Study at Université Grenoble Alpes

Competing at a high level in winter sports presents specific challenges that make it difficult to pursue higher education: the distance between training camps and competition venues and the cities where higher education institutions are located, as well as scheduling conflicts between sports and academic calendars...

In response to this situation, the University of Grenoble-Alpes (UGA), in partnership with the French winter sports federations (skiing, ice sports, ice hockey, and para-sports), the National Sports Agency, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, has established a special program: the Inter’Val program.

Managed by the University Committee for High-Level Sports (CUSHN), the Inter’Val program offers specialized academic support for students specializing in winter sports. It is designed to adapt the university curriculum as much as possible to each student’s athletic commitments, so they can continue competing in winter sports at a high level without sacrificing their studies.  

A Video on the Inter'Val Program

Who is eligible for the Inter'Val program?

Historically reserved for elite skiers (alpine, cross-country, biathlon, freestyle, snowboarding, ski jumping, and Nordic combined), the Inter'Val program is now open to other winter sports such as ski mountaineering, ice hockey, bobsled, and figure skating.

To be eligible for the Inter'Val program, athletes must compete at the highest level of international competition: European and World Cups, European and World Championships, and the Olympic Games. They must also be listed on the ministerial roster of elite athletes at the time of their university enrollment, with the approval of—or upon nomination by—their sports federation.

If you participate in a winter sport but are not registered on the ministry's list, you are eligible for the same support program as high-level student athletes in other sports.

What does the Inter'Val program offer?

The support offered covers several areas:

• Asynchronous academic schedule
  The academic year begins in July, with an in-person spring semester from April to June.
• Individualized Education
  Supervised by a coordinating teacher, each student has a personalized curriculum tailored to their specific needs.
• Partially Remote Learning
  Podcasts, online courses, discussion forums, video calls, web conferences…
• Specific accommodations
  Staggered coursework, special exam sessions.

When they attend classes on campus, students in the Inter'Val program also receive athletic support that ensures true continuity in their training. Each week, time slots are reserved for them in a university weight room. They also have access to specialized medical and paramedical care, with reserved access to the university’s sports medicine unit, where they can consult with two physicians specializing in sports traumatology as well as a team of four physical therapists who provide recovery treatments such as saunas, massages, and cold therapy.

The Inter’Val program thus allows students to pursue a genuine university education, with the same level of rigor and quality as that offered to any other student. The program is effective: since 2005, the number of students has grown steadily, rising from 6 to more than 100. Each year, nearly all students successfully complete their academic contracts. As a result, the majority of Inter’Val students graduate with a degree earned during all or part of their athletic careers.