Everything you need to know about engineering education: definition, years of study

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What is an engineering education?

What is an engineer?

The term “engineer” remains vast and can concern a multitude of professions. However, an engineer is still responsible for the design, innovation and implementation of a project. Its main missions are to :

  • Leading the development of a project which can be a product, a service or a system. The engineer is involved in every step of the production chain;
  • Solve all technical problems encountered during the development of the project;
  • Act asan expert by guaranteeing compliance and respect for the project specifications;
  • Calibrate and solve theproject development by determining upstream the human, budgetary, environmental or commercial needs.

The sectors of activity concerned for the profession of engineer are varied between industrial companies, real estate or public service. However, there are fields where engineers are essential, such asagronomy, automotive, civil engineering, biotechnology, or aeronautics.

Which training to become an engineer?

In order to become an engineer, it is recommended to pursue specialized engineering training, either post-bac or after two years of scientific preparatory classes.
Engineering schools offer a three-year Bachelor’s degree, followed by a two-year Master’s degree. Once graduated from an engineering school, the student has a Bac+5 level.

How does an engineering course work?

How to get into an engineering school?

An engineering program is entered through a competitive examination or by application, either after obtaining the Bac or after two years of preparatory school. It is possible, depending on one’s record, to join an engineering school during one’s graduate studies.

Entering an engineering school after a general or STI2D final year, in a few steps:

  • The student participates in the AVENIR competition which allows access to the 7 Grandes Ecoles of Engineering, by registering beforehand on the Parcoursup platform;
  • Preparation days are offered to students in order to familiarize themselves with the future exam;
  • Candidates are accepted or rejected based on their academic record and grades in the competition. The “top ranked” students designated by the schools may be exempted from the tests.

Joining an engineering school after a Bac+1, +2, +3 and +4, in a few steps :

  • The submission of an application file on the Avenir Plus website which allows you to apply to the 7 Grandes Ecoles of Engineering;
  • The file is then studied and motivation interviews are proposed to the candidates;
  • Then, the results are sent to the students via the Avenir Plus platform.

What are the main stages of an engineering education?

The training in engineering school is divided into two main moments:

  • The license or ING1, ING2 and ING3 depending on the year of study, the subjects studied are vast, with a scientific predominance;
  • The master or ING4 and ING5, with a generalist core of project management, as well as majors and minors depending on the path and specializations desired by the student.

How long does it take to complete an engineering degree?

An engineering degree can be completed in three years as part of a bachelor’s degree, or in five years as part of a full master’s degree.

It is recommended to complete a master’s degree in order to be more competitive on the job market, and to acquire all the theoretical and practical skills necessary for the engineering profession.

Does ECE offer an engineering program?

Yes,ECE is a great private engineering school, it trains students since 1919. It is one of 204 French engineering schools accredited as of September 1ᵉʳ, 2020 to award an engineering degree. ECE is a member of the Conférence des grandes écoles, Campus France and the Union des grandes écoles indépendantes.

The subjects studied at the ECE

The ECE offers a rich course, with :

  • In the bachelor’s degree, the practice of mathematics with algebra, probability, applied physics,computer science with theories of graphs and algorithms, or the learning of foreign languages;
  • In the Master’s program, students study project management, budget management and languages as part of the core curriculum.
    In major and minor, ECE proposes, depending on the desired path, the study of sustainable development, energy, marketing, Research & Development, health and technology or connected buildings and vehicles.

Training abroad

ECE offers a compulsory semester abroad in a partner campus in countries such as Canada, China, the United States or Mexico.

Work-study program at ECE

ECE proposes to its students, if they wish, to apply in order to realize their studies in apprenticeship between the engineering school and the work in company. The advantage is to be able to combine theoretical studies with practical experience in the business world.

What is an engineer-in-training?

The term engineer being broad, the notion of engineer can be used in the current language to mention or define a person expert in his field, in charge of the management of a project without guaranteeing the technological, technical or even scientific aspect of his job. Terms like cultural engineering, sound engineering can be used.

Engineer by training implies that the professional has completed an engineering course at a specialized school. The latter attests to its expertise and its technical, technological and scientific vision of projects.

How to become a trained engineer?

In order to become a trained engineer, it is therefore necessary to enter a specialized engineering school and complete a three-year bachelor’s degree, or a five-year master’s degree. Once a student has graduated from an engineering school with three or five years of higher education, he or she is now a trained engineer.

Does the ECE allow me to become an engineer?

Absolutely,ECE allows you to become an engineer because it is a specialized engineering school. This school offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs to students who wish to become engineers.

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Updated 2 January 2024