The verdict in three sentences
In Saint-Louis, a badly formatted thesis or a makeshift CV costs more than the course that prevents those mistakes. Level 2 Practical of the Kolonell Academy Office track, Professional Word at 50,000 FCFA for 10 hours, covers exactly what UGB, internships and recruiters expect: styles, automatic table of contents, page numbering, tables and PDF export. If you have a thesis, several internship reports or office job applications ahead, the course pays for itself with the first document you no longer pay someone else to format.
Why Word still matters for a student or young graduate in Saint-Louis
Gaston Berger University hosts several thousand students who produce bachelor's and master's theses, internship reports and application files every year. Juries and recruiters judge the form first: consistent margins, clear heading hierarchy, correct page numbers, a table of contents that matches the real pages. A clean document does not replace substance, but a messy one makes readers doubt its author before they read a line.
Many students hand this formatting to a cybercafe or a typing shop in Sor or on the island. The result depends on the person, last-minute corrections are billed again, and the student still cannot edit their own file. Learning Word once removes that dependency.
| Option in Saint-Louis | Price, 2026 order of magnitude | Duration | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Professional Word course | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) | 10 h online | Styles, table of contents, templates, CV, report, verifiable certificate |
| Local training centre | 60,000 to 90,000 FCFA | 2 to 4 weeks | General basics, group pace, fixed hours |
| Thesis typing and formatting | 15,000 to 40,000 FCFA per document | Variable | One document delivered, no skill acquired |
| Free YouTube videos | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Unstructured | Isolated tips, no corrected exercises or certificate |
| Full Office track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | About 90 h | From first computer use to executive assistant |
What you actually learn in 10 hours
The Professional Word course for CVs, reports and theses (taught in French) is level 2 Practical of the Office and productivity track. It assumes you can already start a computer, save a file and send an email. If not, start with level 1 at 25,000 FCFA.
| Module | Skill | Concrete use in Saint-Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Solid basics | Paragraphs, indents, tabs, line spacing | Meeting UGB thesis presentation standards |
| Styles and templates | Consistent, reusable Heading 1, 2, 3 | Changing the font of the whole document in one click |
| Table of contents and numbering | Automatic TOC, section breaks | Front matter in Roman numerals, body in Arabic numerals |
| Images and tables | Captions, clean tables, image anchoring | Internship reports with readable charts |
| CVs and letters | One-page CV layout, cover letter | Applying to office jobs in Saint-Louis and Dakar |
| Export and sharing | Clean PDF, track changes, comments | Sending to your supervisor without breaking the layout |
The course is online, used on a computer, with corrected exercises. You progress at your own pace, which matters when you juggle lectures, an internship and side jobs.
Mini case study
Aïssatou, 23, a master's student at UGB, must submit her thesis and two internship reports this year. Without training, she budgets 35,000 FCFA for the thesis layout and 15,000 FCFA per report, so 65,000 FCFA, not counting paid revisions. With the course at 50,000 FCFA, she saves about 15,000 FCFA in the first year and keeps a skill she will use for every application.
She can also earn a little from it: formatting classmates' theses at 15,000 FCFA each. With 4 theses during defence season, she makes about 60,000 FCFA, a 2026 order of magnitude, which covers the course price within a few weeks. That income obviously depends on demand and on the quality of her work.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
FAQ
Do I need a paid Microsoft Word licence to follow the course?
No, any recent version of Word works, including the one some institutions provide through a student account. The methods taught (styles, TOC, sections) also work in Word for the web, free with a Microsoft account. Just plan for a computer: the 10-hour course is not designed for a phone.
How long does it take to finish?
The content represents 10 hours of guided work. At 1 hour a day, you finish in about two weeks, which leaves time to apply the methods to your current thesis.
Is the certificate recognised by employers?
It is a Kolonell Academy certificate verifiable online, not a state diploma. It proves you completed the exercises and can be added to a CV or LinkedIn profile. What recruiters will notice most is the quality of the CV you produced yourself.
Should I take the whole Office track?
If you are aiming for an assistant or administrative job, yes: the 5 levels cost 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000, a 100,000 FCFA saving. If your only goal is the thesis, level 2 at 50,000 FCFA is enough.
How do I pay from Saint-Louis?
Enrollment is paid with Wave or Orange Money, no bank card needed. Course access opens as soon as payment is confirmed.
Take the next step. Enroll in Professional Word: CVs, reports and documents that inspire confidence: 10 h online, 50,000 FCFA, verifiable certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
