A series of alumni testimonials about French colleges and universities. The alumni share their personal experiences about their courses, part-time jobs, internships, job search, etc. I have focused on alumni because it can help prospective and current students get a complete picture of the course and future opportunities.
In this particular article, an alumnus was kind enough to share her Master’s experiences from Ecole Centrale de Nantes. Also, I am an alumnus of the same Master’s course.
Alumni & Course Information
| Name | Ms. Aiswarya SUNIL |
| LinkedIn Profile | |
| Degree | Master of Science (MSc) “RNCP/CGE certified” |
| Course Specialization | |
| Year of Graduation | 2022 |
| College | |
| City | Nantes |
| Course Intake | September |
| Course Duration | 24 months |
| Course Fees | 12,000€ |
| Funding for the course | Family Sponsorship |
| Monthly Expenses (Rent, utilities, etc) | 800€ |
| French level before the Course | A1 |
| French level after Graduation | B1 |
| Status after Graduation | Salaried Employee |
| Current Status | Simulation Engineer, Automotive Engineering. Salary Range: 35k-40k€/year |
Centrale Nantes Campus in Nantes city
Course Info – Energetics and Propulsion (M-ENG EP)
The latest brochure can be downloaded from the course website.
Personal Experiences during the Course
- Courses at Centrale Nantes were all taught in English.
- French lessons were offered until the 3rd semester and provided an initiation into understanding, speaking, and being comfortable with using the French language.
- Labs were a part of the curriculum and mostly still focused on IC Engine work. However, industry-relevant software and tooling were a part of the syllabus and made up a part of the final grade in specific courses.
- The class composition was varied since Erasmus Mundus students would take up the same courses as us and we would all engage in conversations in English.
- The importance of learning French was highlighted through life outside the institute’s campus, particularly when it came to dealing with administrative work.
- Personally, I found the atmosphere to be competitive and engaging, however, the course-work would need some restructuring given the shift seen in the automotive engineering domain.
Part-time Job Experience
- I did not do any part-time job during the Masters.
Internship Experience
- My internship was at an automotive parts supplier conglomerate, so once again the atmosphere was a fair mix of nationalities, but most of my peers (fellow interns) were Francophones so the coffee breaks and lunch hours were the times French was commonly spoken.
- It was my internship where I started speaking and conversing entirely in French, even though with my team and manager most exchanges were in English since I wasn’t familiar enough with technical jargon in French.
- I gave myself sufficient time during my internship period to learn it and towards the end of my internship, I had already begun attending interviews speaking entirely in French.
Job Search Experience
- I networked quite a bit and understood what the industry was looking for from freshers since I had no prior work experience.
- I was constantly in touch with the career department of Centrale Nantes to get my CV reviewed and for tips on job hunting. I used LinkedIn, APEC, and JobTeaser primarily.
- I was due to join my first job right after my internship ended, however, I faced trouble with joining on time because the préfecture of the city I was located in did not process my file for four months.
Advice for Juniors
- My top tip for anyone looking to come to France as a student and who wishes to explore the job opportunities in this country is to get comfortable with the language as quickly as possible.
- It will make your life far easier than you can get by with just speaking English.
- If you aim to spend at least a few years in France, I do not see the point in avoiding speaking French and chasing avenues that cater to English speakers because this would limit your options more often than not.
- Finally, a lot of things here (internships, jobs, professional connections, friendships..) and outside India, in general, require you to be a self-starter, so if you’re prepared in this sense before you start your life here, you should be able to adjust quickly apart from the initial hiccups you may face after you arrive in France.
Practical Information
Practical information for international students:
Programme Supervisor:
- Dr. Xavier Tauzia (Xavier.Tauzia@ec-nantes.fr)
International Office:
Admissions Contact:
Important Information:
All the required information about the master can be found here 6-master-of-science-msc-programmes-eligibility-and-applications
- Application process
- Admission requirements
- Documents required
- Tuition fees and financing
- Integrated Master-PhD Track
Disclaimer
- These are original testimonials collected from the alumni via Linkedin.
- Opinions expressed are from the alumni and so the author or the blog cannot be held responsible.
- These testimonials include both facts and opinions. Facts will not change but opinions might differ based on personal experiences, perspectives, etc.
