CentraleSupélec is the 2015 merger of two historical institutions: the École Centrale des Arts et Manufacture (1829), a.k.a. “Centrale”, and the École Supérieure d’Électricité (1894), a.k.a. “Supélec”. It has harnessed the best of the two institutions into its innovative multi-disciplinary engineering curriculum that prepares its student-engineers to become highly qualified executives and leaders in business and research.
CentraleSupélec comprises three campuses: the Paris-Saclay campus is located outside Gif-sur-Yvette, a suburban town 25km/15 miles south of Paris; the Metz campus, in Eastern France, lies a close half-hour train ride away from the German border; while the Rennes campus, in the Brittany region of western France, is even closer to ocean beaches on the Atlantic coast. Deeply rooted in their regional ecosystems, each of the three campuses have acquired an international reputation in their fields of specialization.
Our curriculum alternates between academic terms and engineering challenge terms. An academic term is a set of elective courses dedicated to engineering sciences. It combines intellectual rigour and in-depth reasoning within a broad theoretical base. An engineering challenge term brings all this theory and application into the realm of real-world problem-posing. Students are confronted with complex questions involving academic, industrial and business actors who mentor them towards solutions which are not always instantly obvious. Each semester also comprises intensive weeks to acquire general knowledge in various themes, from serious games to humanities and social sciences; projects; and two foreign languages.
Students are required to do a short-term work placement between the first and second year, and they end their studies with a long-term internship at the end of the third year.
CentraleSupélec’s research activities handle the challenges of the 21st century, particularly in 9 key sectors: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; Health, Natural Sciences and Bio-engineering; Environment and Sustainable Development, Industry 4.0; Networks and Telecommunications; Cybersecurity; Energy; Aeronautics and Space; Transport and New Forms of Mobility.
To enable researchers and students to work on the most up-to-date equipment, CentraleSupélec has developed several state-of-the-art technological platforms. These platforms cover a broad range of research fields, from a scientific computing centre for digital simulation to high-power microscopes to smart rooms for the study of cognitive and interactive robotics.
Together with the National University of Singapore (NUS), CentraleSupélec operates the SONDRA laboratory. This laboratory is hosted on the Paris-Saclay campus. Currently, the Institution is collaborating with 5 laboratories abroad: CNRGiE in Singapore; 2MCIS in China; Smart Grid in Canada; UMI 2958 in the USA; and LIA Energy and Environment in Brazil.
After high school and two years of intense training, candidates to our institution take a highly competitive nation-wide entrance exam, which only about 6% successfully pass. They must complete a 3-year curriculum before they graduate and obtain the title of engineer— which is equivalent to a Master’s degree.
Our curriculum alternates between academic terms and “engineering challenge” terms. The academic terms comprise elective courses in the various engineering sciences, while the “engineering challenge” terms confront students to real-world issues through concrete industrial and business situations. In addition, each semester’s curriculum also includes “intensive weeks” focused on a variety of techniques and disciplines, such as serious games, coding, the humanities and social sciences, as well as research projects and language classes.
Students are required to carry out a short-term work experience between their first and second years and a long-term internship at the end of their third and final year.
Learn more about CentraleSupélec’s curriculumWith an annual research budget of €40 million, CentraleSupélec hosts over 1,000 researchers, who work in its 17 laboratories and research teams (including 1 international research laboratory, 3 Labs Without Walls, and a mathematics federation) and 18 research chairs across its 3 campuses as well as on the European Research Centre located in the Champagne region of France (in Pomacle).
At the core of the Graduate School of Engineering and Systems Sciences of the Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec hosts interdisciplinary projects across multiple academic centres and industrial partners. The Graduate Schools gathers over 1,000 Master’s students and 600 Ph.D. students in various scientific fields, such as materials science, mechanics, civil engineering, industrial engineering, optics, telecommunications, robotics, and biomedical imaging. Conducting research at one of the 60 laboratories of the Graduate School is a sure path to the global world of R&D.
Research at CentraleSupélec is focused on the challenges of the 21st century, particularly in 9 key domains: Data Science & Artificial Intelligence; Health, Natural Sciences & Bio-engineering; Environment & Sustainable Development; Industry 4.0; Networks & Telecommunications; Cybersecurity; Energy; Aeronautics & Space; Transport & New Forms of Mobility.
CentraleSupélec provides access to state-of-the-art technological platforms and tools it has developed for its researchers, such as a scientific computing centre for digital simulation, high-power microscopes, and smart rooms for the study of cognitive and interactive robotics.
Together with the National University of Singapore (NUS), CentraleSupélec operates the SONDRA laboratory, which is hosted on the Paris-Saclay campus. CentraleSupélec is currently involved in collaborations with 5 laboratories abroad: CNRGiE(Singapore) 2MCIS (China); Smart Grid (Canada), UMI 2958 (United States), and LIA Energy and Environment (Brazil).
Find out more about research at CentraleSupélecFocus on developing entrepreneurship skills runs throughout CentraleSupélec’s 3-year curriculum. Students are asked to take initiatives, to create value for companies and for society. They adopt an engineer-entrepreneur mentality. For those who would like to go further, they can choose the Entrepreneurship track in their first or second year, and the “Entrepreneurship” or “Intrapreneurship and Innovation” option in their third year.
CentraleSupélec also launched Start-Up week for its 850 first-year students. For 5 days, it is an opportunity to experience all the stages in creating a company, from the initial idea to benchmarking and commercialization. They are coached by entrepreneurship experts throughout the week.
For more information about entrepreneurship at CentraleSupélec
CentraleSupélec was a pioneer in internationalising its curriculum and sending students abroad for academic exchanges. A minimum of 6 months abroad is compulsory for students to graduate. Mobility can take place at one of the 200 partner universities in 50 different countries around the world. Options range from a semester exchange, a year abroad or after one or two years, a double degree. Students can also choose to do an internship in a company abroad or a laboratory abroad.
Écoles Centrale Group is also implanted abroad, with campuses in China (École Centrale Beijing) and Morocco (École Centrale Casablanca) and a general engineering Bachelor programme in India (Mahindra École Centrale, located in Hyderabad). These overseas Schools are hotspots for the diffusion of CentraleSupélec expertise, as well as cooperation networks for research, with links to local companies.
The institution boasts a worldwide network of 35,000 alumni on all continents. Alumni groups exist in major areas such as the United States, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, and China. Every year, job fairs bring together current and former double degree students and companies, both local and international, to help match the demand with the offer of highly qualified and adaptable engineers.
Learn more about the internationalisation of CentraleSupélec
CentraleSupélec ranks 8th in the world and 1st in France by employer reputation in the QS 2021 ranking. A majority of its students are headed for a career in the private sector and its research is focused on bringing innovative solutions to industry. Its 150 partner companies connect students and researchers to the business world and enable 8 out of 10 students to find employment before graduating.
CentraleSupélec is home to start-up incubators, which help students define and develop their company projects throughout their studies and beyond. Start-uppers have access to the Fab Lab, a 1400sqm hall for prototyping and experimenting, using high-power calculation machines.
CentraleSupélec’s 3-year curriculum focuses on the development of entrepreneurship skills. All students are expected to find ways to create value for companies and for society and to adopt an engineer/entrepreneur approach. Students can also specialize and choose the Entrepreneurship track in their first or second year, and the Entrepreneurship or the Intrapreneurship and Innovation electives in their third year.
The curriculum also includes a Start-Up Week: coached by experts, all 850 first-year students explore and experience all dimensions of company creation, from the original conception to benchmarking and commercialization.
For more information about entrepreneurship at CentraleSupélecCentraleSupélec was a pioneer in internationalising its curriculum and has been sending students abroad for academic exchanges since 1989. To graduate, students must spend a minimum of one semester abroad at one of the 200 partner universities in 50 countries around the world. Options range from a semester exchange to a year abroad or a double degree. Students can also opt for an internship abroad, at a company or a laboratory.
30% of the CentraleSupélec student body is international and numbers over 70 nationalities. Thanks to 80 double degree agreements, CentraleSupélec welcomes the brightest students from the most prestigious universities in the world who want to experience engineering at a top institution in France.
The Écoles Centrale Group, of which CentraleSupélec is part, comprises overseas campuses and programmes in China (École Centrale Beijing) Morocco (École Centrale Casablanca) and India (Mahindra École Centrale, located in Hyderabad), which have contributed to the global reach of CentraleSupélec expertise and to its research networks through links to local companies.
CentraleSupélec is thus proud of its network of 45,000 alumni scattered on all continents. Alumni networks are active in many areas of the world, including the United States, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, and China. Current and former students gather together every year , to help the industry meet its demand for highly qualified and adaptable engineers.
Learn more about the internationalisation of CentraleSupélecDesign by Agence Karactère
