All you need to know if you want to start a course in January

Due to many students who are not satisfied by their choice of post-high school orientation at the end of their first semester of higher education or sometimes later, some business schools are now offering intakes in the middle of the year for the beginning of the second semester. We give you some tips to get out of this fate, take advantage of a new start at school and succeed in your reorientation.

Why choose to begin a new degree in another university in January 2024?

After a high school diploma, it is common to realise very quickly that the course you have chosen doesn’t match your initial expectations or your personal and professional project is no longer the same. For example, almost one-third of students from university choose to drop out of school or change their curriculum before the end of the first year, most of them in non-university education. To avoid losing a full year and having to wait until September to resume your studies, you can therefore opt for a delayed start and join, mid-year, a French business school programme.

Bachelor cycle

Things to know before enrolling for a new course in a university

The main advantage of this is to allow you to change your curriculum without losing a year in your student journey, but it is essential to ask the right questions before beginning the adventure. What motivates my orientation? What kind of studies can I pursue?

There are many legitimate reasons for a change of orientation. You are realising that the courses delivered by your school, don’t match to the best teaching criteria? Do you realise that job openings and job placements aren’t as promising as expected? Do you want to pursue a more professional course? The studies you are in are not your first choice in the first place? Are you radically changing your project before the Christmas holidays? Don’t panic…

Rather than sulking about your curriculum, prepare your application and opt for the programme of a business school and the many courses available to you, whether in the bachelor cycle (French taught programme with one specialisation in english) or BBA (English Taught Programme), within the Grande École Programme (French Taught Programmes) or directly in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) (English taught programme).

However, for the French taught programs, be aware that making your return to school mid-year, requires a lot of work from students who make this bold choice. Clearly, you have to work twice as hard during a very intensive six-month semester. Most of the time, the usual Easter holidays are replaced by an internship or by school lessons. Don’t be frightened and keep in mind that if you have found your way, nothing is insurmountable. Continuation of study and future prospects are well worth a semester of intense effort. However, for the English taught programs this is a normal intake, your study will finish in December the year after.

Join the Grande École Programme

What programme for your restart?

Grande École programme, Bachelor, BBA or MBA programme… In a business school like IPAG, there are many opportunities to join the programme of your choice during the year. Depending on the course or campus and specialisation, you can even join our school not only for the first year, but also for the second or third year, or fourth or final year for master's degree programmes like MBA. The admission process is different according to schools and according to the curriculum and choice of orientation.

• Join the Grande Ecole Programme (French taught programme): you can take advantage of the January intake to join the IPAG Grande Ecole Programme (diploma recognised by the state) in the first year of this course, which takes place in 5 years. Admission is after a series of tests and interviews. The level of admission required by the IPAG teaching team corresponds to the standards of excellence set by the SESAME exam.
• Join a Bachelor (French taught programme) or a BBA (Engligh taught programme): you can enter only in 1st year, in a rescheduled manner for Bachelor Marketing and Digital Communication, Luxury Management or International Trade on the IPAG Paris campus in January. The BBA (Bachelor in Business Administration) admissions are in the first, second or third year of this course.
• Join an MBA: you can also join a Master of Business Administration, curriculum over 18 months, in English at IPAG, by being admitted onto the 4th year or fifht year.

After your joining mid-year in your new studies, you continue your studies in a classic way with internships in business, apprenticeship opportunities, expatriation and a dual degree. Be aware that the success rates and employment rates for our graduates following this path are exactly the same as for students starting in September.