Study Engineering in France

France owes its performances to its research capacity and to its success in domains as different as space, transports, electronics and telecommunications.

The classical model of the specifically French engineering education system includes two stages:

• Two years of preparatory classes (Classes Preparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles Scientifiques). Preparatory sections are part of same high schools. In these sections, students are being prepared to competitive examinations for entering Engineering Schools (Grandes Ecoles Scientifiques technically oriented). A few schools of education (Ecoles Normales Superieures, more scientifically oriented) also recruit that way.
  
  
• Three years of higher technical education within schools.

Nplusi:

Nplusi (http://www.nplusi.com) is a unique concept of the French government to facilitate studies in French Engineering Institutes for master’s degree programme. It is open to all the students across the world. The eligibility criterion for admission is a bachelor’s degree in engineering in an appropriate branch, from an AICTE recognized institute or university. The engineering courses in France stress heavily on practical applications. Emphasis is also placed on student’s ability to think and to explain their thought processes. Besides, French teaching methodology is based on mathematical models and techniques.

Through the NplusI a student gets special training in project management and team management concepts. A student gets about six months of time whereby one can get paid for the work done as part of internship or project work.

Companies whatever their size participate closely in the training of French engineers. These partnerships are meant to provide graduates with suitable professional training and prepare them for future responsibilities. NplusI is a unique network connecting corporate in the whole world with the most prestigious French engineering institutes (including"Grandes Ecoles"). Presently NplusI has partnership with some of the leading French companies such as Total, France Telecom,Dassault, EDF, ST Microlectronics, Thales, and the like. These companies fund all or part of a student’s course and in return the student has to complete his internship and/ or final year project in the company. Besides company sponsorship, a prospective student can also apply for embassy scholarship and the Eiffel scholarship.

The master’s degree programme offered by NplusI is internationally recognized through the Bologna process. In addition to the international recognition of the qualification through the Bologna agreement which has been signed by 45 countries, the Commission des Titres d’Ingenieur– CTI, i.e. equivalent to India AICTE - has entered into an official agreement with accreditation body for engineering courses such as ABET (Accredition Board for Engineering and Technologies) in the USA and Bureau Canadian d’Accreditation des Programmemes d’Ingenerie (BCAPI) in Canada.

The complete NplusI application procedure is online and user friendly. It typically means sending one FREE online application which is then sent to 63 engineering schools on the Nplusi network. One has to get registered on the NplusI web site (www.nplusi.com) and fill the all the required online forms. One can also take help from various Edufrance desks that are available in all the major cities (www.edufrance.in) or can contact the country representative of Nplusi based in Delhi at 2, Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi. The language barrier that stops many student, disappears once the students goes through the Nplusi two months language training programme in some of the best schools in France.

The cost of a two year master’s degree programme in France is relatively low as compared to other countries. Almost 50 per cent of the tuition fee is subsidized by the French government. For the remaining part,  deserving students can get funding from varied sources. One can also work as part time student for as much as 20 hours a week and get paid moderately. It is beneficial to pursue a master’s degree engineering programme through the NplusI channel.

Besides Nplusi there are various other programmes. Following are the reputed and recognised schools of engineering:

• Telecommunications-The two top schools which offer the programmme in English in this field are: ISEP (www.isep.fr) and GET (www.get-telecommunication.fr).
  
  
• GET is a group of seven institutes, of Telecom Paris, ENST Bretagne, INT Management, Telecom INT, Eurecom, IAAI. The programmmes are bilingual– in English and in French.
  

• GEM, Groupe des Ecoles des Mines (www.emse.fr) is a group of engineering schools spread across seven different cities. Majority of the teaching is done in English. Masters Programmmes covers different topics like Entrepreneurship and Technology, Design Manufacturing, Innovation Strategy, Material Engineering, Industrial Economy and International Management,Project Management for Environmental and Energy Engineering, Management of Logistic and Production Systems, Preservation and Management of cultural heritage, Computer Science.

• ESTACA (www.estaca.fr) is a reputed school. It offers a four-month Computer Aided Engineering and Design applied to Automative and Aeronautics, taught entirely in English. The Safety of Transportation Systems is taught in English too. They have recently come up with a new programme called the Euromind which is a European Master in Design& Technology of advanced Vehicle Systems.

• The INSA (www.insa-lyon.fr) programme is present in four cities of France: Lyon, Toulouse, Rennes and Rouen.
  It is taught in French, but it puts focus on students coming from non-french speaking countries, especially Asia and hence their programme is named ASINSA (i.e. Asia + Insa). It covers eight fields of specialization. In order, to register for this programme, it is advisable for the students to learn French.
  

• ISEP (www.isep.org/students/) is situated in the capital city and offers two semesters of entrance for its Masters courses.
  The regular October term has Master of Science in Information Technology, with Major in (1) Information Systems, (2) Telecommunications& Mobiles and (3) System Integration and Project Management.
  

Top 5  Engineering colleges in France:

1. École Polytechnique
   The École Polytechnique is undoubtedly the best engineering university in France today. It is the only French institution to be ranked within the top 50 engineering/technology universities in the "Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009." These globally recognized rankings place École Polytechnique as the 38th best engineering university in the world. The university is a comparatively small state-run engineering school in Palaiseau, near Paris.
   
   Contact:
   École Polytechnique
   91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
   011-33-01-6933-3333
   Website:www.polytechnique.edu
   
   
2. Ecole Normale Superieure
   The Ecole Normale Superieure is ranked as the 84th best engineering university in the world by the "Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009." The Ecole Normale Superieure is located in Paris and is regarded as one of France's most prestigious universities.
   
   Contact:
   École normale supérieure
   45, rue d'Ulm
   F-75230 Paris cedex 05
   011-33-01-4432-3000
   Website:www.ens.fr
   
   
3. University Pierre and Marie Curie
   The University Pierre and Marie Curie is ranked as the 116th best engineering university in the world by the "Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009." The university is located in Paris and is the largest scientific and medical complex in France with 120 laboratories and 3,500 doctoral students.
   
   Contact:
   UPMC
   4 place Jussieu 75005, Paris, France
   011-33-1-4427-4427
   Website:www.upmc.fr
   
   
4. Joseph Fourier University
   Joseph Fourier University is ranked as the 132nd best engineering university in the world by the "Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009." The university is located in the city of Grenoble and has 17,000 students.
   
   Contact:
   Université Joseph Fourier
   BP 53 - 38041
   Grenoble Cedex 9
   011-33-4-7651-4600
   Website:www.ujf-grenoble.fr
   
   
5. École nationale des ponts et chaussées
   The École nationale des ponts et chaussées is ranked as the 186th best engineering university in the world by the "Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009." The university is the located in a suburb of Paris and is one of the worlds oldest engineering institutes.
   
   Contact:
   École nationale des ponts et chaussées
   6 - 8 Avenue Blaise Pascal
   Cité Descartes
   77455 Champs-sur-Marne
   Marne la Vallée cedex 2
   011-33-1-6415-3000
   Website:www.enpc.fr