Studies of engineers in France

This article treats training of the engineers. For more information on the trade of engineer, to see Engineer.

France has the characteristic to lay out, in addition to the universities, of schools of engineer . Those are characterized in particular by a selection at the entry. The studies on the whole last 5 years (including 2 years of classes preparatory) and lead to a diploma for the occupation of engineer. The student becomes thus qualified engineer .

Engineer and qualified engineer

The engineer is before a whole organizer of team and a manager (it practices the Management) which must compose with other collaborators (working, technicians) to ensure the production (of goods or services), to develop new tools or produced (machines, software, methods) and to optimize the processes. He must have solids bases scientific and technological in order to include/understand the concerned processes and to thus be able to make them evolve/move.
L' engineer is subjected to a need for continuing education if there wants to remain powerful and must, consequently, for practicing regularly activities of Technological survey.

A student of a school entitled by CTI becomes after his studies “qualified engineer”. Only those have this title. Since 1934, a person usurping the title of engineer is liable to a one year imprisonment and a fine of 15.000 euros. The professional master, is a national diploma sanctioning a training in 2 years after the license with vocation " professionnelle" as its heading indicates it. For the scientific disciplines, this formation thus has a vocation close to that driving with the diploma for the occupation of engineer, however the holder of a professional master does not have a title of qualified engineer.

The National council of the Engineers and Scientists of France (CNISF) class engineers in three categories:

Qualified engineers (ID), i.e. those which are titular of a diploma for the occupation of engineer recognized by CTI,
Engineer Reconnu of Scientific Origin (IRS), i.e. those titular of university scientific Bac+5 or a scientific title recognized CNCP level I,
Engineer Reconnu (IR), i.e. those titular of scientific Bac+2 and which exerted, for a certain length of time, functions of engineer.

Let us note that in France, the term “engineer” is also used in connection with several functions or education levels:

Qualified engineer : holder of a title of “ qualified engineer ” (baccalaureat +5) conferred by a diploma for the occupation of engineer delivered by an establishment of higher education entitled by the State. The diploma for the occupation of engineer confers the rank of master.
Engineer-Master : titrate granted to certain graduates of a Academic institute professionnalized (IUP, bac+4),
Engineer of studies or Engineer of research : member of the body of civils servant éponyme in station in the research organizations such as the CNRS, which is not necessarily titular of a diploma for the occupation of engineer.

General information on the schools of engineers

In France, the diploma for the occupation of engineer is obtained in a school of engineers. The students receive there a formation scientific, technical and methodological thorough. The practical application of this formation is supported by training courses, industrial projects, even for some by alternation. In the majority of the cases, the studies last 5 years after the scientific baccalaureat.

The first two years, known as classes prépa are very theoretical. They are often made in colleges and make it possible to prepare the entrance examinations of schools (CPGE). It is also possible to integrate the school right after the vat, the prépa known as “is then integrated”.

There exists very standard schools (public/private, independent/integrated into a university…) however to deliver a diploma for the occupation of engineer, the establishments must be entitled by the French Ministre for Higher education after investigation and approval of the Commission of the titles of engineer concerning inter alia the quality of the formation. This Commission diffuses each year, with the official journal, the list of the schools entitled to deliver diplomas for the occupation of engineer. In the event of refusal on behalf of the Commission of the titles of engineer, the school can make call near the Superior council of education. With first January 2006, 220 establishments, of which 11 establishments of specialization (formations which is addressed to qualified engineers), are entitled to deliver 450 diplomas for the occupation of engineers including 90 by the specific way of continuing education and/or training. Since 1999, the rank of master is conferred by the State on any holder of a title of qualified engineer.

Since about fifteen years of the trainings of engineers " by alternance" , inspired by country like Germany, also were born: the pupils alternate periods in company and school during their schooling. These graduates, in spite of a formal training and general less pushed, are above all the engineers " of terrain" and specialized.

The schools general practitioners (Central Polytechnic school, Paris, Mines of Paris…) are most famous. Among the other most considered establishments, one can quote after preparatory class: the ENSTA, Supélec, Supaéro, the Ensam, ENPC, Telecom Paris, INT, the École des Mines (of St-Etienne and Nancy), the Central Schools, INP… and after baccalaureat: UT, INSA, ENI…

Since the beginning of the years 1990, to face a deficit of engineers which was felt in the companies, the Université set up of the more accessible courses preparing to exert similar functions (masters professional with technological speciality or formation in IUP - however these formations are not approved by the Commission of the titles of engineer and thus do not deliver the title of qualified engineer .

Entry in " school of ingénieurs"

Contrary to the university general dies leading to the license, the schools of engineers, who can be interns at the universities, organize a selection of the candidates, which can be done on file or contest, according to the school and the course of the candidate. The universities can also organize a selection for the access to the preparation of the professional master or seeks.

There exist various ways of entering a school of engineers:

after 1 or 2 year (S) of Preparatory class at the scientific universities, ensuring an mainstream education, follow-ups of the success to a contest specific to a school or a group of schools (common contests);
after 1 year of preparatory class ATS (BTS/IUT followed by one year of prépa specific), while passing the corresponding contest then;
directly at the exit of the baccalaureat while choosing, either a school of engineer in five years, or a school called to integrated preparatory class, or a grouping of schools proposing a training in two years communes with the whole of the schools of the grouping (the such Prépa-INP);
after a formation diplômante two years after the baccalaureat (other that a preparatory class) which can be a second year of License, a HAD or a BTS in certain schools;
after obtaining a license, control or at the end of the first year of training to the university Master; in this case the selection is done on file, to enter directly in first or second year.
after preliminary track records as a high-level technicien (Descomps die).

Notes and references of the article

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