Preparatory class for the conservator entrance exams

La classe préparatoire aux concours de conservateur de l'École du Louvre is open to candidates wishing to prepare for the external and internal State, City of Paris and territorial curatorial competitions. These competitions are reserved for candidates of French nationality and European nationals.

About 20 hours of weekly classes
(September to June)

Courses taken by all students:

• Master classes in dissertation preparation
• Master classes in commentary on works of art
• Methodology
• Courses on heritage professions
• Courses on the history of ideas and current research
• Homework (practice for competitive exam tests)

Courses taken by groups of students:

• Language courses: German, English, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek (courses available at the École nationale des chartes and the EPHE)
• Training sessions and corrected essays, commentaries on works, cultural notes
• Oral training sessions for students eligible to take the curatorial competitive examination

The teaching aims less to provide knowledge than to perfect students' skills in the various types of test (essays, written and oral analysis of works, conversation with the jury, languages).

Teaching is entrusted to a team of professional lecturers chosen for their quality and specialization (curators, researchers, academics, associate professors and scientific staff from museums and heritage).

Admission requirements

Serious knowledge of history, art history and ethnology is required.

The candidate must satisfy one of the following conditions:

• have a diploma in museology (Master 1) or a graduate diploma (Master 2) from the École du Louvre
• have a Master 1 or Master 2 in art history and archaeology
• have. a Master 1 or 2 in another humanities discipline
• be a student at the École Normale Supérieure
• be a student at the École des Chartes

Application procedure and selection criteria:

Student selection is carried out in two stages:

• Examination on file
  - Academic level
  - Suitability of the training envisaged with the candidate's previous training and professional project.
• Interview
  Each application will be examined by a jury. This year, as the Olympic Games may make access to the Ecole du Louvre difficult for some candidates, selections will be made solely on the basis of the candidate's application file, without an interview, to ensure fair treatment. An answer will be given during July.

Application file:

• Fill in the online application form
  (available from mid-April)

The application deadline is May 31, 2024.

As the tuition committee is sovereign, it reserves the right to admit students who do not meet these conditions.

Selection of applications:
Applicants selected on the basis of their applications are invited to a probationary interview between mid-June and early July.

• Conservative preparatory class registration fee (2023-2024): 589 euros.

Special rate for trainees from formation continue

Organization of competitive examinations:

• Institut national du patrimoine
• Centre national de la Fonction publique territoriale

Preparatory class students may exceptionally apply for financial aid:
"allocation pour la diversité dans la fonction publique" (Prefecture of the Île-de-France region).

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