Each year of the Masters programme (M1 and M2) requires students to validate 60 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System). This makes a total of 120 credits for the full two-year programme. Each semester (S1 and S2 during year M1, S3 and S4 during M2) includes approximately 30 credits.
All compulsory courses and most optional courses will be given in English.

The M1 Year

The M1 Year requires students to validate 11 courses: 8 compulsory 6-credit courses, 2 compulsory 3-credit courses, and one optional 6-credit course, for a total of 60 credits. The compulsory 6-credit courses consist of 24 hours of lectures and (generally) 21 hours of classes, while (compulsory and optional) 3-credit courses consist of more or less 24 hours of lectures. The total teaching load during the M1 year is around 430 hours.

Students entering the programme at the M1 level choose a tutor in the programme faculty. Tutors advise students regarding the choice of courses, etc. Students do not choose a research supervisor before year M2 (january), and tutors may or may not become their research supervisors.

The M2 Year

The M2 Year requires students to validate 11 courses (2 compulsory 6-credit courses, and for a total of 9 advanced courses[1.5 ects = 0.5 course, 3 ects = 1course and 4.5 ects = 1.5 course], i.e. 39 credits overall) and a Masters dissertation. The Masters dissertation counts for less than 40% of the total grade during M2, i.e. 21 credits. The total teaching load during the M2 year is about 300 hours.

To enrol on the 9 advanced courses they want to validate, students will receive a form during the first weeks of academic year. In the meanwhile students can attend lectures without being enrolled.

The choice of research supervisor must be completed by the end of January of the M2 year at the latest. A research project (3 pages or less) must be approved by the research supervisor.

The Masters dissertation is awarded a grade between 0 and 20, following a formal defense of about one hour with the research supervisor and one other examiner. The Masters dissertation must be sent by email (pdf format) to the programme secretariat, the research supervisor and the examiner. In addition, students must transmit 1 copy (paper format) of their dissertation to the programme secretariat. Before the defense, the research supervisor has to give his/her approval by sending an e-mail to the secretariat, allowing the student to denfend his/her dissertation. Each year two defenses sessions are scheduled, one in July, one in September.

Marking system

Grades for all courses (both compulsory or optional) are between 0 and 20. In order to be admitted into the M2 year, students must pass all of the exams. Students with a grade below 10/20 in any given course must take a make-up exam. Students must attend all of the courses for which they have signed up.

The average grade required during the M2 year in ordered to be awarded the Master degree is 10/20. The Masters dissertation accounts for 40% of the total grade. In order to enter the Doctorat programme following the Master,the average grade must be at least 13/20 and the master thesis grade must be at least 13/20. To enter the EDP the average grade for the M2 year must be at least 14/20.