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What is the English equivalent of my French License ?

Hey


After applying to numerous Masters programs, there has been an issue that has been bugging me for awhile and all my searches have been inconclusive.


Say I was a student at Sorbonne and my final degree (Bachelors) grade was 13/20 or 14/20, does that equate to a 1st in the UK or a 2:1, everyone seems to have different replies....
Reply 1
Yes, it is inconvenient to have international degrees because there are usually no standardised or even sensible conversions. It all depend on what the universities you apply to believe. A quick search gives the following results.

2:1
13/20: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~cstpv/study/equivalence.html
13-13.9/20: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/international/admissions/entry-requirements/#f
13/20: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/international/study-with-us/your-country-info/france-equivalencies.aspx
14/20: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/sites/default/files/overseas_grade_comparison.pdf
14/20: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/international-qualifications

1st
15/20: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/international/study-with-us/your-country-info/france-equivalencies.aspx
16/20: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/sites/default/files/overseas_grade_comparison.pdf
16/20: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/international-qualifications

It seems as though most universities will not consider your degree a 1st, but a 2:1 (even more if you have a 14). You should definitely inquire at the university you intend to apply to for their opinion on equivalences.

EDIT: Sorry, I see that you have already applied. Why are you asking, then?
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by Zefiros
Yes, it is inconvenient to have international degrees because there are usually no standardised or even sensible conversions. It all depend on what the universities you apply to believe. A quick search gives the following results.

2:1
13/20: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~cstpv/study/equivalence.html
13-13.9/20: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/international/admissions/entry-requirements/#f
13/20: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/international/study-with-us/your-country-info/france-equivalencies.aspx
14/20: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/sites/default/files/overseas_grade_comparison.pdf
14/20: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/international-qualifications

1st
15/20: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/international/study-with-us/your-country-info/france-equivalencies.aspx
16/20: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/sites/default/files/overseas_grade_comparison.pdf
16/20: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/international-qualifications

It seems as though most universities will not consider your degree a 1st, but a 2:1 (even more if you have a 14). You should definitely inquire at the university you intend to apply to for their opinion on equivalences.

EDIT: Sorry, I see that you have already applied. Why are you asking, then?



Thank you for the reply.

I was asking about this to see the possibility of me receiving an offer, because I have yet to receive an offer or any decision for that matter. Also, I don't know if this is common knowledge but apparently, a 13 from a random university in France does not carry any weight compared to a 13 from a well-reputed French university, that is why I was wondering/ still am wondering about it.
Reply 3
Original post by ahm_osm
Thank you for the reply.

I was asking about this to see the possibility of me receiving an offer, because I have yet to receive an offer or any decision for that matter. Also, I don't know if this is common knowledge but apparently, a 13 from a random university in France does not carry any weight compared to a 13 from a well-reputed French university, that is why I was wondering/ still am wondering about it.
Bear in mind that making the minimum requirements far from guarantees an offer at the postgrad level. Universities are always taken into account, both for deciding whether you have a sufficient background and whether you have performed well. Of course, a 2:1 from a random university is worth less than from a decent university. On the other hand, coming first in your year at a random university may be more impressive than being average in a decent university. Coming from a good university can either work in your favour or against you.

Best of luck!
Reply 4
Original post by Zefiros
Bear in mind that making the minimum requirements far from guarantees an offer at the postgrad level. Universities are always taken into account, both for deciding whether you have a sufficient background and whether you have performed well. Of course, a 2:1 from a random university is worth less than from a decent university. On the other hand, coming first in your year at a random university may be more impressive than being average in a decent university. Coming from a good university can either work in your favour or against you.

Best of luck!



Very logical and insightful reply, thanks!

Ofcourse I am aware that meeting minimum requirements far from guarantees an offer, but in the case of French universities and grade conversions, there seems to be a lot of 'grey' area regarding degrees. Just wanted clarification on that.

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