France Universities & admissions Questions

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.

To apply to a French university, register on the Etudes en France portal, complete your dossier, choose programmes, pay the Campus France fee and attend the interview where applicable. Then confirm your university offer on the portal and apply for the long-stay visa using your Campus France acceptance certificate.

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.

The Master in Management at HEC Paris has an approximate annual tuition fee of EUR 29,450. Fees can differ from year to year and depend on the course, intake and student status, so confirm the current figure on the school's official page before you budget or apply.

The ESSEC Business School Master in Management lists a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 and a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 95. Applicants with at least three years of full-time post-secondary education in English may be exempt from the English test if they provide evidence.