FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
You may also check the PSL FAQ on applications.
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Q : I have a question, where can I call you ?
A : Sorry, we are not staffed to answer application enquiries on the phone. Please read the relevant pages on this site and if you still cannot find the answer to your question, email us : general questions, L3, M1, M2.
Q : Where can I apply ?
A : Each of our programmes uses a dedicated platform. The different options are listed under the Venir étudier/Prospective students menu at the top of this page. Here are a few quick links :
– L3 : concours BCPST, concours normalien étudiant.
– M1 : France, international.
– M2 : France, international.
Q : Can I apply through the Campus France website ? With Études en France ? At the French Embassy in my country ?
A : No, international applications have to go through our dedicated platforms, which are listed above, and which you can also find under the Venir étudier/Prospective students menu.
However, if you require a student visa you will have to do the procédure pré-consulaire on Études en France after you have been admitted. Here’s a guide to help you with the early steps of the visa application : EN | FR.
Q : I have a French passport but I am currently studying abroad, should I apply as an international student ?
A : Yes, what matters is your degree, not your nationality. If your latest degree [1] is to be awarded by a foreign university [2], you may apply as an international student. If you are studying in France, and will receive a degree from a French university, you should apply as "coming from France" even if you’re not a French national.
Q : I won’t have the grades for my last semester in time for the submission deadline. Can I complete my file once it has been submitted ?
A : You cannot add documents to your file after submission. However, if your application goes on to the second step, you can bring the missing documents to your interview.
Q : Which language can I use in my application ?
A : The application documents may be in English or in French.
Q : Do I need to have the documents translated by a sworn translator ?
A : Your letter and your application file should be written directly in French or English, so the question only pertains to transcripts and diplomas. Most universities will provide a transcript in English, this is the easiest way. If you cannot get an English (or French) transcript, you should provide a translation together with the original. If your language uses the Latin alphabet, the jury can usually ascertain that the grades are correct by comparing the original and the translation so there is no need for a sworn translator. For other alphabets, a sworn translation is recommended.
Q : Which English level is required to apply ?
A : There is no formal requirement, the jury will evaluate your command of scientific English and biological vocabulary during the interview. If you hold an English language certificate, a C1 level or equivalent should be on the safe side.
Q : Can I apply for an Eiffel scholarship ?
A : Unfortunately no, our international recruitment schedule is incompatible with Eiffel scholarship applications.
Q : Campus France requires a proof of contact ("preuve qu’un contact a été établi avec la ou les université(s) ou établissement(s) d’enseignement supérieur(s) choisi(s)") for my scholarship application. Can you provide this ?
A : When you submit your application, you will receive an e-mail acknowledging that your application file has been received. This email can be used as your proof of contact.
Q : I need a letter of acceptance early for my scholarship application. Can you provide this ?
A : Unfortunately no. You will receive an acknowledgement of your application after the application deadline, and you will be notified that your application has been accepted or rejected as soon as the jury has come to a decision. If you have not been notified yet, it means that the jury has not decided, so we cannot guarantee your acceptance at this stage.
Q : Here is my CV, I would like to know if I am eligible for the programme.
A : The short answer : we donnot have the time and resources required to assess CVs sent outside the application procedure.
Longer version : there are far too many higher education systems and diplomas for us to know, and we cannot give you a personalized answer in advance. Here are some guidelines to help you evaluate your eligibility :
– the applicant should hold a degree in Life Sciences or in another scientific discipline while having demonstrated interest for the Life Sciences [3],
– two years of post-secondary education (120 ECTS in the European system) are required to apply for L3,
– a three-year diploma (180 ECTS, Licence or 3-year Bachelor) is required to apply for M1,
– a four-year diploma (240 ECTS, M1 or 4-year Bachelor) is required to apply for M2,
– some of our programs have more specific requirements, which are listed on the corresponding pages : Q-Life scholarships, programme Médecine/Sciences, Double diplôme AgroParisTech-ENS.
The degrees listed here are required at the time of registration, i.e. next september. Applications can be made while the degree is still in preparation. In this case, acceptance is contingent upon the actual obtainment of the required degree.
We are open to atypical profiles, so if you meet the relevant qualifications in terms of years of study/course credits, you may apply even if your curriculum is not straightforward. You may also apply at a level lower than the one to which you are eligible if your projects warrant it. All this should be described and justified in your application letter.
Q : Is a research experience necessary to apply ?
A : A research experience is a plus for all applications. While not formally mandatory, a laboratory internship [4] is expected for all Master applicants ; its absence should be justified by specific circumstances [5].
Q : I could apply for the M2 year, but will I have more chances of success if I apply for the M1 level ?
A : Both levels of admission are extremely competitive, and choosing the lower level will not necessarily improve your chances.
Reasons to apply for M1 instead of M2 include (but are not limited to) :
– if you are willing to take the more generalist M1 courses to ensure that your basic knowledge is solid enough before taking the more advanced M2 courses,
– if you are planning to switch majors and want to acquire a solid basis in a new discipline,
– if you would like to study biology disciplines outside your current major, either in order to develop a multidisciplinary project or to complement your biology training before fully committing to your major.
This choice, and the way it articulates with your project, should be clearly stated in your application letter.
Q : Is the selection process on a rolling basis ? Should I apply as soon as possible in case there is no place left for late applications ?
A : All applications (for a given programme) are evaluated at the same time, so there is no need to apply early. Take all the time you need to prepare your application (within the given deadlines obviously).
Q : Is the deadline for professors submitting a recommendation the same as the application deadline ?
A : Yes, the applications wil be evaluated in the days following the deadline so the recommendations should arrive in time if they are to be taken into account by the jury. However, your application will not be ruled out if the recommendations are late.
Q : Are there application fees ?
A : There are no application fees, however, should you be accepted, you will have to pay tuition fees (see below).
Go back to Application procedure
Q : What is the DENS ?
A : DENS stands for Diplôme de l’ENS, or ENS Diploma. We have a whole page on the subject.
Q : What is a "normalien" ? A "mastérien" ? What is the difference between "normalien élève" and "normalien étudiant" ? What is a "normalien boursier", an "étudiant boursier" ?
A : This is a difficult one, so bear with us...
– Normaliens are students who enlist for the 3-year DENS on top of their Licence and/or Masters’s degree. Master’s students who do not enlist for the DENS are called mastériens. Students who join the Biology Department at the L3 level are required to enlist for the DENS, and are therefore normaliens. Most students who join at the M1 level become mastériens with a few exceptions [6]. Students who join at the M2 level become mastériens [7].
– OK, that was easy, so here is more : normaliens come in two flavours. Those who joined through the BCPST competition become French civil servants in training, they commit to working for the French public service for ten years and in return they get a salary during their studies. They are called normaliens élèves. University students who joined through the concours normalien étudiant are called normaliens étudiants.
– Not lost yet ? Étudiants, be they mastériens or normaliens (but not élèves), can also be boursiers. Boursier simply refers to someone who holds a fellowship ("bourse" in French). We offer a few dedicated fellowships for our students : M/S, SI, Q-Life, but there are others.
Now you are officially confused, but do not worry : no matter what their status is, they all take the same great courses, and they all get the same dedication from our amazing teaching team.
Q : What do L3, M1, M2 mean ?
A : In the French university system, the three-year Licence (equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree) is followed by a two-year Master [8].
L3 is the third year of Licence, and the third year of university studies. The first year of Master (fourth year of university studies) is called M1 and the second year — you guessed it — is called M2.
Q : In which language are the courses given ?
A : This depends on the level.
– At the L3 level, most courses are given in French, with a few in English.
– At the M1 and M2 levels, most courses are in English, some may be taught in French but will switch to English as soon as it is required (i.e. if there is one non-French speaker among the audience).
To summarize : command of French is not necessary for Master students (although it may be useful outside the classroom). English is required at all levels [9].
Q : How much are the tuition fees ?
A : Registration and tuition fees comprise several parts :
– Academic Year tuition fees for a Licence are 200€ (170€ in 2024-2025). For a Master’s degree they amount to about 250€ (243€ in 2024-2025).
Tuition fees are substantially higher [10] for citizens of nationalities outside the European Economic Area. However, For the 2024-2025 academic year, the ENS had elected to offer partial tuition fee waivers to the students concerned by the measure, so international students will pay the same fees as European students.
– Before registration, students must also pay about 100€ for the CVEC.
– Enrollment in the ENS diploma (for three years) comes with additional yearly tuition fees about (200€).
There are no application fees.
Q : Does the ENS offer accommodation ?
A : Normaliens can apply for a student room at the ENS. Q-Life scholars can get a room at the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. Unfortunately, we are not able to guarantee housing for other master students.
Q : I am interested in one of your courses, can I take it without joining the Biology Department ?
A : Yes, with conditions.
– If you are from another ENS Department, you may want to ckeck the Biology courses for non-biologists.
– If you are from another institution, please have a look at the external students page.
Q : What is the duration of classes per day ?
A : Courses will typically run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., however there are exceptions. The detailed schedule will be available on line before the beginning of the course. These three hourscombine lectures and others activities, such as workshops. Practical courses in particular can last much longer (practicals only end when the experiment is finished, so the given schedule is not binding). Additionally, some courses (among which are language courses, methodology tutorials and section seminars) take place during the midday break or in the evening.
Q : I asked a question about the ENS IMaLis Master, and got a reply about the PSL SdV Master. What is this letter salad ?
A : The short answer is : as far as you are concerned, they are the same thing.
There are historical reasons to explain all those different acronyms, but they would probably bore you to death. If you absolutely want to know, here is a summary :
– the ENS (École Normale Supérieure) is a French grande école, where most of the IMaLis Master is organised and taught.
– PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres) is an association of research and higher education institutions located in the Paris area, of which the ENS is a founding member.
– the Biology Master organised at the ENS Biology Department was named Interdisciplinary Master in Life Sciences until 2017.
– in 2017, IMaLis became part of the PSL Master Sciences du Vivant (abbreviated SdV). IMaLis offers now several parcours (track) of the PSL SdV at the M1 and M2 levels. The other tracks are organized by the EPHE, and are known as BioP and BE.
Q : OK, so where is the IMaLis M2 track ?
A : It does not exist as such. In M2, IMaLis splits into four tracks. Prospective IMaLis students can choose one of the following :
– Quantitative biology
– Neurosciences
– Fundamental biology for health
– Ecology and evolution
Q : your website mentions M1 and M2 tracks and sub-tracks, what is the difference ?
A : Master tracks are officially recognised, students register for a given track which will eventually be the one mentioned on their diploma. Sub-tracks are recommended course selections leading to a given specialization that we offer within some of the tracks.
Cannot find what you are looking for ? Read this page again.
Still cannot find what you are looking for ? Contact us by email : general questions, L3, M1, M2.
[1] The degree that makes you eligible for the programme.
[2] You must have spent more than a year there, an exchange semester wouldn’t count.
[3] Attested by the applicant having taken some Biology courses equivalent to about 60 ECTS, part of which may be an internship in a Biology lab.
[4] At least one month long.
[5] For example medical studies only allowing hospital internships.
[6] More specifically, M/S students, Double diplôme students and International Selection students become normaliens, while regular M1 applicants and Q-Life scholars become mastériens.
[7] Normaliens who joined in L3 or M1 remain normaliens when they reach M2.
[8] The two years are normally required to complete the Master’s degree, although holders of a 4-year degree may apply directly for the second year.
[9] All the above applies only to the courses organised by the Biology Department. We can’t guarantee that courses from other institutions will be available in English.
[10] 2770€ for a Licence and 3770€ for a Master in 2019-2020.
