How to write a motivation letter for a French university

At a glance

Length

1 page

For a classic letter. On Parcoursup, the “projet de formation motivé” is limited to 1,500 characters per programme.

Language

Same as the programme

French for a French-taught programme, English for an English-taught one — common in Master's programmes and business schools.

Format

Formal letter

Your details, the institution's address, place and date, a subject line (“Objet : …”), then the letter. Usually uploaded as a PDF; on Parcoursup the text goes into a field.

Salutation and closing

Fixed formulas

In French: “Madame, Monsieur,” … “Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.” In English: “Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,” … “Yours sincerely,”.

Tone

Formal and precise

Measured in tone. Spelling and grammar mistakes are judged severely.

Where to submit

Parcoursup, Mon Master…

Parcoursup for the first year of a Bachelor's, Mon Master for the first year of a national Master's, the “Études en France” procedure (Campus France) for students from many countries outside the EU, or the school's own platform.

How to structure it

1. 1

   Opening: the programme you're applying for

   Name the programme (its mention and parcours) and the institution, and say in one or two sentences why you're applying.

2. 2

   “Moi”: your path

   Your studies, grades and experiences — chosen for this programme, not your whole CV. Give your grades on their original scale; French grades are out of 20, so don't convert yours yourself.

3. 3

   “Vous”: why this programme

   Show that you know the programme: its courses, its approach, the internships or research it leads to. General praise of the institution doesn't count.

4. 4

   “Nous”: your project

   Explain what you'll bring and where the programme will take you — a career plan or further studies. French committees pay close attention to a coherent “projet professionnel”.

5. 5

   Closing formula

   If it fits, offer to come for an interview, then end with the full formal closing formula. “Cordialement” is for emails, not for a motivation letter.

Common mistakes

• The same letter for every programme

  ✗“Votre formation est idéale pour mon projet.”

  ✓“Le parcours en ingénierie des données de ce master répond exactement à la limite que j'ai rencontrée pendant mon stage.”

  On Parcoursup you write a separate text for each programme, and committees notice copy-paste. Tailor every letter.

• Spelling and agreement errors

  ✗“Je suis très motivé par les études que vous proposé.”

  ✓“Je suis très motivé par les études que vous proposez.”

  In France, language mistakes are a real handicap. Proofread twice and check agreements, accents and verb forms.

• Missing French typography

  ✗Objet: Candidature au master "Informatique"

  ✓Objet : Candidature au master « Informatique »

  In French, put a space before : ; ? ! and use « guillemets ». A small detail, but committees notice it.

• Anglicisms

  ✗“Je souhaite appliquer à votre programme pour adresser des problèmes de données.”

  ✓“Je souhaite candidater à votre master pour traiter des problèmes de données.”

  “Appliquer à un programme” or “adresser un problème” are calques from English. Write “candidater à” and “traiter un problème”.

• A vague project

  ✗“Je souhaite découvrir le domaine des données.”

  ✓“À l'issue du master, je souhaite devenir ingénieur des données dans la logistique.”

  “I want to discover the field” is not a plan. Committees want to see a realistic next step after the programme.

• Too familiar or too emotional

  ✗“Cordialement, Alex”

  ✓“Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.”

  A French motivation letter stays formal: no jokes, no dramatic stories, no “Cordialement” at the end.

Questions