A "Grande École" is a French elite academic institution.
Grandes Écoles are part of an alternative educational system that operates alongside the usual French public university system. They constitute a network of highly selective engineering institutions authorized to award the prestigious "Diplôme National d’Ingénieur" (French Engineering degree). The main feature is the extremely competitive process to enter in Grandes Écoles.After their secondary school diploma ("Baccalauréat"), students can enter into specialized preparatory classes, studying intensively science (maths, physics, technology, …). After having completed 2 or 3 years in these preparatory classes, they take a national competitive examination ("Concours"). The admission of students is based on their national ranking in written and oral examinations which are organized annually by the French Ministry of Education.
They spend three years in the Grandes Écoles (last year of bachelor, and graduate studies). At the end of these three years they are awarded the "Diplôme d’Ingénieur". The degree is accredited by the "Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur" (CTI).
The engineering degree is therefore comparable in educational level to a Master’s of Science, although it is frequently broader in scope.
Ensimag ranks among the very best Grandes Écoles and trains highly-skilled students in the fields of Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences at undergraduate (bachelor 3) and graduate levels.
Specific features:
- Highly selective admission process
- Small size: at most 500 graduates per year
- Strong links with Industry and Research
- An approach based on fundamentals, with a strong emphasis on mathematics