Placements and final year project (PFE)

Students are required to complete three placements and one final-year project during their course. These very special encounters with the economic and industrial world have an educational function: they aim to immerse the student in the life of the company and prepare him/her for entry into working life. The placements and the project form an integral part of the course and the work to be carried out has to be approved by the teaching staff. At least one of the last two placements must be spent in a company.

Placements and projects may be completed in France or abroad. The final-year project is carried out in the school and may be in collaboration with a company or a research laboratory . It involves a technical and/or scientific input, which is expressed in practical terms by the solving of a scientific and, if possible, industrial problem.

The School and company or host institution are responsible for organizing, monitoring and evaluating placements and the PFE. The student is supervised by his placement tutor in the company and by his educational tutor at the School.
At the end of the placement or project, the student has to present a written report to his company or host laboratory and to his teaching department. His/her work is assessed through the written report and also through the appreciation of both tutors and an oral presentation before a jury of teaching staff and invited professionals.

Professional "immersion" placement (minimum 4 weeks during the summer)

The aim of this placement is to give the student an opportunity to become familiarized with how the company operates, to understand its problems and needs.

"Assistant engineer" placement (minimum 6 weeks)

This placement should allow the student to put his knowledge into practice and to show initiative and personal analysis. The placement takes place in a company, a public organization or a research centre. The tasks entrusted to the placement student may be of a technical or organisational nature depending on the School's departments. The student should be involved in study and analysis phases, the action plan and the exploitation of the information and results to which he has contributed. This should help him/her to create a link between the knowledge and skills acquired during the engineering course and how they are applied in a working situation.

"Engineer" placement (minimum 16 weeks)

The final year placement should be linked to the students chosen career path. The student thus learns more, in the company, about the scientific, technical and human aspects of the work of an engineer. His work should at least partly include aspects linked to engineer-level studies or development: analysis of needs, specifications, design, prospective studies, research and development, evaluation and feasibility studies for new techniques, ... The student should be capable of making decisions and taking on responsibilities within the company.

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