Groupe des Écoles Centrales

Why Groupe des Écoles Centrales?

The French Groupe des Écoles Centrales are distinguished by their multidisciplinary study programmes which aim to train engineers who are able to face various and complex challenges with an open approach, a global vision and excellent organisational ability. This is achieved thanks to the knowledge and competencies gained during the courses, which include transversal scientific disciplines, techniques and skills, of leadership, management and innovation, and teamwork.

The double degree programme offers UniTrento students the opportunity to enrol directly in the three-year Diplôme d'Ingénieur of a Grande Ecole, which is usually only possible after attending post-high school preparatory courses for two years (aimed at deepening knowledge of maths, physics and chemistry), and passing a entrance test.

A double degree always holds additional value for students, as companies and organisations look for employees with an international outlook and multidisciplinary approach, who are able to work in multicultural teams and are able to face ever-changing global challenges: these are the engineers of the future.

Graduates with a double degree can aspire to top roles in international companies also thanks to the links of the Grandes Ecoles with the business world (SNECMA, EADS, SIEMENS, RENAULT, BOUYGUES, EDF, NAVAL GROUP among others).

Students doing the double degree must undertake a 5-week internship at the end of the first year (option 1) or a thesis project (TFE-Travail de fin d'études) in the third year (option 2).

Who can apply?

Option 1: UniTrento students enrolled in the second year of the degree courses in:

Civil Engineering
Environmental and Land Management Engineering
Industrial Engineering

who have passed the exam in Mathematics Analysis 1 with a grade of at least 26/30.

Option 2: UniTrento students enrolled in the first year of the master’s degrees in:

Civil Engineering
Environmental and Land Management Engineering
Materials and Production Engineering
Mechatronic Engineering
Information and Communications Engineering (CentraleSupélec) - see the dedicated webpage

In both cases, the following linguistic levels are required:

for all destinations: A2 level of French
only for CentraleSupélec Paris: B1 level of French, B2 level of English.

The Ecole you attend will be decided by the Selection Committee depending on your motivation and course of study.

The following requirements apply:

Option 1: have earned all the credits for the first and second year of the bachelor’s;
Option 2: have earned all the credits of the first year of the master’s;
Have a weighted grade average of at least 25/30 and 26/30;

Always check the correctness of the information and any updates on the UniTrento call and on the partner's website.

Duration, organisation and tuition fees

The programme runs for 2 years, with a UniTrento scholarship. The mobility begins in September.

Your study plan must be approved by your supervisors at both universities.

UniTrento bachelor’s students (option 1) normally attend the first and second year courses at the partner university ("tronc commun") while master’s students (option 2) attend the second and third year courses.

At the end of the first year, option 1 students will do a 5-week internship as a worker.

During the third year, option 2 students will do a 28-week internship as an engineer, which will be the basis for their thesis project (TFE - Travail de Fin d'Études), from mid-April to mid-October.

Forms and further information about the internships are available in the download section.

Most of the courses are taught in French.

Students taking part in the double degree programme continue to pay their tuition fees to UniTrento.

Useful documents

Thesis and qualifications

The fourth semester of the stay abroad is dedicated to preparation of the thesis project (TFE - Travail de Fin d'Études) which consists of a period of full-time work (5-6 months) which can be done in a company or laboratory.

The thesis, which must be presented in English or French, can be discussed at the host Grande Ecole or at UniTrento, depending on the type of mobility of each student, before a mixed commission.

At the end of the double degree course students will be awarded two separate qualifications: