France Universities & admissions - Intakes & deadlines

France's September intake is the primary one, and windows vary by route and institution, for example DAP applications run 1 October to 15 December 2026 and Parcoursup from January to March. January is a secondary option with no national application window, mainly for business, management and technology tracks.

According to Campus France guidelines, September is the primary intake in France and covers over 90% of public university degrees. January is a smaller secondary option focused on specialised business, management and technology programmes, with fewer funding options than the main September cycle.

For the January intake, HEC Paris lists four rounds: Round 1 on August 16, Round 2 on September 20, Round 3 on October 18 and Round 4 on November 15, with further rounds continuing into December. Confirm your programme starts in January and check the official page for exact dates.

The Etudes en France portal application window for undergraduate year 1 (DAP; DAP Jaune covers architecture at all levels) runs from October 1 to December 15. Campus France typically reviews files in January and February, universities decide by April 30, and you accept by May 31. Deadlines vary by country.

For the September intake in France, submit your dossier on the Etudes en France portal from October to December. Your Campus France interview typically falls between January and March, then expect decisions and visa filing from April to July, though timing varies by country and cycle.

Yes, France, the USA, and the UAE each run 2 intake windows. France's main intake is September with a January option; the USA's main intake is Fall, in August or September; the UAE's main intake is September, with some programs also offering January entry.

September gives Mass Communication graduates the wider MSc Digital Marketing choice in France, more internship options and full cohort networking, while January suits only those needing extra months to build analytics skills like SQL, Python or Google Analytics before enrolling.

October is the intake to prioritise for a France master's, since it carries the large majority of programs through the Mon Master national process, while the March-April intake is mostly limited to private institutions and language preparation courses rather than full public master's degrees.