If you graduate with a BSc in 2009 or 2010,
if you wish to acquire a significant international experience by studying abroad,
if you are attracted by France,
You can apply for admission to one of the Ecoles des mines Graduate Engineering Schools
and gain a Master's degree (diplôme d'ingénieur)
IMPORTANT:
This document aims at specifying the general conditions and procedures for students having yet a minimum of 3 or 4 years of university studies, preferably with a high scientific background in mathematics and physics. They may come for instance from Faculties of Sciences, Engineering or Computer Sciences.
This short document presented below is divided into 5 chapters, each of them presenting a big point for attending the selection tests:
· Level required
· Application form and Practical information for selection procedure
· Written test
· Interview and final selection
· Fellowships and tuition fees
The students will be enrolled in the last 2 years of the engineering course of one of the 7 GEM institutes.
Specific Partnerships, in particular including double degree, between a foreign institution and the GEM have a special procedure of recruitment: Information is available at our web site and /or through your university (international office).
If you graduate with a BSc, BEng, and BTech the year following the selection, if you wish to acquire a significant international experience by studying abroad and if you are attracted by France, you can be admitted to the GEM.
The GEM (Groupe des Ecoles des Mines) brings together 7 French Graduate Engineering Schools located at Albi, Alès, Douai, Nancy, Nantes, Paris, Saint Etienne. These graduate schools share a common vision of engineering education. Their goal is to form high level engineers with a dual competence in science and technology as well as managerial skills. A strong emphasis is placed on gaining industrial and international experience. The GEM schools are ranked among the best institutions in France.
The programmes offered enable good level Bachelor's graduates to continue their Master's level engineering studies in an environment where intercultural skills, diversity of experience and a wide range of professional profiles are fostered.
The recruitment procedure is common to all the GEM Graduate Engineering schools. Applications are welcome from candidates with the following profile: holders of a Bachelor's degree (BSc, BTech) or to students in their final year of a Bachelor's program. Final admission is, of course, dependent on the award of the Bachelor's degree BEFORE arrival in France.
The total number of places open for the GEM schools as a whole is about 70 per year (all countries) and depending of the disciplines.
APPLICATION FORM
First, an application form must be fulfilled (that will be found on the GEM web site: http://www.gemtech.fr) no later than 1 week before the dates of tests.
It is designed to have all the necessary data to present your candidature to the Eiffel fellowship in case you would be selected (see below fellowships section). Please do not send them directly but prepare them in advance.
The dates of the selection sessions (countries and locations) are given separately on this site.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
On arrival at the examination centre you must provide the following documents (electronic and printed):
1. A complete CV with photo
2. Certified transcript of grades from your university for the last 2 years
3. Copies of certificates / diplomas received (High school graduation, undergraduate diploma ...)
4. 4 passeport sized photographs
5. Letter of recommendation by the Dean of Studies or his representative (in a sealed envelope)
If your are admitted to the Graduate School of one of the Ecoles des Mines:
You will be informed by e-mail and by letter about a couple of weeks after the selection session in each country before the end of the year of selection.
The GEM will propose admission on one of the GEM campuses according to the test results and to places available for your choice of program. You must indicate your acceptance within 2 weeks of receipt of the offer of admission.You must send the following documents before February, the 1st of the year of admission.
1. Photocopy of passeport
2. Photocopy and official translation of birth certificate
All applications for the Double Degree program must first be approved by the international office of your home university before making the on-line application.If your application is considered valid, the final selection will be based on an interview by professors from the GEM. The details (date, location) will be notified on the web site.
For the interview you must prepare:
1. A complete CV with photo
2. Certified transcript of grades from your university for the last 2 years 3. Copies of certificates / diplomas received (High school graduation, undergraduate diploma...)
4. 4 passport sized photographs
5. Letter of recommendation by the Dean of Studies or his representative (in a sealed envelope)
If you are admitted to the Double Degree program in one of the GEM Graduate Schools, you will be informed by e-mail and by letter before the end of the year of selection.The GEM will propose admission in one of the GEM campuses according to places available for your choice of program.You must indicate your acceptance within 2 weeks of receipt of the offer of admission.You must send the following documents before February, the 1st of the year of admission.
1. Photocopy of passport
2. Photocopy and official translation of birth certificate
Concerning the content, it is based on the scientific program of the first 2 years of university. Please find a particular chapter dedicated to the content (see content for the exam) a list of the main notions in mathematics and physics to be known by our students when they enter the last 2 final years of our engineer course. It will give you an idea of the test level and difficulty.
As you are now at the end of your bachelor studies, it is deeply recommend running over these scientific notions that you have learned about 2 years ago now because a lot of students told after the test that they had mainly forgotten this basic knowledge.
Based on questions linked to different aspects of mathematics and physics, it is composed of at least 30 questions or statements in mathematics and at least 30 questions in Physics. Each is followed by 5 suggested answers or completions. You will have to select the right one in each case and then mark the corresponding space on the answer sheet placed at the end of the test.
The scientific fields covered by the test are given in the special chapter "content for the exam".
You will have 3 hours for answering, twice 90 minutes for each part.
It is very difficult to answer all the questions, but the test is made to assess the general scientific knowledge of the students. Carefully note that you will get one point for a right answer but a negative 1/4 point for a bad one. So do not answer randomly.
Calculators and electronic dictionary or other devices are not allowed during this test.
All these instructions are mentioned on the first page of the test.
According to the written test results, an oral interview will be organized for the candidates having successfully passed this test.
It is at the end of this interview after decision of the GEM recruitment board that the admission to one of the GEM schools will be decided. Students and the academic authorities will be informed of this decision before the end of December (end of the year of admission), together with the further procedures to be done for their final registration.
If admitted, you have until the end of June of the year of admission to learn French in your own country (for further details, contact your local Alliance Française), before coming to France for an intensive 2 month-French language and culture course in July and August. You will then join your GEM Campus for the start of the academic year.
Normal cost of the teaching is 15 000 € per year. The majority of this cost is covered by the French Government if you've been selected after the selection sessions and each institute will offer candidates a scholarship covering two years of tuition.
The French Government, GEM and French companies, who wish to hire engineers trained in France, may offer additional scholarships to outstanding applicants, helping to support tuition and living expenses in France (up to €10,000 per year); As soon as you confirm your acceptance of the offer of a place you should contact your allocated GEM campus for full details and information about grant application procedure.
Eiffel grants (bourses Eiffel): Candidatures of the best students will be presented by GEM schools to try to get an Eiffel fellowship, which is a special excellence program from the French government. The candidature files will have to be presented by January 15th of the year of admission, and will be answered on April of the same year. Additional fellowships will be also available from companies, for example from French companies working in/ with foreign countries.
You will be expected to pay 4 000 € for the first year of study and up to 3 000 € for the second year including:
.statutory fees and medical insurance during the academic year;
.additional fees (according to the campus and excepted specific information given by the campus you whish to apply for) covering French Summer School and tutoring.
You will have the possibility of accommodation in the student's hall of residence. The cost of accommodation and meals in the student canteen is very reasonable. You should count on about 500 € per month for your living expenses as a whole.
For more information
Consult the GEM website at www.gemtech.fr or www.gemtech.org
Contact: contact@gemtech.fr