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Universities
There are around 700 English-taught master’s courses in France, which are provided by 83 public universities, 250 grandes ecoles (elite schools) and numerous private universities and art schools. Some universities and specialised institutions are organised into research clusters called PRES. These clusters pool their resources and research to compete internationally.
The typical master’s degree at a French university combines two individual diplomas and takes two years of full-time study to complete. The first year of the Master is commonly known as "Master 1" (M1), whereas the second year is called a "Master 2" (M2) and more specialised. In particular, in their M2, students who want to begin their careers directly after graduation often elect a Master Professionnel (professional master), and students who intend to go on to earn a doctorate normally choose a Master Recherche(research master).
Within the grandes ecoles system, a Master’s degree generally takes five years to complete. Typically, students spend two years at “preparatoires aux grandes ecoles” (preparatory schools) then complete a competitive entrance exam to get into grandes ecoles, where they complete three more years of increasingly specialised study. Graduates from these schools are awarded Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Many grandes ecoles now offer alternative admission procedures that allow international students to apply at different stages of their academic careers without attending preparatory schools. However, they are still extremely selective and hence not a popular option for international students.
Each year more than 278,000 international students choose France for their higher education.
The quality of the French HE system is widely recognized internationally. The Financial Times ranked 6 French schools among the world’s top 20 Master’s programmes in Management (2014): HEC Paris (2), Essec Business School (3), ESCPC Europe (7), Grenoble Graduate School of Business (15), Edhec Business School (16), EMLyon Business School (20). Moreover, according to WHO, France has the best healthcare system, and international students can access this at an affordable cost.
Studying an English-taught Master’s in France is also a good opportunity to learn or improve your French.
Accreditation & Recognition
The Ministry of National Education gives Master’s degree accreditation to all public universities, while the accreditation authority for private schools are Commission d'evaluation des formations et diplomes de gestion (for business schools) and Commission des Titres d'Ingenieur (for engineering schools).
The Conference des Grandes ecoles issues accreditations for grandes ecoles.
No predetermined set of equivalences between French and foreign degrees is officially recognized in France.
However, French institutions of higher education now employ the European Credit Transfer System, which enables students to easily progress to other institutions within the EU and around the world.
Universities in France
Sciences Po
City: ParisJean Moulin University Lyon 3
City: LyonKEDGE Business School, Bordeaux
City: BordeuxParis College of Art
City: ParisESCP Europe Paris
City: ParisUniversity of Poitiers
City: PoitiersUniversity of Le Havre
City: Le HavreInstitut Mines-Telecom, Mines Saint-Etienne
City: Saint-EtienneESC Rennes School of Business
City: RennesNormandy Business School, Deauville
City: DeauvilleInstitut Mines-Telecom, Telecom ParisTech
City: ParisAmerican University of Paris
City: ParisMontpellier Business School
City: MontpellierEDHEC Business School, Lille
City: LilleIESEG School of Management, Lille
City: LilleLumiere University Lyon 2
City: LyonInstitut Mines-Telecom, Telecom Bretagne
City: BretagneParis Descartes University
City: ParisESIEE Paris
City: ParisInstitut Mines-Telecom, Mines Albi
City: AlbiAudencia School of Management
City: NantesESIGELEC
City: Saint-Etienne-du-RouvrayINSA Rennes
City: RennesTelecom Ecole de Management
City: EvryISC Paris
City: ParisAmerican Graduate School in Paris
City: ParisENAC
City: ToulouseINP Toulouse
City: ToulouseLille University of Science and Technology
City: LilleLyon Catholic University
City: LyonNormandy Business School, Caen
City: CaenParis School of Business
City: ParisESSEC Business School
City: ParisUniversity of Pau and Pays de l'Adour, Bayonne
City: BayonneEcole centrale de Nantes
City: NantesGrenoble Institute of Technology
City: GrenobleEM Strasbourg Business School
City: StrasbourgECAM Lyon
City: Rhone-alpsENSG Geomatique
City: Ile-de-FranceISEP
City: ParisArts et Metiers ParisTech
City: ParisINSA Toulouse
City: ToulouseSkema Business School, Lille
City: LilleKEDGE Business School, Marseille
City: MarseilleEISTI
City: Cergy PontoisePierre and Marie Curie University
City: ParisESTP Paris
City: ParisInstitut Mines-Telecom, Mines Nantes
City: NantesJoseph Fourier University
City: GrenobleSkema Business School, Suzhou
City: SuzhouENSAIT
City: RoubaixESIEA
City: Ivry-sur-SeineNormandy Business School, Paris
City: ParisECE Paris
City: ParisEcole centrale Paris
City: ParisISAE-SUPAER
City: ToulouseEDHEC Business School, Nice
City: NiceNEOMA Business School
City: Mont-Saint-AignanINSEEC Business School, Chambery
City: ChamberySkema Business School
City: ParisGrenoble Ecole de Management, Paris
City: ParisUniversity of Nantes
City: NantesPierre Mendes-France University
City: GrenobleCergy-Pontoise University
City: VersaillesIFP School
City: Rueil-MalmaisonClaude Bernard University Lyon 1
City: LyonInstitut Mines-Telecom, Eurocom
City: BiotPantheon-Assas University
City: ParisINSEEC Business School, Bordeaux
City: BordeauxPantheon-Sorbonne University Paris 1
City: ParisEcole Polytechnique
City: ParisToulouse Business School
City: ToulouseUniversity of Nice Sophia Antipolis
City: NiceUniversity of Orleans
City: OrleansISAE-ENSMA
City: Chasseneuil-du-PoitouToulouse Business School, Paris
City: ParisHEC Paris
City: ParisSkema Business School, Sophia-Antipolis
City: Sophia AntipolisBurgundy School of Business
City: DijonUniversity of Paris-Sud
City: VersaillesEMLYON Business School
City: LyonENS de Lyon
City: LyonUniversity of Bordeaux
City: BordeauxParis 12 Val de Marne University
City: ParisEPF Graduate School of Engineering
City: ParisUniversity of Reims
City: ReimsUniversity of Nimes
City: NimesUniversity of Pau and Pays de l'Adour
City: PauBlaise Pascal University
City: Clermont-FerrandUniversity of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
City: ParisIESEG School of Management
City: ParisLa Rochelle Business School
City: La RochelleUniversity of Burgundy
City: DijonEFREI
City: VillejuifINSEEC Business School, Lyon
City: LyonENSEIRB-MATMECA
City: BordeuxParis 13 University
City: ParisESCE - Paris
City: ParisUniversity of Reims Champagne-Ardenne
City: ReimsNormandy Business School
City: Le HavreSkema Business School, Raleigh
City: RaleighUniversity of Auvergne
City: Clermont-FerrandGrenoble Ecole de Management
City: GrenobleINSEEC Business School, Paris
City: ParisICN Business School
City: NancyEcole Centrale de Lille
City: LilleESIGETEL
City: Villejuif
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“ There is a good range of voices and places represented on the course. ”
Willem de Kooning Academy