Application procedures vary depending on your nationality, level of studies or the type of higher education institution in which you wish to enrol.
Which procedure to follow?
The procedure to follow to apply for a degree or course in France depends on several factors:
- Nationality
- Country of residence
- The High School Diploma held by the candidate
- The level of study you want to enrol into
- The type of studies (Fine Arts and Architecture students can apply via CampusArt)
The different procedures are listed below:
Parcoursup
Parcoursup is the French platform dedicated to registrations for first year of the first cycle of higher education (ie for entry into first year of a Bachelor-level course)
This procedure applies to:
- French & European candidates: all French candidates, regardless of their secondary education degree (French Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, Australian equivalent of the Baccalaureate, etc.),
- Australian candidates who have obtained / are preparing for the French or European Baccalaureate. For example, in a lycée français à l'étranger (French High school abroad) placed under the supervision of the AEFE (Agence Française pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Etranger - Agency for French Education abroad),
- Australian candidates who are applying for a selective non-university undergraduate course (CPGE, BTS, Ecoles, etc.),
- Australian candidates who are applying for a selective undergraduate course at a French university (DUT, DEUST, D.U.),
Enrolments must be completed through the Parcoursup website. Applications for 2024 open on the 24th of January and close early April, and choices need to be sent by mid-March.
More information for these candidates about studying in France is available in the guide "Étudier en France baccalauréat"
A suite of instructional videos on how to use Parcoursup can be found here.
The Dossier Blanc procedure
The DAP (Demande d'Admission Préalable, also called a Dossier Blanc) applies to Australian candidates who are applying for entry into a non-selective undergraduate degree at a French university. To be eligible for the DAP procedure in Australia, you must have completed your secondary studies and obtained a High School Certificate in Australia.
Please note: applicants living in Australia are not affected by the EEF - Etudes en France (Studying in France) procedure.
To apply, please follow the process outlined on the page First Year French University Admissions Procedures.
Applications for the DAP procedure generally open around November of the previous calendar year and close in January. University offers are usually sent out by the end of April. Check the website of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation for the latest official dates.
Enrolment after first year of admission
Students having already begun their studies in Australia can study in France by either undertaking an exchange or study aboard program or by enrolling directly into a French university.
Exchange/Study Abroad
Most Australian universities have exchange agreements with partner institutions in France. To find out what options are available, contact the Student Mobility/Study Aboard department of your home university.
Enrolling mid-way through an academic program
Students may wish to transfer their studies to France by enrolling in a French institution after having completed a number of years of studies in Australia (including masters). In this case application and inscription can be done directly with the French university. It is important to ask the French institution to find out whether the courses you have already completed can be accedited and recognised by them. For more information on recognition of previous studies, check Higher Education Qualification Recognition.
Campus Art
Applications for courses in Art, Design, Fashion, Music and Architecture can be done via the CampusArt platform: http://www.campusart.org/
How can I learn to speak French, or prove my proficiency for study?
- Tests of and diplomas in French as a foreign language enable applicants for Licence and Master’s programs to demonstrate their level of French proficiency.
- Many language schools, branches of the Alliance Française, and cultural institutes in France and abroad provide rapid preparation for tests of French as a foreign language such as the TCF and TEF. Preparing for the DELF and DALF examinations requires more structure and greater planning but guarantees a good command of French. Plus the diplomas are valid for life!
- Students who prepare in France for a test of or diploma in French as a foreign language earn higher scores and have a greater likelihood of success because they have the benefit of cultural and linguistic immersion.
- Achieving a level B1 or B2 on the CEFR is desirable for postsecondarystudy in France.
A large number of schools and centers (some private, some nonprofit, some university-affiliated) offer courses in French as a foreign language and often other specialized courses, along with language-related tourism and travel, language testing, and preparation for language tests and diplomas. Such centers may
or may not be members of a network (Alliances Française, ADCUEFE, the FLE group, Catholic Institutes and institutes, Souffle, Unosel). They may or may not have earned national certification for quality in French as a foreign language (the “Qualité FLE” label). And they may or may not have partnerships with universities
in France and abroad.
More information about tests and degrees in French here.
