Delivered on ESILV’s campus in Paris La Défense, the Pre-MSc Foundation Track is a 6-month preparatory programme designed as a bridge into ESILV’s MSc programmes and into the study style of a French engineering Grande École.
It is built for students who hold a Bachelor’s-level degree (or equivalent) but need to strengthen their technical foundations in systems, programming, data, or cybersecurity before joining an MSc taught at Postgraduate level, or who want to adapt to the pace, rigour and project-based learning of a French engineering school.
Over six months, students build the technical fundamentals in IT systems, software engineering, data and cybersecurity that the MSc programmes assume as a starting point, while also developing their academic French through dedicated French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes. At the end of the track, students progress directly into the first year of one of two MSc programmes: MSc Computer Science & Data Science and MSc Cyber Resilience & Crisis Leadership.
Pre-MSc Foundation Track • 6 month preparatory programme • 30 ECTS • Intake: March 2027 • Tuition fee 17800 € for the 18 month cycle (Pre-MSc Foundation Track + MSc programme)
Overview
The Pre-MSc Foundation Track has been designed to:
The Pre-MSc Foundation Track gives you the academic, technical and personal footing you need to succeed in your MSc.
The Pre-MSc Foundation Track is organised around five core teaching blocks, each combining technical content with the applied skills students will need in their MSc, as well as one block dedicated to French as a Foreign Language (FLE).
Objective: build the technical foundations needed to understand modern IT architectures.
Objective: bring every student to a consistent level in software development ahead of advanced coursework.
Objective: provide the foundations needed to analyse, store and process data.
Objective: establish a shared foundation in digital security and information systems governance.
Objective: connect technical skills to strategic, cognitive and decision-making challenges.
All students on the Pre-MSc Foundation Track follow dedicated French as a Foreign Language classes throughout the 6 months, alongside their technical curriculum. Students are placed into the appropriate level group after an initial French assessment, so that every student — from complete beginner to advanced — progresses at the right pace. The goal is not only academic French, but the everyday language skills needed to live, work in teams and integrate confidently into life in France.
Career
The ESILV careers service aims to help students realise their potential by offering dedicated careers coaching to define and achieve their career goals.
Each year, the ESILV careers service proposes 40 exclusive on-campus events to introduce students to companies and to our network of 13,500 alumni:
ESILV is proud of its student community engagement and its three career-oriented student clubs:
Learn more about our careers events.
How to Apply
ESILV welcomes self-motivated students looking to tackle new challenges. We look for students from an engineering background with a clearly defined study project or career goal.
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
If you are unable to take your English test at a dedicated Language center, we are happy to offer some alternatives:
For further information, please contact the international admissions team: international.admission@devinci.fr
Whatsapp +33 (0)7 86 16 74 66
Application process
Admission to ESILV programmes is selective. We encourage candidates from engineering backgrounds to apply. Selection is based on academic excellence, study projects, personal achievements, international awareness, and the willingness to contribute to ESILV’s learning environment. Candidates will be evaluated first on their application documents and secondly on their performance during the online interview.
All applications to programmes at ESILV must be made on our online application portal. Your application will be evaluated by the admissions team and by the course director. You will be notified by email of the final decision.
Important Note: Please use only ONE email address to submit your Online Application and to communicate with the Admissions team.
Your application may be done in several stages. The information entered each time will not be lost. Application fees must be paid online by bank card. The application fee is not refundable under any circumstances. If you encounter any problems during the completion of your online application, please send an email to international.admissions@devinci.fr
Faculty
Cécile Frankart Directrice Adjointe Doctorat en biologie cellulaire de l’Université de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne
Nicolas Travers Directeur adjoint de la recherche Doctorat, Informatique, Université Paris Sorbonne…
Gaël Chareyron Responsable Département Doctorat, traitement d’images et informatique, Université de Saint-Etienne…
Cyril Grunspan Responsable Département Doctorat, Mathématiques, Ecole Polytechnique de Paris_Télécom Paris Finance
Ali Jaghdam Chargé d'Enseignement Doctorat, Sciences économiques, Université Paris Dauphine Mathematiques
Bérengère Branchet Enseignant Chercheur Doctorat, Mathématiques appliquées, Université de Bordeaux Responsable Projets… Tuition fees
FEES: €17800
APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 2026
Fees include :
ESILV offers merit-based scholarships and guidance for government scholarships.
The Early Bird is a 20% tuition fee waiver at ESILV for candidates who complete their application and pay their deposit before March 31st for the October Intake and September 15th for the January Intake.
De Vinci Higher Education Group has made funds available to talented students hoping to pursue their studies at ESILV and EMLV.
The Eiffel scholarship program is a tool developed by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to allow French higher education institutions to attract the best foreign students in diploma courses at Masters’ and Doctorate/PhD level.
Campus France is a public institution responsible for promoting French higher education abroad and welcoming foreign students and researchers to France. It encourages international mobility and manages scholarship programmes and the alumni network. Campus France manages Campus Bourses (Campus Scholarships), which provides information on the scholarships offered to foreign students.
Find full details of ESILV scholarships on the Fees and Funding page
FAQs
The school does not own or manage its own accommodation. We have a partnership with a dedicated online housing search platform. Once you have paid the deposit, you will be granted access to that platform to begin your search.
You should budget around 750 and 900 euros for a studio. We strongly encourage students to begin their search as early as possible (even before applying for a visa).
If English is not your first language, you must demonstrate a B2 level. You should provide a test score (TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Cambridge). If English is your first language or if you have graduated from a programme taught in English, you do not need to present an official test score. We will ask you to prove that you graduated from a programme fully taught in English (eg a letter from your school).
All applications must go through our online portal. Once you have uploaded all your documents online, you must pay the application fee to submit your application. Next, we will schedule an online interview to assess your profile and motivations.
The admissions team attends numerous international student fairs throughout the year. The list of fairs that we will be attending is on our web site, learn more here Please contact (international.admissions@devinci.fr) to arrange an appointment during our visit to your country.
Yes, you can apply and might be accepted if you score higher than 80% during the interview or if you provide a French certificate (DALF, DELF, TCF) of at least B1 level.
Accommodation: 750€ – 900€ per month Food: 150€ – 250€ per month Transport: 75€ per month
Please check the programme page for specific requirements.
If you are admitted, you must pay the deposit to secure your place on the programme. Then you will receive an official enrolment letter, which will allow you to start your Visa application.
Applications open in October and close in early July.
There is only one intake per year in September or October.
You will need your CV, your motivation letter, a copy of your grade transcripts and any degrees your already hold, your language test score (if applicable), a copy of your passport, and a photograph of yourself.
We offer various scholarship each year. Please consult our dedicated page for more information.
Please check the programme page for up to date pricing, which varies from one programme to another. More info on fees and funding.
After being accepted to study, you must make the deposit payment to secure your place. Your remaining fees will be invoiced after the start of your programme and can be paid in instalments.
The school does not operate a direct placement system but does offer a full support. We host on-campus careers fairs so that you can meet company recruitment representatives. You will also have seminars to help you with CV writing, interview preparation, etc. The school will also provide all the necessary documentation to validate your internship.
In France, by law, companies must pay interns who work for longer than 2 months.
Students must have spent one full year in France to be eligible to study in Alternance. So, you cannot study in Alternance during your first year in France.
You will have classes from Monday-Friday; you may occasionally have an exam on a Saturday. Your earliest class might begin at 8.30am and your latest class might finish at 8.30pm, but you will never have a full 12 hour day. You will have been 18-24 hours of class per week, depending on your programme. Your timetable changes from one week to the next and will be available online one week in advance.
All of our English-taught programmes have compulsory French classes included as part of the tuition fees. You will sit a French test when you arrive to find your level, so we can put you in an appropriate group.
French law authorises foreign students to an auxiliary work of 964 hours during the year, the equivalent of 60% of the legal working year. It can only be auxiliary income. When you work in France, whether or not you are a student, you are guaranteed a minimum wage by law. We recommend that you begin your programme before looking for a job – your school work is your priority and we cannot allow absences for your job.
Your Visa application should go through your local Campus France office. You can use your enrolment letter from the school to begin your Visa application.
We will refund your deposit upon presentation of the official refusal document.
Yes. International students who have graduated from an RNCP or CGE accredited ESILV programme are eligible for Job seeker/ new business creator residence permit ( former APS. This residence permit allows students to renew their student visa for 1 year to look for a job or create a company in France. Learn more here