How will the new “My Master” platform work?

Stop human waste. For several years, hundreds of students who completed their three-year bachelor’s studies did not find a university that would accept them for a master’s degree. The Ministry of Higher Education is launching a new platform called “Ustadim” this Wednesday, which will facilitate the appointment of students online, in order to limit the number of “shut-outs”. 20 minutes gives you his instructions.

What training will be offered?

All national master’s degrees. “But not those who give a master’s degree”, says the Ministry of Higher Education. So get out of specialized masters and MBA. About 185,000 places for masters will be offered on the platform, which knows that about 165,000 students have an L3 level every year. Only the latter do not apply, as graduates of professional licenses and foreign students also apply. “The most in-demand majors are law, psychology, economics-management and life sciences,” says Rue Descartes.

How many wishes can you make?

Students will be able to apply for 15 master’s degrees in classical education, and another 15 for work-study. “This is a way to increase their chances and avoid the phenomena of self-censorship”, – comments around the Minister of Higher Education and Research Silvie Retallo. The calculation of these applications will be carried out by registering the master’s student within that faculty. Therefore, a student may apply for several courses offered within the same master’s degree, which will count as only one application. For example, if he applies for “Private Law” at University X, even if he applies for “Property Transactions Law” and “General Private Law” courses, it will count as only one application.

What are the different stages of the procedure?

From this Wednesday until March 22, students will be able to apply for master’s leaflets, which contain a lot of interesting information: the content of the training, its admission possibilities, expected skills, recommended license records, opportunities… From March 22 and April 18 at 23:00: They should submit their applications by 59 once. Universities will then be given a little more than two months to analyze the documents received. June 23 will be a great day for students, as they will discover the first answers to their wishes, which will last until July 21. They can either accept the offer outright, reject it, or temporarily accept it if places are available, keeping their other requests on the waiting list.

But be careful: only one offer can be definitively accepted. For an offer received by June 24, the student must make a decision no later than June 26 at 11:59 p.m. And after that date, when he is presented with new offers, he will have 24 hours to make a decision.

What are the selection criteria for study teams?

Unlike Parcoursup, “My Master” will not perform the first sorting of applications. “This is not an algorithm, but a transmission line between candidates and universities,” the ministry insists. Each group of teachers defines its own selection criteria. The candidate’s project, motivation, consistency of career, grades are evaluated. Some universities may invite candidates to a written or oral selection from April 24 to June 16.

Will preference be given to students who have completed their undergraduate studies at the university where he is applying for a master’s degree? “One can imagine that special attention will be paid to his candidacy,” declares Rue Descartes without getting too wet.

What if we don’t get any positive responses on July 21st?

The student will be able to contact the rector’s office and request support to find a place at the master’s level. “6,500 candidates took this step in 2021, and 4,200 in 2022. We think this number will decrease even more,” says Sylvie Retailleau’s entourage.

Are there special arrangements for work-study training?

Yes! Answers for the work-study training will be sent by water between April 24 and September 30. They can be positive only if the candidate has concluded a work-study contract with the company or administration. As for the classic method, the candidate can either definitively accept the offer, or reject it, or temporarily accept it, keeping the others given to him. For a bid received by June 24, he must make a decision no later than June 26 at 11:59 p.m. If accepted for training after this date and before July 20, you will have 24 hours to make a decision. For an offer received after July 21, he will have 3 days to make a decision.

Are mobility aid provided to students who will be moving?

Yes, but not for everyone. Only pensioners will be entitled to it and it will amount to 1,000 euros. “Last year, 7,200 students benefited from this assistance,” notes Sylvie Retailleau’s entourage.

What are the expected benefits of this new platform?

According to Sylvie Retailleau’s entourage, it will have several advantages, including “aligning the calendar of applications and speeding up responses to students.” Another goal is to reduce the tension between supply and demand in the university. “Before the platform, students didn’t always think about standing back and blocking places. It was not possible to know the number until the end of the summer. After that, we will know the places that are still available before the summer and will be able to redistribute them better,” the ministry adds.

The issue is all the more important because a growing number of students are going to court to deny admission to graduate schools. Finally, the “administrative burden” of students should be reduced. “They will no longer have sealed kraft envelopes to send to all training,” the ministry comments. And the drop in filing will perhaps encourage more of them to apply for master’s degrees.

What are the trade union warning points?

Student organizations requested a system to improve the visibility of their master’s thesis. But according to UNEF President Imane Ouelhadj, there are still concerns: “We don’t know how the files will be sorted by the universities. And we fear that next year the platform will be configured to sort programs like Parcoursup. “For him, “Ustadim” will not solve the main problem of students, i.e. the lack of places in certain courses such as law, STAPs and psychology. This suggests that many students will still accept the standard offer to avoid a gap year. »