Master in France: features, areas of study and admission

Today we will talk about another popular trend in education abroad - master's in France . Why is this country so popular among foreign students? What features in the educational system are waiting for you? How to enroll in a French university? All this in our article. Recall that before we wrote about the magistracy in Germany , Holland and England .

The higher education system of France is distinguished by a wide variety of universities and courses offered. Master's degree usually lasts 2 years, unlike, for example, magistracy in England, which is designed for 12 months without a summer vacation. The master's program is divided into “scientific” and “professional”, as in many other universities in Europe.
')
Higher education in France is only available with a bachelor's degree.

Unlike Russian higher education, which allows graduates of Russian universities to have some freedom of choice of further employment, the French higher education system assumes an initial idea of ​​what the applicant or student will do in the future.

Almost 300,000 foreign students study in France. This country is one of the most popular for education abroad. France is also different in that in public universities the cost of education is the same for French and for foreign citizens. In addition, foreigners can enjoy all sorts of student benefits - scholarships and grants, accommodation in a hostel and social protection.

Master's studies in France are an excellent chance to improve your level of French.

Higher education institutions

High schools

High schools (Grandes Ecoles) - are one of the features of the French system of higher education. They are actually contrasted with the state system of higher university education in France and with great difficulty are amenable to comparative classification at the international level. Education in higher schools is considered in France to be much more prestigious than at universities (which bear a certain imprint of a second-rate system, since they do not involve any selection for admission and operate on the principle of free enrollment and free education).

Higher schools exist in parallel with universities and are very different from them:

• enrollment in higher education is only based on the results of entrance exams;
• Higher schools - small educational institutions, the annual enrollment may be about 30-50 people, the list of specialties for which you can get an education is lower in higher schools than at universities;
• they have very close ties with enterprises (some of them are essentially departmental universities);
• education in higher schools is paid.

Careful selection of candidates ensures a high level of professional training; graduates of these schools head large enterprises and are included in the management elite of France and other countries.

There are several types of higher schools: engineering, commercial, management schools, pedagogical, veterinary and so on.
In the top commercial schools and management schools Ecoles Superieures de Commerce or ESC for the master's level of education is accepted according to the results of the entrance examinations TAGE-MAGE (in French) or GMAT (in English).

In spite of the fact that the state finances some higher schools, the education in them is paid (with some exceptions). Tuition fees range from 500 to 20,000 euros per year and above.

Universities

There are about 85 state universities in France. Thanks to state support, education in France is very affordable (almost free).

The structure of French universities is similar to the structure of Russian universities: training is conducted in faculties called UFR (Unité de Formation et de Recherches), in almost any specialty:

• philology and languages
• exact sciences and technologies (physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science),
• economic and social sciences (economics, management, law),
• humanitarian and social sciences (history, sociology, art, etc.),
• sports and physical activities
• the medicine,
• theology and others

Some specializations can also be taught in specialized institutes opened at universities as faculties, for example:

• at the IAE (Instituts d'Administration des Entreprises),
• in IUT (Instituts universitaires de technologie),
• at IUP (Instituts Universitaires Professionnalisés) - training for industry and the service sector (training for two or three years),
• at IUFM (Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maitres) - only citizens of the European Union can enter these institutions.

For admission to French universities do not need to pass the entrance exams, although for admission to the specialty in a specialized institution at the university may be required.

Undoubtedly, the best universities in France, known throughout the world are Ecole Normale Supérieure and Ecole Polytechnique .

France is one of the world leaders in science and technological innovation, especially in such areas as aerospace, transport, electronics, telecommunications, chemistry, biotechnology, and health.

Technical science

In France, about 240 engineering schools offering master's programs, confirming the high competence in this field. The full duration of training for an engineering degree is 3 years. If a foreign student already has a higher engineering education, received at home, he can apply for admission to the 2nd course of study from three. To obtain a diploma of a French engineer, a foreign student must study at an engineering school for at least two years.

Business and Management

According to the 2014 Financial Times rating, 6 out of the top 20 graduate programs in management are offered by French business schools such as HEC , INSEAD , EDHEC and EMLYON . All of them are aimed at applying the most advanced management practices in a changing world. Many offer internships in international companies.

Admission to the magistracy in France

The main requirement, as elsewhere in Europe, is a diploma of the first higher education. However, each university is free to set additional admission rules. In many public universities, the competition for one or another Master's program can be very high. In such cases, rarely where it costs without an invitation to interview.

One of the mandatory requirements for entering French universities in French-speaking programs is a good knowledge of French. To do this, you must pass tests , for example, DELF or DALF .

The minimum required level at the time of submission of documents to the university is B2 according to the Common European Framework for Foreign Language Proficiency ( Common European Framework of Reference ) system.

Some French universities may accept candidates with a level of French lower than B2. In any case, information about the requirements for knowledge of the French language should be clarified on the websites of the universities you have chosen.

Basic education in French is sufficient for studying in the master’s degree programs in English. However, you must confirm the level of knowledge of the English language (in case it is not native to you) by passing the TOEFL or IELTS test .

Continuing education in France

To continue your education in France, you do not need to go through a third-party procedure for confirming your diploma received in Russia: you must provide your chosen French university with a notarized translation of your diplomas or statements about your progress (if you have not received a diploma yet).

On the basis of the documents submitted, the university decides for itself what level of French education corresponds to the education you received in Russia, i.e. what level of education in France you can claim.

We hope that the article was interesting and useful. Next time we will continue the topic of education in France - we will tell you about the cost of education, grants and scholarships, accommodation and employment.

The author of the article is Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult