Reasons We Applied for Master’s Degrees in France
Since meeting each other in 2014, Maria and I have been making plans to live and work in France together. Fortunately, we have already achieved this goal by participating in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). After a wonderful experience, we wanted to try our hand at continuing the dream once the program was over. Keep reading to learn about our motivations for applying to master’s programs in France.
General Motivations
During our undergraduate studies, Maria and I both studied International Affairs and French. These majors gave us a very open-ended, versatile degree with many possible career trajectories. Maria’s career goals have to do with international relations and law while mine are more focused on international business. Either way, we knew that we were going to need some more schooling to pursue those goals! For us, France is the perfect place to do it.
Cost
A huge reason that applying to a master’s degree in France was a great decision for us is the cost of education. When Maria and I began hatching this plan, the cost of education in France was shockingly low, even for foreign students. For a master’s degree, we were set to pay 243 € per year! However, in November 2018, just before we had finished undergrad, the French government put in place a new pricing structure for foreigners, hiking the price up to 3,770 € per year – over 15 times the previous cost. Some universities haven’t adopted the price increase quite yet, so we might still have the opportunity to pay the lower cost for our degrees. In any case, compared to the USA, France’s cost of education is much more affordable and gives us more bang for our buck.
French Instruction
As you know, if there’s one thing Maria and I are passionate about, it’s French! We knew that we wanted to live and work in France permanently, and understood that our best shot to do so is by getting a French degree. Knowing all about law or business is one thing, but being able to work professionally in these domains in France means that we need to have extensive vocabulary, exemplary writing, and coherent speaking skills. Continuing our education in a French-immersion setting isn’t just a means to an end, however. We are eager to learn more about our fields from native French speakers in an environment that will allow us to use and improve our French ability.
Work Opportunities
As foreign students in France, our student visas will allow us to work up to 964 hours per visa year. Additionally, internships that may be required by our academic programs will not count towards the 964 hours allotted to us. Maria and I liked this system because we saw it as a good way for us to get legal work experience in France while supporting ourselves during our studies.
That’s not all, though! France has even more in store for us once we’ve graduated. After obtaining our master’s degrees, we will become eligible for the job seeker/new business creator residence permit. With this residence permit, we will be able to stay in France for 12 months in order to either search for our first job in relation to our studies or get a business up and running in our fields. Additionally, if we decide to go the job-seeker route, upon finding our first, eligible post-studies job, we will be able to change our status from job seeker to worker/employee, giving us even more time to work and live in France.
Another cool thing about this residence permit is that we don’t have to immediately apply for it after our master’s – if we were to leave France following our studies, thereby letting our student residence permits expire, we would have a maximum of four years after the completion of our degrees to apply for it from our home country. This feature of the job-seeker residence permit gives foreign students more flexibility in when and where they choose to pursue a career. After considering these factors, Maria and I thought that the working opportunities afforded to students and graduates in France were an asset.
Stick around! As we continue on our journey to study and live in France long-term, we will be creating detailed content that will spell out every step that we take for those who want to do the same! Follow us here on the blog, on Instagram, on Twitter, and on YouTube so you never miss out! If you have any questions or want to know more, leave us a comment.
11 Comments
Kristin
Wow, félicitations ! That sounds wonderful, and I’m really glad you were able to find a way to stay. I’ve really enjoyed all your advice. Where will you be studying?
Jalen & Maria
Thanks for reading! We will be attending l’Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne.
Naomi
Hello,
I am an American who will be obtaining my masters in France in September as well. We only have 1 year after we graduate to find a job or set up a business, not four to my research. Where did you get that information from? Is it because your school is public that you get 4 years ? I am going to a private businessschool.
Jalen & Maria
Hi, Naomi. As an American, after completing an eligible master’s level degree in France, you qualify for the “Job seeker/New business creator” residence permit. This allows you to stay in France for a year to find a job or create a business in your field. You can apply for this residence permit immediately following completion of your studies and before your student residence permit expires, or, if you let your student residence permit expire and leave France after your studies, you have a maximum of four years after obtaining your diploma to apply for this particular visa from your home country. Check out more details here on Campus France’s website: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/carte-sejour-recherche-emploi-creation-entreprise. Thanks for reading!
Suzanne
Hi Jalen and Maria! I’m also a TAPIF alum applying for a masters program in France for this fall 🙂 I’m currently waiting for my student visa to come through (may be having problems with it – they don’t really tell us anything 😫) and would love to compare experiences, especially with the covid situation. Am curious to hear how it’s going for you guys (email me!) 😄
Jalen & Maria
Hi, Suzanne. It seems to us that most, if not all, foreign students needing a visa to come study in France this year are still waiting on it, like us, and some are even still trying to get appointments! Good luck with the remainder of the process and getting to France. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter so you can message us with any other questions. Thanks for reading!
Enadeghe Matilda
Am studying linguistics, my course deals with both french, German and phonetics, I want to apply for my masters in France immediately I graduate, I am a lover of French,I hope I get in.Am a Nigerian.
Brannon Zaner
Hi Jalen and Maria,
I am an American student graduating with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in May. I want to live and work in France and I have an opportunity to be an apprentice with a company in Grenoble, France and obtain my MS at the same time. However, I also have a full-time ME job I could take in the US. If I don’t obtain an MS degree in France will this make it harder for me to get a full time job in France in the future?
Jalen & Maria
Hi, Brannon. It’s hard to predict how difficult it will be for you to get a job just based on one factor. That being said, it’s very possible that getting a degree could facilitate your desire to immigrate to France. French degrees can eliminate some of the bureaucratic barriers that tend to discourage employers from hiring/bringing over non-EU foreigners.
For example, completing a qualifying master’s degree will give you the opportunity to be on the recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise residence permit that gives you time to find work in France legally after you graduate. Studying for a degree in French will likely also improve your language skills, which is of course very helpful for the job search in France. Plus, if your degree includes relevant work experience in France, that will be an advantage on your CV.
There are, of course, other ways to simplify entry to the French job market that don’t include getting a degree. Many people who succeed have a registered relationship with a French or EU national, possess a specialized skill that a company is willing to jump through hoops to obtain, work in a field that is having trouble recruiting EU candidates, or work in what is considered an innovative company.
Your chances of being brought over from the USA without any of the previous factors in your favor are low, but not zero. That’s what makes getting a degree in France so attractive.
Without knowing the specific details of your profile and with no expertise in mechanical engineering, we can only say that getting a degree and work experience in France will generally serve you better than just getting work experience in the United States if your ultimate goal is to live and work in France.
We hope this helps you a little and wish you good luck!
Brannon Zaner
Jalen & Maria,
Thank you for your advice ! This is very helpful! I studied abroad in Grenoble this past spring and took French classes for my other major in French which I know would help me with living and working in France. With this job in the US I could possibly work in France with them but it wouldn’t be for a few years (four at the most) and I’m not sure if I could stay there long term or if I want to wait that long to go back. As of now I only have experience working in the US as an Engineering Co-op. I definitely have some decisions to make !
Solome Rebecca
i’m glad to have found this website. i love the French language and i’m looking to enroll for my second masters in France l’annee prochaine. Merci encore!