• Université Paris I Panthéon - Sorbonne, 1971
  

The university is located in the heart of the Latin quarter and occupies part of the Sorbonne and other prestigious French university buildings. It aims to be a major pole of research and learning in Europe in the 21st century. In 2011, it was ranked among the Top 100 Universities by Reputation in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

It is registered as University of Paris 1 Pantheon - Sorbonne (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in French) at the Rectorate of Paris. Historically, it was part of the University of Paris, which was subsequently split into several universities. The 1968 cultural revolution, commonly known as the French May, resulted in the division of the world's second oldest academic institution, the University of Paris, into thirteen autonomous universities.

After the ideological, cultural and social fever which took hold of France in May and June 1968, a new university scene emerged; the law of November 12, 1968 instituted autonomous, pluridisciplinary universities.

The University Paris 1 was founded on the basis of a profound wish for change to produce an original academic project bringing together the humanities, law and economics. Instead of having separate faculties of laws, economics or humanities, the university was divided into much more specialized UFRs. For instance the UFR of international law has the same relationship with the UFR of geology as with the UFR or commercial law. This was a revolutionary change, as those subjects had previously been taught in highly distinct and hierarchical faculties. To the traditional degree courses in France in history, geography, philosophy, art history, archaeology, economics, law and political science, new disciplines were gradually added, including the visual arts, mathematics applied to social sciences, business management, tourism, culture and communications.

The name of the university embodies this triple tradition: the Sorbonne is the traditional seat of the Humanities studies in Paris (hence it is also used by Paris III and University Paris - Sorbonne), and the Place du Panthéon Building is the seat of the Law studies (hence it is also used by Paris II Pantheon - Assas). Economics Studies had no traditional seat, as they were taught by law faculties.

The University of Paris I share with the others inheritors some of the most prestigious university buildings in France. Since the sixties, the university has expanded at an unprecedented rate and has built on or acquired nearly twenty new sites in the capital and immediate suburbs.

• Sorbonne : Paris I occupies part of the historical seat of Paris University, rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. It houses also the University of Paris III, University Paris - Sorbonne and Paris Descartes University, and the Chancellerie des Universités. The splendidly decorated great lecture hall is the scene of lectures and traditional university ceremonies and is also the venue of important international conferences. The Senate and Vice Chancellor’s Office are located in the former Paris Faculty of Law building which dates back to the end of the 18th century.
  • Albert Châtelet Center: commonly called Calvin, it is a secondary building of the Sorbonne.
  • Rue d'Ulm Center: like Calvin, a secondary building of the Sorbonne.
• Place du Panthéon Building (commonly called Panthéon, not to be confused with the actual Panthéon: Paris I) occupies part of the historical seat of the Law Faculty of the University of Paris. It is shared with Paris II Pantheon - Assas.
• Institute of Geography: located in the Rue Saint - Jacques, it houses one of the oldest and richest collections of maps in France.
• Institute of Philosophy of Sciences and Techniques (IHPST): located in the Rue du Four.
• Mahler Center: located in the IVe arrondissement, it houses an historical and legal studies institute.
• Saint - Charles Center: located in the XVe arrondissement. Founded in 1973, it houses the Art School and the School of Cinema.
• Pierre Mendès - France Center: commonly called Tolbiac, it is located in the XIIIe arrondissement. Founded in 1973, it is the main center of the University. Freshmen and Sophomores in Humanities are educated at Tolbiac.
  • Tolbiac Center: a secondary building of the Mendès - France Center (which confusingly is also called Tolbiac).

• René Cassin Center: located in the XIII arrondissement. Founded in 1990, it houses the main part of Law School.
• Economical Studies Building: located in the XIIIe arrondissement. It houses the Economics Graduate School.
• Broca Center: Located in the Ve arrondissement. It houses the Business School.
• International Building: located in the Boulevard Arago, commonly called Arago. It houses the International Relations Institute.
• Michelet Center: an exotic Mesopotamian style building in the 5th arrondissement, it houses the Art History and Archaeology School.
• Fontenay Center: located in the suburban town of Fontenay - les - Roses, in the old buildings of the École normale supérieure. It houses the School of Work Social Sciences.
  • Sceaux Center: in the suburdian town of Sceaux, it is a secondary building of the Fontenay Center.
  • Bourg - la - Reine Center : located in Bourg - la - Reine, it is a secondary building of the Fontenay Center.
  • Nogent Center: located in Nogent - sur - Marne, it is a secondary building of the Fontenay Center.

The University Paris 1 is the second biggest university in France where the humanities and social sciences can be studied, the first one Paris - Sorbonne University inherited the Arts and Humanity department after 1971 and Paris Descartes University the Medicine and Social Sciences department. .

There are three main families of subjects:

• Economics and management, taught in the three departments of Economics, Business Management, Mathematics and Computer Science, plus the Sorbonne Graduate Business School (IAE PARIS).
• Humanities, taught in the departments of History, Geography, Philosophy, Art History and Archaeology, the Arts.
• Law and Political Science, taught in the departments of Administrative and Public Sector Law, Business Law, International and European Studies, Political Science and Economics, Labor and Social Law.

All legal studies merged into Sorbonne Law School in 2009.

In addition, there are a number of institutes:

• the Institute for the Study of Economic and Social Development (IEDES),
• the Paris Demography Institute (IDUP),
• the Institute for Research and Advanced Studies in Tourism (IREST),
• the Institute of Labor Studies (ISST) and
• the Institute of Philosophy of Sciences and Techniques (IHPST).

The following sampling of statistics demonstrate the importance of research at Paris 1:

The eleven hundred members of faculty, 200 researchers who are attached to major research institutions, mainly the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), and 150 technical and administrative staff are grouped in 68 research groups recognized by the CNRS and the Ministry of Education and Research.

Every year around 400 PhD theses are defended and 1,700 pre-PhD post - graduate degrees are awarded in 74 subjects divided between 15 graduate schools.

The scope of research is vast, as can be seen by the number and variety of high quality conferences and colloquia organized by the different research centers. The themes provide a meeting point between science and culture and cover different aspects of the relationships between the individual and society.

Research programs exist in economics, management and applied mathematics; in law and politics; in philosophy and the arts; in history, art history and archaeology; in geography, demography and sociology, to name but some.

The University Paris 1 share with Paris - Sorbonne University the responsibility for one of the largest documentary resource centers in France, the Sorbonne library.

The Sorbonne library has a collection of almost three million books, 100,000 of which are more than 200 years old, and 17,500 periodicals covering all the humanities. The library and map collection of the Geography Institute are the oldest such collection in France.

In addition, the 400,000 volumes in the specialist libraries offer users one of the largest collections in France and in Europe.

The Cujas Library, co-administered with Paris II Pantheon - Assas, with its computerized documentation service, provides access to over 500 data banks and is the largest law and economics library in France.

The new Economics Building houses another resource center, and the library at the Centre Pierre Mendès - France offers students free access to its large collection.

The University Paris 1 has signed over 150 conventions with foreign universities across five continents. These exchanges revolve around international networks such as Europaeum which bring together some of Europe's best universities in Oxford, London, Bologna, Bonn, Geneva, Helsinki, Leiden and Prague. The University of Paris 1 also heads a number of consortia which bring together French universities and professional organizations. The consortia are responsible for major international projects in Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Istanbul (Galatasaray), and Moscow.

Six thousand international students, mainly from Europe, come to study as part of the SOCRATES or TEMPUS programs. African students are joined by increasing numbers from Asia and America, and take part in specific programs organized in conjunction with universities across the world.

Staff mobility is another priority and every year some 130 academics from foreign universities come to teach and do research at the University of Paris 1.

Finally, international research at the University of Paris 1 is paramount. Many researchers and members of faculty take part in major international research programs abroad; the University also hosts many annual international conferences.

Alternatively, students can apply for admission into one of the school's dual degree or double degree programs designed in conjunction with partner universities in France and abroad. Double degree programs confer two degrees to students, whereas dual degrees confer only a degree from the host university.

• With universities in France:
  • Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA):
    • One - year Master's degree in European Governance and Administration, conferring a Master européen de gouvernance et d'administration (MEGA) from Paris 1 and a Master of European Governance and Administration from the University of Potsdam.
  • HEC Paris:
    • Two - year double degree in Business and Law, conferring both an M.Sc. Management (HEC) and a Master 2 en Droit des affaires et fiscalité (Paris 1).
    • One - year dual degree in Corporate and Tax Strategy, conferring a Master 2 en Droit des affaires et fiscalité (Corporate Taxation Law) from Paris 1.
  • Paris Dauphine University:
    • International MBA Program in conjunction with a consortium of other business schools.
  • Sciences Po Paris:
    • One - year dual degree in Global Business Law, conferring a Master 2 in International Business Law (Paris 1).
    • One - year dual degree in International Organizations, conferring a Master 2 in the Law of International Organizations from Paris 1.
    • Three - year double degree in Applied Mathematics and Social Sciences, conferring a Licence en Mathématiques Appliquées et Sciences Sociales (MASS) from Paris 1 and a Bachelor's degree from the Collège universitaire at Sciences Po.

• With foreign universities:
  • Cornell Law School:
    • Four - year double degree in French and American Laws, conferring both a Juris Doctor (Cornell) and Maitrise en Droit (Paris 1).
  • Columbia Law School:
    • One - year dual degree in International Economic Governance, conferring a Master 2 en Droit international économique (Paris 1) and a Certificate in Global Business Law and Governance (Columbia).
    • Four - year double degree in French and American Laws, conferring both a Juris Doctor (Columbia) and Maitrise en Droit (Paris 1).
  • King's College London:
    • Four - year double degree in French and British Laws, conferring both an LL.B. (King's) and Maitrise en Droit (Paris 1)
  • University of Cologne:
    • Four - year double degree in French and German Laws, conferring both an LL.M. (Cologne) and Maitrise en Droit (Paris 1)
  • Complutense University:
    • Four - year double degree in French and Spanish Laws, conferring both the Licenciatura en Derecho (Complutenese) and Maitrise en Droit (Paris 1)
  • University of Florence:
    • Five - year double degree in French and Italian Laws, conferring both the Laurea in Giurisprudenza (Florence) and Maitrise en Droit (Paris 1).
    
    

In the global 2011 QS World University Rankings, the University is ranked 213th overall, ranking 34th for Arts and Humanities and 42nd for Social Sciences. A human competitiveness index & analysis by the Human Resources & Labor Review, and published in Chasecareer Network, ranked the University of Paris system 33rd internationally in 2010. In the Times Higher Education Ranking 2010 Pantheon - Sorbonne University was rated 32nd for Arts and Humanities and 37th for Social Science. Moreover, in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2011 Pantheon - Sorbonne was rated 37th for "Politics and international studies" (2nd in France), 41st for "History" (1st in France), 47th for "Philosophy" (2nd in France) and it was ranked among the Top 100 Universities for "Modern Languages", "Accounting and Finance" and "Economics".