Supélec Engineering Program

Over and above the laboratory work and industrial internship, students will spend a significant amount of time working on their projects. The concurrent instruction helps them to develop creativity, a spirit of initiative, critical analysis, a sense of responsibility, organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work in teams, to pose and analyze problems, and to imagine and implement solutions. The 3^rd-year project, dedicated to studies proposed by companies, is an initiation to industrial research and development.

From the beginning of the 1^st year and throughout their studies, students must make choices about their studies and opt for some of the numerous activities proposed to them through the school’s associations. A wide choice of elective classes gives them the opportunity to personalize their education, both in the scientific and technical fields, and in the fields of economics, company management and entrepreneurship.

Strengths of the program

• Scientific excellence within the major social issues

The program offers an excellent training in all disciplinary fields of IT science, energy and systems.

• Project-based teaching – studies in laboratories and projects represent a significant part of this program
• Personalization of the program allowing each student to build a program that is adapted to their professional project
• A remarkable scientific and industrial environment
• A program with a strong international dimension, with many types of exchange with the best institutions worldwide proposed by the school
• An intensive associative life on the three campuses that host the program

Global outline of the four years

The Supélec Engineering program comprises two supplementary parts:

• The 1^st and 2^nd years: general teaching, personal development and outlining the professional project:
  
  • The common core provides the foundations of knowledge and know-how (laboratory studies and projects) in the whole spectrum of IT sciences, energy and systems.
  • It is essentially scientific, but also comprises the conceptual bases of economics and social sciences.
  • Elective classes contribute to the development of personal, interdisciplinary and multicultural abilities in a variety of fields (business, history of sciences, language and culture and sport). These are constructed by the student who personalized their own learning program.
• The 3^rd year enables students to consolidate their knowledge in a specific field by choosing a major. A choice of minors to be studied in conjunction gives each student the opportunity to customize their program according to several parameters: consolidating scientific knowledge, dual expertise, personal development, a career approach and project management

Acquiring the skills needed for professional life

The training program aims to enable students to develop a range of skills of three types:

• Acquiring solid scientific and technical skills
• Understanding their future environment
• Learning how to behave as a manager

Lien vers description complète des compétences

Wide exposure to international training and work experience

French nationality students must gain an international experience of at least 16 weeks in order to obtain a Supélec Engineering degree. Several options are proposed: spending minimum one semester abroad at the end of the 1st, 2nd or 3rd year, either in a company or laboratory internship, or in an academic exchange. Students also benefit from an exceptional multicultural environment: 60 nationalities are represented on the campus, 11 foreign languages are proposed and some programs are taught entirely in English.

Teaching in the 1^st and 2^nd years is organized into eight sequences of eight weeks each, and aims to:

• expand and enrich students’ scientific culture, which is essential for them to navigate ongoing technological developments;
• help students to acquire all the knowledge they need in the fields of IT Sciences and Electrical Energy: electronics, electrotechnical engineering and electronic power, automation, IT, communication techniques, information systems, signal processing and components;

• prepare student engineers for company life in a context of globalization: economics, financial management, law, project management, communication and international culture, not to mention a solid foundation in modern languages.

It includes:

• common core modules that are compulsory for all students,
• elective modules: covering the fields of scientific, cultural and company knowledge, modern language modules and physical and sports activities,
• projects.

3^rd-year teaching is divided into two periods: the first academic period is from September to March, followed by an end-of-studies project that students will work on over the course of five months.

Academic learning

Globally, the academic training (excluding projects, seminars and modern languages) is divided in two. Half of the program is spent studying the chosen major subject, and half is spent on additional learning modules chosen from a range of minor modules. These minor modules can be a way for students to consolidate their knowledge in the field of their major, or can be specific to a job or sector profile. Modern language courses are taken by all students.

• Major Courses

This course, intended to perfect the studentt's knowledge in the area of specialization chosen, is provided either by research professors in the case of theoretical courses, or by industry engineers who are specialists in the field in the cas of more technical courses.

• Minor Courses

Students have to choose 6 teaching units of 27 hours each from those offered on their campus. The modalities of this choice are specified during the information sessions organized as the beginning of the third year.

End-of-studies project

From the end of March, 3^rd-year students will work on an end-of-studies project over the course of five months minimum, the result of which will contribute significantly to their final degree grade. This work is undertaken in the form of an internship in an industrial company or with a research laboratory. It requires solving a real and concrete problem presented by the company on a theme that is relevant to the student’s major or option program. Proposals from industrial companies or by an instructor responsible for the major or option are communicated when students arrive. Students can also propose their own projects. In any event, the student must obtain authorization for the subject of their end-of-studies subject from the instructor responsible for their major or option. Students are supervised by the instructor who is responsible for their major or by an instructor chosen by the latter. The student must regularly submit work to their supervisor and inform them of any difficulties they may encounter.

This work contributes to the student’s dissertation and oral dissertation presentation before instructors of their major or option and engineers of the company that has supervised the student. All work is directly assessed and ranked. The Studies Board reserves the right to prohibit a student from embarking on an end-of-studies internship if their academic results are far below standard. Indeed, insufficient acquisition of knowledge and skills over the course of the theoretical part of the year would render it impossible for the student to complete their end-of-studies work.

List of majors

Download 3^rd year majors program of the 3 campuses (in French)

Download 3^rd year minors program of Gif campus (in French)

Laboratory studies and projects have a central place in the training as they help student engineers to develop a spirit of initiative, synthesis skills, a taste for practical application, a sense of efficiency and confidence in their abilities.

Standard project

Laboratory studies and projects aim to acquire and develop:

• knowledge: consolidation and validation of scientific knowledge, consideration of the limits of the model;
• know-how: implementation of scientific and organizational methods (project management), as well as technological means;
• an engineer’s positioning: the ability to work in teams and communicate orally and in writing, creativity, curiosity and critical analysis, with an overriding objective to perform.

Three different projects are proposed:

Synthesis project

The Synthesis project is an initiation to the design and development of systems. The theme of the project is essentially based on knowledge acquired in the 1^st year of the Supélec Engineering program. Most subjects are proposed by instructors. However, students who are particularly interested in a subject can propose their own idea for consideration.

The project is completed in pairs and comprises:

• a theoretical study over a period of approximately one month,
• a laboratory study enabling students to validate the theoretical study and verify that their “product” complies with the initial specifications.

Deliverables include:

• a progress report,
• a product: a scale model and simulation results,
• a final report.

A 20-minute oral presentation finalizes the project.

Software Development project

The Software Development project requires the student to design and write a medium-complexity software program.

This project is completed in pairs and comprises the main stages of the lifecycle of software:

• specifications of the software, including functional and non-functional requirements
• preliminary and detailed designs following a top-down process
• coding the corresponding software
• perfecting with a set of relevant tests

Deliverables include:

• specifications,
• software design and specifications,
• choice of implementation,
• listing of the corresponding program, examples of relevant executions,
• an operator manual and possible extensions.

A 20-minute oral presentation concludes the project.

Design project

The Design project is globally similar to that of the Synthesis project. The theme of the project is based on all scientific knowledge gained in the 1^st and 2^nd years and enables the student to deepen and structure their knowledge of the subject. This knowledge is implemented in design for a precise application. Students are encouraged to demonstrating a lot of initiative (bibliographical research, gaining skills and knowledge, methods and resources) combined with rigor. The project leads to the development of a prototype (scale model, program, simulation conclusions, etc.), a report and oral presentation. The final product is designed in such a way that a trace of the work carried out is retained so that it can be used for future projects.

Long project

Some students may also opt in the 2^nd year for long research or innovation interdisciplinary projects, which can replace other learning and assessment aspects. Carried out in teams of between two and 10 selected students, these projects are steadily completed over the course of the year and comprise:

• one part developing software
• one part dedicated to the design project
• two specific individual or group missions: acquiring project-specific knowledge or skills, implementing project management tools, state-of-the-art research relevant to the project subject, etc.

These projects combine knowledge from several disciplines.

Encadré: Zoom on experience-based learning.

An adapted version of the Long project, Experience-based Learning projects are for 1^st- and 2^nd-year students and aim to produce a prototype by the end of the year. This year, projects focused on drones: areas explored included intelligent movement of drones and using a glove to guide them.

Industrial Study Contract (CEI)

The Industrial Study Contract is a partnership between the school and company to train student engineers in industrial innovation

Over the course of the 3^rd year, industrial study, along with the end-of-studies internship, constitute two core components of the Supélec Engineering program that facilitate the students’ transition into the world of business; these studies are completed during one of the majors proposed as part of the Supélec Engineering program.

Two or three students working in project mode

• Supervised by a team of instructor-researchers
• Around 200 hours of work

An opportunity to consolidate links with 3^rd year students and take advantage of

• students’ creativity and skills,
• instructor-researcher contributions in terms of expertise,
• material and software resources provided by laboratories.

Administrative conditions

These studies require a signed agreement between the school and a company. This agreement specifies the nature and objectives of the study, confidentiality and ownership clauses, and the cost of the study. These industrial studies are an integral part of the Supélec Engineering course training.

The agenda

June - September : Companies propose subjects, partnerships terms are established

September - December : Students make their choices and projects begin

End of March : Oral presentation of students’ dissertations

Beginning of April : Students leave to embark on their end-of-studies internship

The cost of undertaking an industrial study is €12,900 excl. tax, a cost attributed to the Research Tax Credit.

For more information

The Supélec engineering program proposes two work-study contract options:

• The apprenticeship contract
• The professionalization contract

The Apprenticeship Contract

Apprenticeship during the Supélec engineering program

This contract enables students to obtain the Supélec engineering degree by completing a three-year generalized program in the fields of IT and Energy Sciences.

Training objectives

1^st and 2^nd year classes follow general teaching aiming to provide students with a solid base of scientific, technical and linguistic skills, and practical knowledge of business. In the 3^rd year, apprentices choose to study one field proposed by the school in more depth, helping them to adapt rapidly to the industrial world of work.

Program organization

Length: Three years.

Teaching hours: 600 hours of classes per year

Rhythm:

• Work-study in the first and second years: presence five weeks at school/three weeks in the company during school term time and 100% in companies during school holidays.

• Work-study in the third year: presence at school between September and March and 100% in companies outside of school term time and between April and August.

International mobility of minimum 16 weeks to be completed during the time spent working in companies

Contact 

Géraldine Aude, CentraleSupélec Work-Study Director - +33 (0)1 75 31 62 92 - geraldine.aude@centralesupelec.fr

The Professionalization Contract is a fixed- or undetermined-duration work-study contract and requires a professionalization step. This program is for all students aged 16-25 who have successfully completed the first two years of the Supélec Engineering program.

Program organization

Length: 12 months

Hours required: approx. 500 hours.

Options available within the professionalization contract:

• Automation and Systems (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Energy Conversion (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Electromagnetism and Communications (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Energy – option shared with the École Centrale program (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Mathematics Applied to Information and Signal Processing (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Automated Systems Engineering (Rennes)

• Micro and Nano Electronics (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Systems, Electronics, Networks and Images (Rennes)

• IT Systems (Gif-sur-Yvette)

• Secure Information Systems (Rennes)

• Photonic and Communication Systems (Metz)

• Interactive and Robotic Systems (Metz)

• Telecommunications (Gif-sur-Yvette)

The year is divided into two parts:

• Work/study

This part corresponds with the period of lessons for students. The alternating rhythm is three days at school/two days in the company.

• Full-time work in the company

This part corresponds to the internship for students.

Application

Any student admitted to the third year can apply. Registration via email with a cover letter expressing your motivation must be sent to Ms Géraldine Aude before the end of June, and the contract must be signed before September 14.

The advantages

Proposed price: €15.000 (As the Supélec engineering degree is registered on the French National Directory of Professional Certification (RNCP), the French Accredited Fund for Training (OPCA) may cover part of this training cost.)

Contact

Géraldine Aude, CentraleSupélec Work-Study Director - +33 (0)1 75 31 62 92 - geraldine.aude@centralesupelec.fr