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 | Mr. Tharun |
| LinkedIn Profile | NA |
| 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 | 9,000€ |
| Funding for the course | Family Sponsorship + ECN Elite scholarship |
| Monthly Expenses (Rent, utilities, etc) | 300-400€ |
| French level before the Course | A1 |
| French level after Graduation | B2 |
| Status after Graduation | Salaried Employee |
| Current Status | Piping Engineer in nuclear industry |
Centrale Nantes Campus in Nantes city
Course Info – Advanced Manufacturing (M-ENG AM)
The latest brochure can be downloaded from the course website.
Personal Experiences during the Course
- The overall personal experience was good, but I had some difficulties too.
- The changeover from the Indian education system to the French board was quite time-consuming and harder to grasp at the start.
- Some course professors helped if there were doubts, but some subject professors never assisted.
- So we’ll have to be prepared to learn subjects by ourselves.
- During the first semester, there was never enough time to complete assignments and also to prepare for exams.
- The 2nd and 3rd were relatively easier, but still, there were several assignments to complete.
Part-time Job Experience
- I did not do any part-time jobs during my master’s.
- I did a 3-month CDD job during the last semester of my master’s after completion of all my exams.
- It involved packing bread and making cardboard boxes.
- My advice is to go for part-time jobs legally in which working hours are accounted for. Some restaurants hire people unofficially, which can in some cases turn out to be bad.
- Sites like hellowork.fr, meteojob.fr, might advertise interim temporary jobs and CDDs too.
Internship Experience
- I did my internship at LS2N lab in ECN. It was a great experience.
- The internship had intriguing assignments, which indeed helped me hone my skills in MATLAB programming language.
- My research subject was on Topology optimization.
Job Search Experience
- It was tough at the start to find a job without adequate French fluency.
- I found my first job through Pole Emploi after I improved my French fluency and spoke in French during technical interviews.
- As soon as you complete your degree here, it’s highly recommended to enroll yourself at France Travail (formerly Pole Emploi).
- Even recruiters will contact you for their vacancies through France Travail (formerly Pole Emploi).
Advice for Juniors
- Try to socialize with French-speaking people, and attend social events like language exchange which will help you interact with French speakers.
- Honestly, after attending such events, my fluency in French improved gradually.
- To get a job here, the French fluency of the candidate is the first requirement for a majority of the recruiters.
- When it comes to academics, stay in contact with professors and stay updated about the criteria to pass each subject, especially if you choose core engineering courses.
- Make use of resources available in your university to structure your Resumes, and cover letters according to the requirements of recruiters.
- If you’re enrolled in a core engineering course, it’s recommended not to prioritize part-time jobs over study preparations, since most of the courses have a 2 or a 3-year deadline to complete.
- If the course is not completed, it might end up in non-extension of the student visa, after which the student will be forced to return to his/her country without the degree.
Practical Information
Practical information for international students:
Programme Supervisor:
- Matthieu Rauch (Matthieu.Rauch@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.