If you’ve stumbled upon this article chances are that you either are looking to get your master’s in France’s top education, want to learn more about the French education system, or just accidentally stumbled upon it and now you’re intrigued to keep reading. Whatever the reason is, by the end of this article you’re sure to learn more about what exactly it takes to get a Master’s in France, duration, cost, and how you can get one.
What Exactly Is a Master’s Degree in France?
In France, a master’s is both a degree and a grade. It’s the last university grade to be established and it’s studied between the License (Bachelor’s) and PhD. The Master’s level was added to establish a common framework across Europe universities: LMD – License, Master’s, Doctorate. A Master’s degree in France typically lasts from 2 to 6 years depending on your chosen university’s curriculum and level of difficulty.
How Can You Get a Master’s Degree in France?
The Master’s degree is granted by your chosen French University after completing Diplôme National de Master (DNM), or a similar graduate-level course, usually granted after five years’ worth of studying after the license (bachelor’s). Higher education institutions, for example specialized schools of arts, architecture and business, are entitled to give the grade of Master’s for some of their degrees, for programs lasting from 2 to 6 years.
In conclusion, you cannot get a master’s degree unless you meet the minimum study requirements agreed in the Bologna Declaration for a Master’s.
Types of Master’s Degree in France
In France, there are standard Master’s degrees like everywhere else in the world, and there are also Master’s degrees created specifically from and for a university. For example arts, business, engineering etc. There are 4 types of Master’s in France and all of them of course have their own subject and duration.
1. Mastère Spécialisé (MS)
This degree was created in 1985 for graduate courses, completed four to five years after A-levels. To get this degree, Mastère Spécialisé courses are evaluated based on professional needs, hourly course content and length (at least two semesters), completing an internship and finally presenting a thesis.
2. Mastère en Science (MSc)
This degree is granted to courses mostly carried out in English, during a minimum of 3 semesters, and ending with a research dissertation. These labels are granted for each course for a length of 1, 3 or 6 years. The studies are structured with this duration so that a Master program lasts long enough for the student to gather a total of 300 ECTS credits.
3. Master of Art (MA)
The degree of Master of Arts comes from the University of Paris designed to produce “masters” who were graduate teachers to their subjects. It contrasts with Master of Science because those with a Master of Arts have studied subjects in the scope of arts and humanities. It is often taught in English and requires a research dissertation.
4. Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The main courses in an MBA program cover different areas of business administration such as accounting, applied statistics, human resources, business communication, business ethics, business law etc. This degree is mainly for experienced professionals, but also offered by some schools to students 4 or 5 years after A-levels.
How Much Does a Master’s Degree Cost?
The French government subsidizes the universities so the cost of tuition fee is a lot cheaper than it would cost in other places in Europe or even America. It costs €3,770 per year for Master’s programmes. This tuition fee cost differs depending on the university. The other factor that weighs in on how much you’ll be paying for your Master’s program is whether the university is public or private. Private institutions tend to be more expensive than the public ones since they’re not subsidized by the French government.
Usually the fee for private institutions is the same fee as the one in public institutions for Non-EU students. This is the other factor that makes a difference in the tuition prices.
- If you are a part of EU/EEA: For your Master’s program you will only be required to pay approximately €243.
- If you are a Non-EU/EEA student: For your Master’s program you will be required to pay approximately €3,770.
For example in the university Paris-Saclay a Master’s degree costs €3,700 for non EU students whereas for EU students it’s €1000. You can also study with the Erasmus Mundus program which costs €3,400 for students in an Erasmus+ participating country.
Can I Get my Master’s Degree on a Scholarship?
Yes, the French government announced that they would increase the number of scholarships from which plenty of International students can benefit from, especially in universities with higher tuition fees. CampusBourses is a website in which you can find your appropriate scholarship program and apply to.
Can I Get my Master’s Degree in English?
Fortunately, there are plenty of universities offering English-taught Master’s programs, but you will, of course, still be required to learn French during your studies. Here are some amazing French universities where you can get your Master’s degree in English.
1. Université Paris-Saclay
Known for being one of the best science universities in France, Paris-Saclay offers English-taught Master’s programs in many subjects from Chemistry to Economics and Sports Science.
2. University of Bordeaux
Specializing in business, this university offers English-taught courses in business, medicine, computer science etc.
3. Aix-Marseille Université
Aix-Marseille is a public research university that specializes in many programs 7 of which are entirely taught in English. Management fundamental, International business, Research Master 2 in Management and a lot more are all taught in English. Some of them are in both English and French.
4. ESSCA – School of Management
ESSCA School of Management is a French grande école and business school. Their grande ecole program offers high school leavers a 5 year journey to prepare them for the business world.
5. Global Sport Business Master
With 6 campuses all over France and one in England, this renowned university offers you a 2 year long process to get your Master’s in business, turn you into a professional and later on help you find a career.
6. Audencia Business School
Audencia Business School is a top grande école and business school in France and Europe, and is one of the only 1% of business schools in the world that is triple accredited. With their English and French-taught Master’s program, you’ll develop multiple areas of expertise that will help you start off and excel in your future business career.
7. Pantheon-Sorbonne University
Pantheon-Sorbonne University is a social sciences and humanities public research university in Paris. With their 2 year financial economic track program taught in English you will get a deeper understanding of economics and the tools applied in the field of financial economics.
8. Toulouse Business School
Toulouse Business School is also a university holding triple accreditation and one of the most prestigious business schools in Europe. They offer a 2 year Master’s degree program in which you will be able to enhance your skills while benefiting for your future career goals.
9. KEDGE Business School
KEDGE Business School is also a Triple Accredited French business school and Grande École. With its 6 campuses in France and internationally, you will be able to get a Master’s degree in Arts and Creative Industries in Management in English. This university offers a lot of different master’s degrees in English that you can learn more about on the university website.
10. Université Côte d’Azur
Get your Master’s degree in Data Sciences – the most strategic field of the digital economy and learn all the fundamental methods in English with a duration of 2 years. This university also offers Master’s degrees in other courses such as Environmental Hazards and Risk Managements, Science, Engineering etc.