V.A.E. method: your experience counts.
The V.A.E. method turns what you have already learned through work, training and responsibility into academic credit. Your programme starts from what you can already do, not from scratch.
What V.A.E. is
Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience is an assessment procedure that recognises learning acquired outside formal education: at work, in professional training, in public roles or in volunteering.
The skills you demonstrate are compared with the learning outcomes of the chosen programme. Those that match become credit; those still missing are acquired through study.
Who it is for
- Professionals with years of experience who want a qualification that matches their role.
- People who interrupted their studies and want to complete them, building on what they have done since.
- Managers, officials and entrepreneurs who want to formalise skills they already exercise.
- Those working internationally who need a flexible distance programme.
Why V.A.E. is a credible method.
Recognising learning gained through experience is not an exception: it is a choice shared by European lifelong-learning policy.
Council Recommendation
In its Recommendation of 20 December 2012 the Council of the EU called on Member States to set up arrangements for validating non-formal and informal learning.
Provided for by law
In France VAE has existed since the 2002 social modernisation act. In Italy Legislative Decree no. 13 of 16 January 2013 governs the identification, validation and certification of skills.
The value of experience
The Swiss Federal Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act requires professional and non-professional experience to be duly taken into account.
These references illustrate the principle of validating experience in the European context. Credit recognition at I.S.F.O.A. is always individual and based on documentation.
How it works, in four steps.
From your first contact with the Rectorate to your study plan.
- 1
Profile
Gather your CV, qualifications, certificates and evidence of experience and send them to the Rectorate.
- 2
Assessment
The dossier is reviewed against the entry requirements and learning outcomes of the chosen programme.
- 3
Credits
Demonstrated learning is recognised as academic credit.
- 4
Study path
The remaining activities and assessments required for the qualification are defined.
What can be assessed
- Employed or self-employed work experience
- Professional training and certified courses
- Qualifications already obtained, including partial ones
- Institutional, association and volunteer roles
- Publications and research activity
What V.A.E. is not
It is neither a shortcut nor an automatic qualification. Every credit rests on documented evidence relevant to the programme. That rigour is precisely what gives the result its value.
Frequently asked questions
Does V.A.E. automatically grant a qualification?
No. V.A.E. recognises learning you have already acquired and documented as credit. The qualification is awarded once you complete the remaining activities and pass the required assessments.
Which experience can be assessed?
Work experience, professional training, courses and certifications, appointments and volunteering, publications: anything that can be documented and is relevant to the chosen programme.
Which documents are needed?
Normally a detailed CV, your qualifications, training certificates and documentation of your experience (contracts, employer statements, appointments). The office will tell you what is needed in each case.
How long does the assessment take?
It depends on how complete the dossier is. The Rectorate communicates the outcome and the plan of activities to be completed.
Can I find out in advance whether my profile is suitable?
Yes. You can send your CV to the Rectorate for an initial, non-binding assessment.
Start with an assessment of your profile.
Write to the Rector's Office: you will receive guidance on the programme best suited to your experience and goals.