Skip to content

de Sorbon® History

Dear prospective student, Bonjour!

I am the Doyen (Dean) of the Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon®. I am glad to give you some historical and factual information about our French registered private institution of higher education.

Our name comes from Robert de Sorbon, chaplain and confessor of Saint Louis, King of France.

Donation from King St. Louis to Robert de Sorbon Feb.1257

The first Sorbon Institution was created in the 11th century through the corporatist organization of Paris masters and scholars. Originally installed in the île de la Cité, it was moved during the 12th century to what was to become the “Latin Quarter”, where theology, law, medicine and arts were taught outside to young pupils from the 4 Nations (France, Picardy, Normandy and England), which endowed it from the start with international prestige.


The collège de Sorbon, founded in 1257/58 for poor students, was located at the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève.

Rebuilt by the Cardinal de Richelieu in the 17th century, closed by the French Revolution in 1791 because of its religious links, turned into artists studios in 1801, the Sorbonne once again devoted itself to teaching in 1821. At the end of the 19th century, the French government rebuilt it again, making the “Nouvelle Sorbonne” a sanctuary of the intellect, a privileged center of knowledge.

In 1968, French Universities were reorganized and split into in independent entities. The Ecole supérieure Robert de Sobon® was founded in 2004.

Our Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon® continues the religious affiliation of the original College de Sorbon and specializes in the Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience (VAE) procedure.

For your information, five French institutions of higher education carry the name “Sorbon or Sorbonne” as they did it historically before:
Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (public)
Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle (public)
Paris IV Paris Sorbonne (public)
Paris V René Descartes (public)
ESRDS Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon® (private)

Our Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon® grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in many disciplines in Arts, Science, Business, Heath, Law, Humanities, Religion, etc… As of today, we were honored to have students from more than 157 countries from five continents.

In 2002 in France the VAE (Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience) was established (Art L-613-3 of the code of Education). It is a codified procedures that mandates French Universities to grant regular degrees on work/life experience.

In 2004, Our institution was the first one to offer the VAE (Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience) in French, English, Italian. 3 years later Spanish was added and in 2013 Russian students can do it in their own language. While it was “revolutionary” at that time, now most of the other French universities accept foreign languages.

In 2005, the Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon® was the first to grant a Ph.D. through the VAE procedure. One year later the University of Strasbourg II did it and it is now totally admitted while being controversial at the time. Once again we were the pionneer of the VAE.

In 2010, de Sorbon is a participant of the United Nations PRME program.

In 2012, Our institution was accepted as an institutional member of the US CAEL (Council for Adult Educational Learning)

In 2013, French public entities of the FPA (Formation Professionnelle des Adultes) funded de Sorbon VAE application and Jury fees (600€ In total) .While this funding is reserved only to French Legal residents, it shows the quality and recognition of our VAE.

In 2013, French Authorities granted the ® Registered Trade Mark “Marque de Service” to our institution.

In 2014 ICANN granted us the sorbon.education domain and we celebrate 10 Years of International VAE

Experientiia Docet
Au revoir et à bientôt !

PS: De Sorbon® is now mentioned in the prestigious Larousse Dictionary!

Get your Degree through Experience

  1. Fill the Application Form
  2. Pay the 50€ Application fee
  3. Send your documents
  4. Decision within 20 Days 
  5. If accepted Pay the 600€ Jury Fees
  6. Jury decision within 2 months
  7.  If granted, Diploma send electronically outside the EU/Europe, or given at our multiples formal Graduation Ceremonies.

Extra for UNESCO-European Union Diploma Supplement in English 50€

Les certificats, octroyés par nos jurys de VAE, sont ceux d’un établissement français d’enseignement supérieur privé, enregistré et habilité à les délivrer par l’article L713-14 de code de l’éducation. Appréciez la qualité d’un exemple de rapport de VAE d’un de nos membre de jury.