BackThe 'Grandes Ecoles'

Every year over 20,000 senior executives for the industrial and business community of France hold degrees from 'Grandes Ecoles'. Over 60% of the managing directors and chief executives of France's 100 largest firms are graduates of the 'Grandes Ecoles'(GE). Broad courses of study enable them to assume top positions and offer them different career possibilities. In France, the graduate engineer enjoys a very prestigious social status and is bound to be a decision-maker in the course of his career.

French engineers and managers have played a key role in well-known achievements such as the GV (High Speed Train), the Renault Motor, the Channel Tunnel, the Smart Card, Civil nuclear technology, telecommunication and observation satellites.

The 'Grandes Ecoles' are institutions of higher education which are either public (placed under the authority of the Ministry of Education as well as six other ministries), private, or placed under the authority of the chambers of commerce and industry.

They are distinguished by their:

  • great autonomy - every year they test and implement numerous innovations, concerning admission, educational methods, internships, research and international relations
  • autonomous educational project
  • human scale (300 to 4.000 students)
  • rigorous selection
  • long-track programmes (5 years)
  • internal and external faculty members
  • flexible educational programmes
    strong links with industry and business, enabling them to constantly adapt their programmes and to meet its needs
  • international activities - numerous networks, agreements, double degrees

    What fields do they cover? All fields of Engineering and Science, Business and Management. Course length will vary from 3-5 years.

    Accreditation: In 1999, there were 240 institutions accredited by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieurs - 135 are member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles

The 'Grandes Ecoles d'Ingenieurs'

  • The majority of the Grandes Ecoles offer three-year programmes.
    Students wanting to enter a Grande Ecole must attend the 'classes préparatoires' which are specific two-year undergraduate programme with intensive training in mathematics, physics and chemistry, amongst other fields. At the end of the 'classes préparatoires' they must take a selective nation-wide 'concours' (examination) and be admitted in a Grande Ecole according to their ranking, where they will then pursue three years of engineering studies, including :
    • two years of general training in engineering
    • one year of specialisation
    • internships in companies
  • Some Grandes Ecoles offer 5-year programmes and will then admit the students directly with the 'baccalauréat' (end of secondary school diploma).
  • Transfer possibilities

    Holders of an academic degree may apply through a selective admission process to a Grande Ecole.

Engineering studies at the universities last three years. Admission is possible for holders of academic degrees after two years of academic studies.

Management Studies
These are similarly in structure to engineering studies:

  • the majority of management schools offer three-year programmes. Students must attend the 'classes préparatoires' which are specific two-year undergraduate programme with intensive training in mathematics, economics and languages, amongst other fields. At the end of the 'classes préparatoires' they must take a selective nation-wide 'concours' (examination) and will be admitted according to their ranking.

The three-year studies include :

    • two years of general training in economics and management
    • one year of specialisation
    • internships in companies

Holders of an academic degree may apply through a selective admission process to a Grande Ecole.

Only fifty management schools award a degree ('diplôme de Grande Ecole' = Master in Management) which is recognised by the Ministry of Education: thirty of them are members of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles.

Post-Graduate Programmes
Most Grandes Ecoles have post-graduate programmes for holders of engineering or management degrees: MBA, 'Mastères spécialisés', specialisations and research studies. In some of them the students can prepare a PhD, which is mainly delivered in cooperation with a university.

What is a Mastère spécialisé?

  • A specialised programme: a post-graduate, training course, which lasts a year or more. It is a highly specialized, integrated programme with:
    • 250 hours of lectures
    • practical training (laboratory or research and group work)
    • individual research project based on a training period of a minimum of four months in a laboratory or in industry
      • followed by the defense of a written thesis
  • Accreditation: Created by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, it is accredited by a special commission of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. Only member schools of Conférence des Grandes may offer 'Mastères spécialisés', either in engineering or management.
  • Who is eligible? Students with a degree in engineering or management (five years) or equivalent degree-holders

Why Come to France?
French engineers are known for their technical skills and expertise, as well as broadly-based scientific knowledge enabling them to manage large-scale projects.

Coming to France means living in an intellectual environment in which the spirit of innovation and creativity challenges the sway of history and tradition, new approaches to career opportunities in international fields and multinational corporations.

Education in engineering and management includes an international dimension (recognising the importance of foreign languages) and active links with companies. Academic supervision and student guidance are facilitated by the human scale of a 'Grande Ecole'. Many clubs and student organisations provide a friendly environment.

Tuition fees are low in public 'Grandes Ecoles', but fees for 'Mastère spécialisé' programmes may be higher.

The 'Conference des Grandes Ecoles
This is an association which promotes the 'Grandes Ecoles' system in the higher education and industrial community, shapes policies and advocates programmes to ensure the quality of education at all levels.

Its members are 135 Grandes Ecoles of engineering

30 Grandes Ecoles of management
20 other institutions with different specialities such as the 'Ecoles Normales Supérieures'.
10 foreign universities (including Belgium, Spain and Portugal) with engineering and management programmes

Consult our web site: www.cge.asso.fr which gives access to the web sites of member schools.