Economics serving society

APE Applications

Application process

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Below you will find the procedure to follow in order to find the correct platform in order to fill out and submit your application, depending on your profile.
Please be warned that an application submitted through the wrong platform or an application that is not fully completed before the deadline will result in an automatic deletion of your application and all associated files.

  • If you are a Paris 1 student (particularly “magistère”) and you wish to apply to the APE program : Apply through PSE Application or through Paris 1’s eCandidat platform (more information on the process through Paris 1 can be found on their site). *You should apply on only one of the platforms (PSE Applications or Ecandidat - and not on both). Priority should be given to PSE Applications, but even if you apply on Ecandidate your file will be evaluated.*

Information complementary:
Ideally applications must be made in English, but we can also accept them in French. Official translations of all documents in languages other than French or English are required*. The translations must be made by official translators, you cannot do it on your own. On the other hand, there’s no need to add an “apostille” or to have them notary certified.

Please do not wait the final moments to submit your application. The website is overcharged during the last days, the administrative office is not open during the weekend and you risk seeing your application being denied due to technical bugs.

* We can exceptionally accept transcripts in Spanish, Italian or Portuguese for the applications process, but please note that if you are accepted to the program you will most likely be requested to eventually hand in these documents in French.

Note: you can apply both in APE and PPD programs, however within each program you can only submit one application in 1st year (M1) or 2nd year (M2); in other words, you must choose carefully between M1 and M2.

If you do not find all the answers to your questions on this page, please refer to our FAQ before contacting our secretariat.


Deadline admissions

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Admissions Deadlines:

  • PSE Application will be open from February 11th to March 11th, 2024. Admissions results will be released by email and directly on the platform; Prior to the release of the results by email and on the PSE Application platform, we will be unable to respond to any question regarding the admissions committee’s decision.

NOTA BENE :
It is not possible to release results earlier. No exception.


Academic prerequisites

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Pre-requisites for entering the M1:

  • A Bachelor’s degree in economics, with good knowledge of micro, macro and econometrics.
  • In English: Non-native english speaker applicants must include with their application file a certificate of competence in English (TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, Cambridge ESOL). We demand level C1 (see the table of equivalences). Applicants who have finished international training in courses certified in English are exempted from this requirement. However, in this case we need a letter from the administrative office of your universities mentioning that the language of instructions of your courses was English. If you have studied in an Anglophone country, there is no need for any document of course.
  • In mathematics: Applicants must demonstrate excellent capacities for mastering the quantitative tools that are an essential element of APE training. We invite applicants to evaluate their level of knowledge in mathematics.
  • Regarding the fundamentals of economics, candidates are supposed to master, in terms of breadth of knowledge and depth of learning, the material that corresponds to the one presented in the following textbooks:
    > Microeconomics: Intermediate Microeconomics, H.Varian, Norton, 8th Edition (2010)
    > Macroeconomics: Macroeconomics, O.J.Blanchard, Pearson, 7th Edition (2017)
    > Econometrics:
    >> Introductory Econometrics - A modern approach, J. Wooldridge, South-Western - Cengage Learning, 5th Edition (2012) (Chapters 1-4, 6, and 7 plus corresponding appendix)
    >> Introduction to the theory of econometrics, J.Magnus (2017), VU Univ. Press (Chapters 1-2 + Appendix B1 and B3)
    The micro-, macro- and econometrics sequences of courses in M1 will build on this basic knowledge without reviewing it in details

Pre-requisites for entering the M2:
A few applicants can enter directly into the M2 year, if they have already taken and passed coursework that provides a level of preparation equivalent to that of Year 1 of the APE Program. (in microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics).

Applicants requesting different study arrangements

The APE Master is a full-time program. There is no formula for distance education, nor for evening courses. Nevertheless, students wishing to continue a professional activity or to participate in another training program at the same time can request the possibility of completing their Masters in three years (that is, a year longer than usual).

Those wishing to benefit from this possibility must clearly state so in their application. They must also keep in mind that this will require that they make also arrangements with their employer or the director of their other study program. In no circumstances will it be possible to work full time and do the APE course. Only those whose applications demonstrate that they have a great capacity for work and are very highly motivated will be granted the right to this variation in the study formula.


Regarding the admission process

All applications will be evaluated by the admissions panel. Each application is evaluated independently by two teacher-researchers and discussed during a final selection session.

The panel can, in exceptional circumstances, delay its decision on an applicant’s admission if the dossier is missing some crucial information.

The panel can also propose that someone applying for admission to M2 be admitted instead to M1 if their academic record does not meet the standards required for admission directly to M2, or ask that the applicant submit to M2 entry tests. The applicants concerned will receive all the information necessary to prepare for these tests.

Please note though that these proposals are very exceptional. Only two or three students are being proposed an M1 entry if they applied for M2. So you must evaluate your level very carefully and apply for the right program.

Each year, APE offers 60-65 places in M1 and 40 places in M2 (in addition to those students completing M1). On average, each year, between 20 and 25% of total applicants to M1 are admitted, and between 10 and 15% for the M2 (in addition to those from partner institutions).

All admissions are conditional on the applicant gaining the degree necessary for access to the desired Masters level (degree or equivalent for entry to M1; M1 or equivalent for entry to M2). The certificate of achievement will be demanded, in September, during the enrolment process.


Formal Registration

All admission is conditional upon obtaining the degree required for admission into the master’s year requested. Proof of having obtained the necessary diploma will be asked for during registration (inscription administrative) in September.

APE students are registered in one of the co-accrediting institutions. Students from one of these institutions remain registered in the same institution.


Registration fees

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The university fees are annual and set by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research in France.

In 2019 the French government has voted a law that stipulates an increase in the registration fees up to € 3,770 for the Master’s degree for international students coming from outside the European Union and who were not registered previously in France at the master level.. However, our partner institutions have been able to exempt international students from paying the full fees this academic year: they gave a waiver and allowed all students to pay the same amount as the EU students: 243 euros per year (plus a 90 euros contribution to the CVEC).

Our partner institutions are willing to do the same again in 2024-25. We will update the website as soon as we get a confirmation (usually around March-April 2024).


Funding opportunities

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Depending on your nationality, financial aid may be available from different institutions (central banks, embassies, foundations, etc.). You can download the dedicated brochure “Funding opportunities for Foreign Students

We invite you to explore the different possibilities available on the websites of EHESS (only in French) and Campus France. Applicants for EIFFEL funding must submit an application from November (dates communicated on the website).


External Students

The courses offered by the APE graduate program are open to the students registered into the Master’s program. However, if space availability allows it, some M2 courses can also be open to:

  • students registered in programs of the partner institutions,
  • PhD students who wish to validate courses of the Masters for their PhD

If you are interested in attending some of the courses offered by the APE program, please contact the secretariat (master-ape at psemail.eu)


Studying at PSE while joining the École Normale Supérieure-PSL with a scholarship

Every year, the École normale supérieure of Paris (ENS-PSL) selects foreign students under its International Selection program. At the time of application, those students should be engaged in the final year of their licence/bachelor in Economics outside of France. Admitted students receive a monthly scholarship of about 1,000 euros for three years, have a personal tutor, and benefit from all of the ENS resources, including access to the ENS PhD scholarship program.

The Economics Department of ENS is closely linked with the Paris School of Economics (and is located in the same building). The Department seeks to recruit economists under the International Selection program. During their first year at ENS, they will have the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge in economics, follow courses in other departments, and complete « opening experiences » (internships, research experience, etc.), as part of the ENS diploma. During their second and third years, they study in the PSE master programs (APE or PPD), and take complementary courses at ENS.

Although admission criteria are very similar, the International Selection program is independent from the admission procedure at PSE. Yet, students admitted to both programs may postpone (for one year) their admission in the master, to follow the first year at ENS. Please find more information on the International Selection webpage. Be careful that applications to the International Selection must be completed during the Fall of the previous academic year, that is earlier than applications to PSE’s master programs. For students enrolled in a French degree, another admission procedure to the ENS is the Concours Normalien Étudiant.