What is direct entry to business school?

In brief
Direct entry, or admission on qualifications, lets you join a business school partway through the curriculum, without going through preparatory classes, after a first higher education qualification: after a Bac+3, you generally join the third year or the first year of a master's programme.
At Excelia Business School, you can join the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) or a Master of Science (MSc), on the basis of your application and a motivation interview.

What is direct entry to business school?

Direct entry, also called admission on qualifications, is a route into business school distinct from the post-baccalaureate or post-prépa competitive exams. It is aimed at students who have already completed a Bac+3, a Licence générale, a Licence professionnelle, a third-year BUT or a Bachelor's degree, and who want to continue their studies at a management school such as Excelia Business School.

Contrary to popular belief, this route is not a fallback option: it is a fully-fledged recruitment process, with genuine academic requirements, since selection most often combines an application, written tests and a motivation interview.

Which profiles can apply?

Direct entry is open to a wide variety of profiles, provided you can show a Bac+3 that has been completed or is being completed at the time you submit your application. The discipline you studied matters less than your career project and your ability to make the case for it.

• A Licence générale (economics, management, law, languages, humanities...): the coherence of your project matters more than the name of the qualification
• A Licence professionnelle works in your favour, as its specialisation demonstrates an initial area of professional expertise, which the school builds on with a managerial and international dimension
• BUT completed in the third year: this route is open at many schools, Excelia Business School included
• An international mobility background? A multicultural profile is often valued in the selection process

After only one or two years of a Licence, this route is generally not open, except for holders of a Bac+2 recognised by the school, such as a BTS or a DUT. To find out exactly what level your qualification allows you to enter at, see our page on what level you can enter at, depending on your qualification.

How does the selection process work?

Each school sets its own rules, but selection most often combines an application, written tests and a motivation interview.

The application generally brings together your transcripts, your CV, one or more letters of recommendation and a letter of motivation, which must explain your background and your choice of school. Depending on the school, written tests assess general knowledge, logic, English or document summarising, before the motivation interview settles matters: this is often the decisive stage, in front of a panel of lecturers and professionals.

At Excelia Business School, entry partway through the curriculum is based on an online application, supporting documents and a motivation interview, chosen to guarantee equal opportunities between candidates. For entry at master's level on the Master in Management (Programme Grande École), the panel focuses above all on your career project: its link with your background, the tasks and responsibilities you have already carried out, and the steps you have taken towards a placement or a work-study contract.

Programmes available at Excelia Business School after a Licence

Several routes are open to Bac+3 holders who join Excelia Business School through direct entry, depending on their level and their project.

The Master in Management (Programme Grande École) at master's level is joined, depending on the level completed, in the third year or the first year of a master's programme, and leads to a Grade de Master. The Master of Science (MSc) programmes allow you to deepen a professional specialisation, in French or in English, in classic format or on a work-study basis. Their duration depends directly on your entry level. In both cases, work-study at Excelia Business School remains open to candidates entering through direct entry, and covers a large part of tuition fees.

To find out where these programmes lead, head to the careers a business school leads to.

Tips for making the most of your application

Competition is real, but several levers can help you stand out.

A coherent career project remains the criterion panels look at most closely. A vague project is often disqualifying, while a clear project, backed up by experience outside academic study, reassures panels about your maturity:

• internships
• student jobs
• involvement in student societies
• international mobility

Then there is English, which most Grandes Écoles assess through at least one test: it is worth having worked on it before the interview.

Finally, plan ahead for deadlines: places for direct entry are limited and sessions close quickly. Applications are submitted on XL Connect, Excelia Business School's application portal.

Submit your application on XL Connect

Funding is prepared in the same way: an apprenticeship contract, means-tested scholarships, government-guaranteed student loans or regional grants are worth exploring as soon as you start putting your application together, in particular via scholarships and financial aid for business school.

Frequently asked questions

Which business schools accept direct entry?

The vast majority of French business schools offer direct entry, or admission on qualifications, for Bac+3 holders. Excelia Business School is one of them and opens its doors every year to candidates coming from a Licence générale, a Licence professionnelle or a BUT. The level of selectivity varies from one school to another: it is worth targeting several institutions to maximise your chances.

Can you join a business school after a first year of a Licence?

No, direct entry generally requires a Bac+3 that has been completed or is being completed. It is not possible to join a business school after only one or two years of a Licence, except in cases linked to a Bac+2 qualification recognised by the school, such as a BTS or a DUT.

Is direct entry easier than the post-prépa competitive exams?

They are different, not necessarily easier. The post-prépa competitive exams assess in-depth academic knowledge after two years of preparatory classes, whereas direct entry places more value on the coherence of your career project and your maturity as a candidate. A well-built application and genuine motivation remain your best assets.

Can you enter through direct entry on a work-study basis?

Yes: Excelia Business School offers several of its programmes on a work-study basis, including for students admitted through direct entry. This arrangement covers a large part of tuition fees while giving you professional experience valued by recruiters.

Do you have to sit a competitive exam to enter through direct entry?

No: direct entry does not rely on a single written competitive exam common to several schools. Each institution organises its own selection process, which most often combines an application, written tests and a motivation interview, which by its nature sets it apart from the post-prépa competitive exams.