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 their 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 projects;
Human scale (300 to 4000 students);
Rigorous selection;
Long-track programs (5 years);
Both internal and external faculty members;
Flexible educational programs;
Strong links with industry and business, enabling them to constantly adapt their programs 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 to 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 programs. Students wishing to enter a Grande Ecole must attend the 'classes préparatoires', which are specific two-year undergraduate programs 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 programs and will then admit the students directly with the 'baccalauréat' (end of secondary school diploma).

Transfer Possibilities

Holders of an academic degree may also 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 similar in structure to engineering studies:

The majority of management schools offer three-year programs. Students must attend the 'classes préparatoires', which are specific two-year undergraduate programs with intensive training in many subjects, including mathematics, economics and languages. 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.

Graduate Programs

Most Grandes Ecoles have graduate programs 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 graduate training course, which lasts a year or more.

An integrated program with 250 hours of lectures of:

Practical training (laboratory or research and group work)
Individual research project based on a training period

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.

French engineers are known for their technical skills and expertise, as well as broad-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, with new approaches to career opportunities in international fields and multinational corporations.

Education in engineering and management includes a strong international dimension, that recognises the importance of foreign languages, and maintains 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' programs 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, shaping policies and advocating programs to ensure 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 programs.