Ph_B (X) Apr 6, 2019:

Katsy is right about promotion of course (Admission simultanée de candidats dans une grande école, TLFi), but I was referring to promotion de sortie, which can hardly mean the year they started. It is not usual but you do see it: http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Nous-connaitre/Decouvrir-le-minis... Re: promotion initiale There's a chance it could mean the very first promotion from that school(?), but more info needed to confirm this.

katsy Apr 6, 2019:

My own experience is that "promotion 19xx" refers to the year of entry into a "grande école". My friend XYZ is from the "Promotion 1970". For the ENA, the name of the year refers to the year of entry (Promotion Voltaire - 1978 -the year F. Hollande and S. Royale started their studies there). A slight difference of interpretation , therefore, from Ph_B. But I do agree with his idea of "entrance year/graduation year".

Nina Iordache (asker) Apr 5, 2019:

Thanks to all! Should I rather use Initial Training Program?
It refers to more years as opposed to Promotion de sortie (I have no clue about this one, unfortunately).

Stephanie Benoist Apr 5, 2019:

initial cursus?

Ph_B (X) Apr 5, 2019:

promotion de sortie is used by some academic institutions to refer to the year in which students complete their studies and leave (sortent de) the institution. It is usually associated with competitive examinations, but not necessarily so. Prestigious so-called "grandes écoles" like ENA, École de la magistrature, etc. will use that term. Promotion initiale is sometimes used for the year in which they started their studies, but less frequently than promotion de sortie. "Entrance Year/Graduation Year?" Hard to tell without more info about the type of studies.

Daryo Apr 5, 2019:

this looks more like "a context" ... http://www.ifsi-ussel.portfolio-infirmier.fr/sites/ifsi-usse...