Graduating with a BSc in Computer Science or IT? Where a three-year science degree in computing lands in a French master’s, which parts of the first year you will find familiar and which will be new, how to prepare in the months before you leave, how the Year 2 tracks differ, and what two years cost in rupees.
Where does a BSc Computer Science land in a French master’s?
In the first year, with a head start that the curriculum quickly uses.
Campus France India summarises the India-France recognition agreement in one line that matters here: a bachelor’s degree in India is comparable to the French licence, the first cycle that a French master’s builds on. In the LMD system, Campus France adds, the master’s takes four more semesters and 120 ECTS after the licence. A three-year BSc in Computer Science, IT or Computer Applications therefore points to Year 1, the start of a two-year master’s.
We cover the general case, credits included, in our guide to the master’s in France with a three-year degree. This page is about something narrower: what a science degree in computing brings to an applied AI master’s, and how to choose your track. If your degree is a newer four-year BSc with honours, the AI2 pages describe the 18-month direct entry into Year 2 for a related four- or five-year degree, subject to academic review; ask admissions to assess it.
| Your degree | AI2 route on the programme pages | Data Science | Cybersecurity | IoT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc Computer Science, three years | MSc, 2 years | Computing, mathematics, engineering or science bachelor’s | Relevant bachelor’s, particularly computing or networks | Relevant bachelor’s in computing, electronics, networks or engineering |
| BSc IT, three years | MSc, 2 years | Accepted as computing | A natural fit if it included networks | Accepted as computing |
| BSc Mathematics, Physics or Electronics, three years | MSc, 2 years | Mathematics and science are named | Check networks and programming content | Electronics is named |
| BSc (Honours), four years, related field | Direct entry 18 months, subject to review | Yes, by review | Yes, by review | Yes, by review |
What you will recognise in Year 1, and what will be new
A computing degree covers the code; Year 1 adds data at scale, industry and law.
AI2’s Year 1 is shared by its three MSc programmes. It splits into 217 hours of programming, data and machine learning, 126 hours of industrial information systems, 66.5 hours of cloud, industry and law, 45.5 hours of projects and 45 hours of examinations. A BSc graduate usually moves fast through the first block. The second block is different: it brings in the plant-floor chain that AI systems in industry run on.
| Year 1 module | Hours | Likely starting point after a BSc CS or IT | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial IS Needs Analysis (BPMN, UML) | 35 h | UML from a software engineering paper, if any | Sensors to PLC, SCADA, MES and ERP; a functional specification defended before a jury |
| Industrial IS Architecture (C4, UML, Figma) | 49 h | Networking and security basics | Functional, data, network and security architecture; DMZ, VPN, VLAN, IAM; GDPR |
| IS Prototyping and Simulation | 42 h | Web or app development projects | HMI prototypes, simulated sensor flows, REST components, a mini digital twin and a live demo |
| Data Visualisation and Storytelling | 35 h | Charts in Python or spreadsheets | Tableau Desktop and Prep, interactive dashboards, presenting to decision makers |
| NLP and Industrial Text Mining | 21 h | Often new | Tokenisation, TF-IDF, embeddings, text classification and clustering |
| AI for Industry | 24.5 h | Often new | Predictive maintenance, visual quality control, digital twins, IoT and edge |
| AI Law and Ethics | 21 h | Rarely covered | GDPR, EU AI Act risk classes, bias and fairness, intellectual property |
The year closes with three jury projects: a machine-learning project, the industrial needs-analysis file and a capstone that goes from raw data to a deployed application. Subjects are typically weighted 30% practice, 40% project and 30% exam, the pass mark is 10 out of 20 per semester, and resits take place in June.
What a BSc in Computer Science or IT brings to the table
Admissions reads three things: programming, maths and evidence of finished work.
Programming you can show
Maths you can use
Systems you understand
Projects you finished
BSc IT graduates often have more networking and web content; BSc Computer Science graduates often have more theory and algorithms. Neither is better for AI2’s Year 1. What helps is matching your strongest papers to the track you are heading for in Year 2, which the next sections cover.
A three-month preparation plan before you fly
Use the months between your offer and the intake for the gaps the table above revealed.
- 1Month 1: statistics and linear algebraProbability, distributions, hypothesis tests, then matrices and vectors. Solve problems on paper first; the libraries come later.
- 2Month 1: one dataset, start to finishPick a public dataset, clean it in Pandas, train two or three models with scikit-learn, compare them with proper metrics and write up what you found.
- 3Month 2: read a business processLearn the basics of BPMN and draw one real process you know, such as an order or a repair. It is the language of the needs-analysis module.
- 4Month 2: networks, if you aim for cyber or IoTRevise the OSI and TCP/IP models, addressing and basic firewall rules. Once enrolled, AI2 students have free access to Cisco Networking Academy.
- 5Month 3: put it on GitPush your dataset project and your final-year project to a public repository with a clear README. Admissions and later employers will look.
- 6Month 3: English proof and statement of purposeBook IELTS (6.0 is the B2 score AI2 asks for) or TOEFL iBT (72), unless your medium-of-instruction certificate is accepted instead. Then write one page linking your BSc to the track you want.
Choosing your Year 2 track: data science, cybersecurity or IoT
You decide in May of Year 1, after an orientation interview; all three tracks are open to Year 1 graduates.
| Data Science | Cybersecurity | IoT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 hours | 500 h | 500 h | 420 h |
| Core of the year | 224 h of certification blocks, then language models, vision, AI agents and model deployment, with business data all year | The certification blocks taught and assessed through cyber cases, with a track covering cryptography, incident response, threat intelligence and the protection of AI systems themselves | Five competency blocks running from scoping an IoT project to secure platforms, supervision and edge AI on sensor data |
| Suits a BSc graduate who liked | Statistics, algorithms, data projects | Networks, operating systems, security electives | Embedded systems, networks, electronics |
| Professional title | RNCP39978, Information Systems Architect for Industrial Processes | RNCP39978, Information Systems Architect for Industrial Processes | RNCP40554, Internet of Things (IoT) Architect |
Whichever track you pick, the final year leads to the AI2 MSc diploma and prepares a level 7 (EQF 7) professional certification recognised by the French State and registered in the RNCP; DATAKOO, AI2’s parent company, is the certifier. RNCP registration is one of the cases in which, according to Campus France, the State guarantees the value of a French qualification. Course lists: Data Science, Cybersecurity, IoT.
Two years in France after a BSc: the budget in rupees
Two tuition fees, two years of living costs, and some income in Year 2.
We convert at ₹106.2145 to the euro (FBIL reference rate shown on the RBI website, 29 October 2026, 1.00 pm) and round the result. When you enter in Year 1, the AI2 scholarship applies to that first year; the amount for Year 2 is stated in your admission letter.
| Item | Euros | Rupees | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Year 1 tuition, standard | €12,500 | ₹13.28 lakh | AI2 tuition fees |
| MSc Year 1 with an AI2 scholarship, from | €10,500 | ₹11.15 lakh | AI2 tuition fees |
| MSc Year 2 tuition | €13,000 | ₹13.81 lakh | AI2 tuition fees |
| Visa resources, per month | €877.50 | ₹93,203 | Service-Public F2231 |
| Monthly living budget near Paris, housing included | €900 to €1,700 | ₹95,593 to ₹1.81 lakh | AI2 estimate |
| Études en France processing fee | INR 20,000 | Campus France India, since 1 August 2026 |
Tuition alone comes to €25,500 over two years at list price, about ₹27.08 lakh, or from €23,500, about ₹24.96 lakh, with a Year 1 scholarship at the reference amount. The visa resources for each year come on top. Year 2 can change the equation: work-study may be available from the second year in France, with tuition funded by the employer’s training-fund operator and a salary, subject to eligibility and a separate employer contract; and during the final six months in a company the intern must be paid at least €4.50 per hour of internship in 2026, according to Service-Public F32131. Admission guarantees neither the contract nor the internship offer.
During your studies, a student permit allows paid work of up to 964 hours a year (Service-Public F2713); our guide to part-time jobs in France for Indian students explains what that means in practice. For funding, see scholarships in France for Indian students and the AI2 tuition fees page.
Visa and calendar for a BSc graduate
Work back from the intake: the visa file needs three clear months.
Campus France India wants the visa file in as soon as the unconditional offer arrives, and no later than three months ahead of the start date. The sequence is fixed: the Études en France file, its validation and fee, an in-person academic interview, then the France-Visas form and a VFS appointment for biometrics. Once in France, you have three months to validate your VLS-TS student visa online.
| Intake | What AI2 publishes |
|---|---|
| February 2027 | Applications open 1 September 2026; priority deadline and complete visa file 30 November 2026; enrolment and deposit 15 December 2026 |
| May 2027 | Contact admissions for current deadlines |
| September 2027 | Contact admissions for current deadlines |
If you graduate in May or June, the September 2027 intake usually gives the most comfortable timeline for final mark sheets and the provisional certificate. The document checklist and interview preparation are in our France student visa guide from India.
Where a BSc plus a French master’s can lead
The master’s-level diploma, not the bachelor’s, sets your options after graduation.
France Compétences publishes, for each title, the kinds of jobs it leads to. For RNCP39978 these include architect of industrial solutions, consultant in industrial information systems, head of technological innovation and AI engineer for industry, in employers ranging from large groups and SMEs to consultancies and public bodies. For RNCP40554 the sheet names IoT consultant, IoT integration engineer, IoT technical lead and IoT security expert, among others. On AI2’s side, the programme pages add roles such as data analyst, SOC analyst, NIS2 compliance consultant and digital-twin engineer.
To stay on after graduating, the permit to look for a job or create a company lasts one year and is aimed at holders of a French diploma at least at master’s level (Service-Public F17319); Indian graduates can also use the bilateral post-study visa, 12 months renewable once, presented by Campus France India. A BSc graduate who compared other paths may also find our page on master’s in France after a BCA useful: the entry year is the same, the starting syllabus is not.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a master’s in France after a BSc in Computer Science?
Yes. The India-France recognition agreement, as summarised by Campus France India, pairs the Indian bachelor’s with the French licence. With a three-year BSc in Computer Science or IT you normally start in the first year of a two-year master’s.
Is a three-year BSc enough for an MSc in France?
Yes, for Year 1. In the French system a master’s adds four semesters and 120 ECTS after a bachelor’s of six semesters. AI2 names the three-year BSc among the degrees that open its two-year MSc.
Can a BSc IT graduate apply for an AI or data science master’s?
Yes. AI2’s Data Science MSc accepts a three-year bachelor’s in computing, mathematics, engineering or science, and its IoT page confirms that a computer science degree is accepted instead of electronics.
What will be new in Year 1 after a BSc Computer Science?
Mostly the industrial side: needs analysis with BPMN and UML, industrial IS architecture, prototyping and simulation, plus NLP, AI for industry and AI law and ethics. Programming and databases build on your degree.
When do I choose between data science, cybersecurity and IoT?
In May of Year 1, after an orientation interview. All three Year 2 tracks are open to Year 1 graduates, followed by a six-month internship in France.
How much does a two-year master’s in France cost after a BSc?
At AI2, Year 1 is €12,500, or from €10,500 after scholarship, and Year 2 is €13,000. The student visa also requires resources of at least €877.50 a month.
Do I need GRE or French for a master’s at AI2?
No. GRE and GMAT are not required, and French is not an admission requirement. Programmes are taught in English and AI2 asks for B2 English, such as IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 72.
Sources consulted on 30 October 2026: Campus France India: mutual recognition of academic qualifications · Campus France India: visa procedure · Campus France India: increase in Études en France fees · Campus France India: post-study visa · Campus France: French degrees, LMD system and equivalences · Service-Public: student visa, F2231 (verified 1 August 2026) · Service-Public: work for foreign students, F2713 (verified 7 October 2025) · Service-Public: internship gratification, F32131 (verified 1 January 2026) · Service-Public: job-search permit, F17319 (verified 1 June 2026) · France Compétences: RNCP39978 · France Compétences: RNCP40554 · Reserve Bank of India: FBIL reference rates · AI2: MSc Applied AI and Data Science · AI2: MSc Applied AI & Cybersecurity · AI2: MSc Applied AI & IoT · AI2: tuition fees 2027 · AI2: scholarships
Send your BSc mark sheets: AI2 admissions confirms your entry year in writing, holds your online interview and assesses you for the AI2 scholarship. Priority deadline for February 2027: 30 November 2026.
