Exchange students

Admission

If you are enrolled at a partner institution, you can apply for an exchange programme for a duration of one or two semesters. During this exchange, you can take first-, second- or third-year engineering courses, or Master’s courses (M1 or M2). Your university will provide you with the information you need to apply. Please check with your institution that an exchange agreement exists between your university and Grenoble INP - Ensimag, UGA. Exchange students must have studied for at least two years at their home university before applying.
 

Course programme

1. Pre-selection of courses
When applying, the home university determines the courses to be taken at Grenoble INP - Ensimag, UGA, which are listed in the Learning Agreement signed by the student and their university. It is recommended that students take at least 15 ECTS of science courses per semester.

2. Academic verification
The Ensimag admissions committee ensures that students meet the prerequisites for the courses they have chosen. The International Relations Office issues a letter of admission based on the committee’s decisions.

3. Approval on arrival
Upon arrival at Ensimag, students check for any timetable conflicts and the International Relations Office gives final approval to their programme.

4. Commitment and recognition
Students commit to taking the exams for the courses they have chosen. Results are sent to students and their home university for credit transfer at the end of each semester.

How to apply

Information on how to apply is available on the Grenoble INP - UGA’s website: 

Apply

As an exchange student, you are enrolled at both your home university and Grenoble INP – Ensimag. You pay enrolment fees only at your home university and are exempt from paying them at Ensimag.

Schedule for applications 

We look forward to welcoming you to at Ensimag! Below you will find all the information you need to help you get ready. Please take the time to read all the sections and contact us at incoming@ensimag.fr if you need any further information.

These dates are indicative and are subject to change.

Fall semester/ full year:
1. Nomination by your university: 1 March to 7 April
2. Application to Ensimag: 1 March to 30 April
3. Decision on acceptance or rejection: mid-May
4. Accommodation application: until mid-June

Spring semester:
1. Nomination by your university: 15 September to 25 October
2. Application to Ensimag: 16 September to 7 November
3. Decision on acceptance or rejection: mid-November
4. Accommodation application: until mid-November

Academic calendar 2025/2026

These dates are indicative and are subject to change.

Fall semester:

• Intensive French week: Monday 25 to Friday 29 August 2025
• Extended French course: 29/09/2025 to 19/12/2025
• Welcome meeting for exchange and dual degree students: Thursday 18 September 2025
• 1st year engineering: 27/08/2025 to 09/01/2026
• 2nd year engineering: 01/09/2025 to 30/01/2026
• 3rd year engineering: 15/01/2025 to 04/02/2026 (in 3rd year Financial Engineering 28/08/2025 to 03/04/2026)
• M1 MoSIG: 25/08/2025 to 19/12/2025 (programming projects take place in January)
• M1 AM: 01/09/2025 to 19/12/2025
• M2 MoSIG, SIAM: 15/09/2025 to 04/02/2026
• M2 Cybersecurity: 15/09/2025 to 23/01/2026
• M2 ORCO: 15/09/2025 to 30/01/2026

Spring semester:

• Welcome meeting for exchange students arriving in the second semester: TBD
• 1st year engineering: 12/01/2026 to 20/05/2026
• 2nd year engineering: 02/02/2026 to 22/05/2026
• 3rd year engineering: End-of-studies project (PFE) from 05/02/2026 (in 3rd year Financial Engineering from 13/04/2026)
• M1 MoSIG: TBD 
• M1 AM: TBD
• M2 MoSIG, SIAM, CySec, ORCO: Master’s thesis from February 2026

Note: Regarding our academic year, please note that courses for odd-numbered semesters (5, 7 and 9) are taught in the autumn semester and courses for even-numbered semesters (6 and 8) are taught in the spring semester. Semester 10 (spring semester) is dedicated to Master’s projects and end-of-study engineering projects.

Dowload academic calendars

How to choose courses

1. Choice of courses
You can choose a year, a semester, an engineering programme or a Master’s specialisation at Ensimag. It is important to note that you cannot take courses from two different years. You can choose between 15 and 30 ECTS depending on your programme.

2. Courses available
See our range of courses on this webpage: Study at Ensimag
Note: The first year of the engineering course at Ensimag corresponds to the third year of a Bachelor’s degree. The notion of a “Grande École” engineering school is typically French. More information on the French higher education system.

3. Exclusions Courses not open for exchange students
Exchange students may not choose courses from the following programmes:

• Work-study programmes
• 3rd year Financial Engineering courses at IAE from the MFQ
• Master programmes: Big Data, RSC, CoDaS
• Specialisation year (post-master programme)

4. Course admission criteria
When selecting the courses to include in your provisional study plan, it is important to choose only those for which you are meeting the prerequisites. Our exchange academic coordinators for international students make the final decisions on admission. If you do not meet the prerequisites, you will not be admitted to certain courses. Moreover some courses have limited hosting capacities, thus we cannot guarantee access to all our courses.

5. Final approval and enrolment
The International Relations Office at Ensimag will give final approval for your course choices upon your arrival at the school. Course enrolment takes place at the beginning of the semester.

6. Academic commitment
Once you have enrolled, you must comply with your academic contract and agree not to change your programme of study after the deadline for changes.

Languages of instruction

All our Engineering courses are taught in French and our Master’s programmes are taught in English.
A minimum B1 level in French is required for exchange students wishing to take courses in French. A minimum B1 level in English is required for exchange students wishing to take courses in English. An A2 level in French is recommended (for everyday life) for students taking courses in English.

Course attendance

At Ensimag, attendance to all academic activities (start of the academic year, lectures, practical work, projects, internships, examinations, etc.) is compulsory. All absences must be justified.

French as a Foreign Language (FLE)

Throughout the year, Grenoble INP - UGA organises courses in French as a Foreign Language (FLE) for international students. These courses are given by CUEF Grenoble. Students can take French courses free of charge as follows:

• an intensive session (20 hours over one week) before the start of the Fall semester
• an extended session (2 hours per week over 10 weeks) during the Fall and/or Spring semester.

It is possible to take both the intensive and extended sessions. These courses are paid for by the school.
Further information on French courses will be sent to you by Ensimag International Relations Office after your admission.

Assessment and grading system

At the end of their exchange period, students will receive a transcript of records of their marks out of 20 and their ECTS credits, to facilitate academic recognition by their home university. This document can also be sent to the home university to explain the French assessment system. Transcripts will only be available after the jury has met. Exchange students must sit the first round of examinations (session 1). They are not automatically invited to sit the second round (session 2).

Accommodation - visa - insurance

Grenoble INP - UGA offers priority accommodation in university halls of residence for exchange and double degree students. At the end of the application period, you will receive an email with a link to apply for accommodation (in June for the Fall semester and in November for the Spring semester).
For more information on accommodation, visas (non-EU students) and insurance, please see the ISSO website.

ISSO

The International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) is a Université Grenoble Alpes department entirely dedicated to internationals, including undergraduates, postgraduates, PhD students, researchers and their families. It is certified as a EURAXESS Service Centre by the European Commission. ISSO teams are available in the MUSE building on the Saint-Martin-d’Hères campus to assist you, provide information and support you in the process of settling in and throughout your studies: accommodation, visa and residence permit applications, health, budget, insurance, daily life, etc.

ISSO Website

Buddy System & Tandem Project

Buddy System
Grenoble INP - Ensimag, UGA offers a mentoring programme, the Buddy System, which aims to improve the welcoming and integration of international students. You will have the opportunity to get to know and interact with students from the school and campus, as well as enrich yourself through a cross-cultural experience. Find out more and register!

Tandem Project
Do you need to improve your French? Would you like to discover French culture? The Tandem Project is for you!
The Ensimag International Relations Office, in collaboration with language teachers, offers interested students the opportunity to form language "tandems". The idea is simple: once the pairs (local student/international student) have been formed, they meet for two hours a week (at school or outside school – this can be an opportunity to discover Grenoble and its surroundings!) and do various activities while conversing in both languages. Find out more and register!