceptional historical heritage. Deeply rooted in the history of its city and region, UM is one of Europe’s oldest universities still in operation. Shaped by this heritage, which has forged its identity over the centuries, the University of Montpellier today unites its community around two unwavering core values: merit-based success and equal opportunity.
Paying tribute to those who have shaped its history and left their mark—Nostradamus, Paul Valéry, Jean Moulin, and the current President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Salhe-Work Zewde—the UM is committed today to preserving these values for future generations.
- Learn more about the University of Montpellier
- Student Guide: "Life at UM"
I choose: excellence in education and research
Ranked first in the world for ecology in the prestigious Shanghai Ranking, UM is also among the top 300 universities worldwide.
A research-intensive university comprising 78 research units across 9 academic departments, UM also offers a range of programs tailored to each student’s academic goals: science and engineering, law, economics, environmental studies, public administration, business administration, medicine, pharmacy, physical education and sports, biology, computer science, education, political science…
Its academic programs thus encompass a wide range of highly career-oriented disciplines at the bachelor’s, professional bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. These high-quality programs are complemented by an exceptionally strong graduate employment rate: 94% of graduates are employed 30 months after graduation.
- Learn more about the training program
- Learn more about research
- Learn more about graduates’ transition into the workforce
I choose: a university with a global outlook
With a strong commitment to global engagement, UM has made the quality and reach of its international relations a top priority. As part of this effort, the university supports and promotes student mobility by expanding its network of international partnerships, bilateral agreements, and Erasmus agreements with Europe’s most prestigious universities.
The UM is also internationally recognized in a wide range of scientific fields (biology and health, agro-environment, chemistry, information and communication sciences and technologies, law, etc.).
While prioritizing partnerships with leading universities (UC Davis in California, KPUM in Kyoto) and top-tier institutions abroad, the University remains more aware than ever of the need to contribute to the cultural and scientific development of so-called “emerging” countries. Among many other examples, it is thus participating in the fight against Ebola in Guinea, having initiated, last year, the creation of a state-of-the-art research center dedicated to this virus and, more broadly, to infectious diseases.
I choose to: contribute to the MUSE project
Led by the University of Montpellier, the MUSE (Montpellier University of Excellence) project was awarded the I-Site label of excellence in February 2017, along with significant funding from the Investments for the Future Program.
Joining the University of Montpellier means committing to these three major societal challenges for the 21st century, which the university intends to address alongside 18 other institutions (research organizations, schools, healthcare facilities, and an international organization) united in a consortium: feeding a global population that will reach 9 billion people by 2050; protecting and sustainably managing natural resources and ecosystems; and helping humanity tackle cancer, chronic diseases, and emerging diseases.
I’m an UM alum: testimonials
“I’m from UM” is a video series from the University of Montpellier. These intimate portraits of current and former students shed light on their choice of program. Check out the first three episodes of this series…
Tiffany Monfort (Science major)
Tiffany Monfort says she has always had an ecological mindset. At 22, having grown up in a pristine coastal environment, she is currently completing a master’s degree in ecosystems at the UM Faculty of Science.
The granddaughter of an English botanist who undoubtedly passed on to her an interest in plants and nature conservation, Tiffany now aspires to pursue a career closely linked to the protection of marine ecosystems. She plans to do so upon completing her master’s degree or, why not, after finishing a doctoral thesis, which she may well begin in the coming months.
Christophe Bonnel (Health Studies)
Christophe Bonnel is a physician at Montpellier University Hospital, where he is responsible for supporting innovative medical projects. A former emergency room doctor turned entrepreneur in medical innovation, he now serves as a liaison with healthcare staff to develop technologies that benefit patients.
Christophe’s calling—shaped by his studies at the UM School of Medicine and his fascination with how the body works—was born in the halls of the anatomy museum, which he visited regularly as a child. This calling has become a true passion, which he now sums up in a simple mantra: “Dare to be useful!”
Cécile Lefrançois (law major)
Cécile Lefrançois is a doctoral student in criminal law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at UM. She set her sights on a legal career at a very early age, aspiring to become a lawyer specializing in the defense of “children and women” from a young age.
As an instructor in family law and special criminal law, Cécile now aspires to become a professor and researcher in criminal law, which, in her view, “best protects the integrity of the human person.”