MSc Mechanical Engineering
Advanced Manufacturing (M-ENG AM)

Programme Objectives

This specialism in Mechanical Engineering develops skills for providing innovative and optimized solutions in the advanced design and manufacturing of products and structures for both research and industry.

The courses rely on both theoretical and practical aspects and cover the following areas: mechanical design of innovative mechanisms and products and customer-oriented design of products. Technical, human and economic factors are taken into account.

The programme of study lasts two academic years - denoted by M1 and M2 and is taught in English. It comprises three study semesters followed by a paid Master's thesis / internship in the final semester.

Our Master's programmes in Mechanical Engineering are fully accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

See our other Master's programmes in Mechanical Engineering

Contribution to sustainable development goals

Learn more about Centrale Nantes' commitment to the 17 sustainable development goals

Course Content

30 ECTS Credits per semester.
Language of instruction: English
 

M1 Year

M1 Year 2025/26

Autumn Semester Courses	ECTS	Spring Semester Courses	ECTS
Continuum Mechanics	5	Engineering Materials	5
Fluid Mechanics	5	Constitutive Laws	5
Algorithmics for Engineering Modelling	4	Structural Mechanics	5
Numerical Methods	5	Computer-aided Design	5
Vibrations	5	Mechanical Design	5
Tools and Methods for Research 1	4	Business Environment	3
Modern Languages *	2	Modern Languages *	2
Conferences	0

* 'French as Foreign Language' except for French native speakers who will study 'Cultural and Communicational English' or Spanish (depending on sufficient demand).

NB Course content may be subject to minor changes

M2 Year

 

M2 Year 2025/26

Autumn Semester Courses	ECTS
Advanced CAD/CAM/CNC	5
Additive Manufacturing and advanced manufacturing processes	5
Design of Experiments methods for manufacturing	5
Optimization in manufacturing engineering	5
Integrated Design of Product Service Systems	4
Multi-physics modelling for processes	4
Modern Languages *	2

* 'French as Foreign Language' except for French native speakers who will study 'Cultural and Communicational English' or Spanish (depending on sufficient demand).

NB Course content may be subject to minor changes

 

M2 Year 2025/26

Spring Semester	ECTS
Master thesis / internship	30

 

Examples of previous Master theses/internships

• Ikerlan - Design, optimisation and experimental validation of a high-speed mechanism
• EPFL - Study of the thermomechanical transformations for different metal alloys, produced by LPBF and research into suitable thermal processes
• Vallourec - Development of a multidisciplinary design tool for Design Selection phases
• GE WIND France SAS - Development and improvement of the current design of bolted connections within the offshore wind turbine
• Technip Energies France - Process definition and development of an automated welding machine for the assembly of the floating wind turbine components
• Timken Europe - Development of model of bearing creep phenomenon
• Faurecia Interior Industries - Assistant plastic injection engineer
• SNCF - Additive Manufacturing Design and Simulation Engineer

NB Internships undertaken in France are strictly regulated and are only open to current full-time students of an accredited educational institution. Interns are entitled to all the rights guaranteed to regular employees (such as social protection and redress mechanisms). For internships that exceed two months in duration a minimum level of remuneration is set by the government, at approximately €600 per month. In some professional branches, this amount may be higher.

Skills developed

• Develop innovative processes and products for composite and metallic materials and structures
• Design products adapted to the processes
• Work in an integrated numerical environment and in a design & manufacturing global chain

In addition to the above specialism-specific skills, students will also develop more general skills:

 

• Identify models, perform simulation and analyse results
• Communicate comprehensive results in a meaningful way
• Undertake bibliographic surveys of international research and professional literature
• Manage or be part of a project

Download syllabus | Mechanical Engineering - Advanced Manufacturing

• M1 Year
• M2 Year

Facilities and Partnerships

Faculty and Research Facilities

This Mechanical Engineering programme relies on Centrale Nantes’ faculty and the research facilities of the GeM and the LS2N.

Focus on unique resources

Watch a guided tour of the Additive Manufacturing Platform:

Learn more about the additive manufacturing platform

Partnerships

Naval Group, Airbus, Chantier de l'Atlantique, General Electric, Renault, PSA

Admissions

 

• Apply online on the eCandidat platform
• 2025/26 intake:
  • M1 applications open on 30 October
  • M2 applications open on 15 February

Application process

Application rounds

• Applications are reviewed in rounds. M1 applicants may apply in any of the three M1 rounds, and M2 applicants in either of the two M2 rounds. Applications should be submitted on the eCandidat platform as early as possible, but before the deadlines below;
• Applications are not considered 'complete' until all required elements are submitted. Only complete applications received by the round's deadline will be considered in that round;
• The admissions board reviews applications at the conclusion of each round and notifies each applicant of the outcome of their application;

Accepting your place

• Successful applicants must accept their place on the eCandidat platform by the deadlines below;
• The first installment of tuition fees must be paid by the deadlines below to definitively secure the applicant's place on the programme.

Deadlines for the 2025-26 intake

Deadlines

	M1 | Round 1	M1 | Round 2	M1 | Round 3	M2 | Round 1	M2 | Round 2
Submit your complete application by	15 Dec	23 Feb	28 Apr	31 Mar	28 Apr
You will be notified of the outcome of your application by	17 Jan	21 Mar	23 May	25 Apr	23 May
Accept your place by	17 Feb	21 Apr	15 Jun	25 May	15 Jun
Pay your first tuition installment by .... to qualify for a reduction in tuition fees (international non-European students)	17 Feb   *	21 Apr **	N/A	25 May ***	N/A
Pay your first tuition installment by .... with no reduction in tuition fees	17 Mar	21 May	15 Jun	15 Jun	15 Jun

Early Bird Applications:
 

• * A reduction of €1,500 for the M1 study year is granted to non European international students who apply during the first admissions round and make their first tuition payment within one month of being offered a place on the programme.
• ** A reduction of €500 for the M1 study year is granted to non European international students who apply during the second admissions round and make their first tuition payment within one month of being offered a place on the programme.
• *** A reduction of €1,500 for the M2 study year is granted to non European international students who apply during the first admissions round and make their first tuition payment within one month of being offered a place on the programme.

Admission requirements

Admission requirements for the first year (M1)

• International students with a bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Technology) or equivalent, in a field related to Science and Technology
• French and European students with a 'license' qualification or equivalent.
• Students must have graduated from the above before the end of August in order to enrol in a Master's Programme at Centrale Nantes in September.
• Applicants must have a good level in Mathematics and be fluent in English - written and spoken. An applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit a certificate, which is no older than three years, for a recognised international test of English*:
  • TOEFL - IBT 80, or ITP 550, paper-delivered test 60, TOEFL Home edition is accepted,
  • Cambridge B2 First Test - 173 or higher,
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced Test - 160 or higher,
  • IELTS - 6.5 or higher, IELTS Online test is accepted
  • TOEIC - 800 or higher.
• Applicants who carried out their studies in English (you must provide an official confirmation letter from your university) are eligible without passing such a test, but providing the results of a recognized international test can add value to the application.
• Students who completed their studies in the countries listed below are exempted from submitting a language certificate: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, English-speaking Canada, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Jamaica, Kiribati, Liberia, Mauritius, Micronesia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

*no other test is recognised.

Language of instruction

Fully taught in English.

Admission requirements for the second year (M2)

Students who have successfully completed a first year MSc programme can apply for the second year MSc programme. Applicants must be fluent in English - written and spoken:

 

• An applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit a certificate, which is no older than three years, for a recognised international test of English*:
  • TOEFL - IBT 80, or ITP 550, paper-delivered test 60, TOEFL Home edition is accepted,
  • Cambridge B2 First Test - 173 or higher,
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced Test - 160 or higher,
  • IELTS - 6.5 or higher, IELTS Online test is accepted
  • TOEIC - 800 or higher.
• Applicants who carried out their studies in English (you must provide an official confirmation letter from your university) are eligible without passing such a test, but providing the results of a recognized international test can add value to the application.
• Students who completed their studies in the countries listed below are exempted from submitting a language certificate: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, English-speaking Canada, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Jamaica, Kiribati, Liberia, Mauritius, Micronesia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

*no other test is recognised.

Language of instruction

Fully taught in English.

Required documents

When applying for a Centrale Nantes MSc Programme you will be asked to provide the following documents:
 

• Your official transcripts
• A CV/Resume and cover letter
• Your diploma
• Proof of English proficiency
• Two letters of recommendation - at least one of which must be from an academic professor.
  Letters must be provided on letterhead paper, signed, stamped and with the official contact details of your referees.
• Your passport or other form of official identification

Your documents must be uploaded in English or French. If the original version of your documents is not in one of these two languages, a certified translation by a sworn translator is required.

Apply online

Apply online on the eCandidat platform

How to use the eCandidat platform:

 

• Download the user guide
• Connect to eCandidat: https://ecandidat.ec-nantes.fr
• Use the flag (page top right) to select your language.
• Start off by creating your account.
• No application fees.

 

Contact and admissions support

Master Admission Office

admission538ad382-b205-4fa7-a068-e225ad4e98a4@ec-nantes.fr
Tel: +33.2.40.37.68.36 / 33.2.40.37.68.51

Tuition fees and financing

Tuition Fees

International students (non-European)

Tuition fees

Study year	Tuition fees
M1 Year | 2025 - 2026	€12,000 - (students starting their M1 year in 2025) *
M2 Year | 2025 - 2026	€8,000 - (students starting their M2 year in 2025) **
M2 Year | 2026 - 2027	€12,000 - (students starting their M2 year in 2026) **

Early Bird Applications:
 

• * A reduction of €1,500 for the M1 study year is granted to non European international students who apply during the first admissions round and make their first tuition payment within one month of being offered a place on the programme.
• * A reduction of €500 for the M1 study year is granted to non European international students who apply during the second admissions round and make their first tuition payment within one month of being offered a place on the programme.
• ** A reduction of €1,500 for the M2 study year is granted to non European international students who apply during the first admissions round and make their first tuition payment within one month of being offered a place on the programme.

European students

€243 per year
 

Financing your studies

Centrale Nantes Elite Tuition Fee Waivers

 

• A limited number of excellence-based partial tuition fee waivers are available for the most promising non-European students accepted into the first-year of an MSc programme at Centrale Nantes. The amounts awarded range from €3,000 to €8,000 per year. Conditions apply.
• Other funding opportunities may be available via government or industry scholarships for example. 

Learn more about Elite tuition fee waivers and scholarships

Other ways to help you finance your way through your studies:

 

• Paid 6-month internship
  You will be paid for your 6-month Master's thesis / internship in France. For internships undertaken in France that exceed two months in duration a minimum level of remuneration is set by the government, at approximately €600 per month. In some professional branches, this amount may be higher.
• Work alongside your studies
  You are entitled to work part-time alongside your studies, to earn some extra money. This option is available for both European and non-European students, but different rules apply. Learn more
• Help with your rent
  French and international students are eligible to receive financial support (known as APL in French) from the CAF (Caisses d'Allocations Familiales). The CAF is a French government organism that covers part of the monthly cost of rent paid for student accommodation – the allocated amount depends on the type of accommodation and on your income. Learn more (in French)

Meet our Mechanical Engineering Students

Video of Eleanor, a student in the MSc Mechanical Engineering

Video transcript

Meet our Students: Eleanore, from USA, MSc Mechanical Engineering Advanced Manufacturing M-ENG AM

I'm Eleanore. I'm from America and I'm doing the Mechanical Engineering track with the specialty in Advanced Manufacturing. 

Why did you decide to join Centrale Nantes?

I actually decided to join because of the specific program. I decided to do my Master's degree because I was laid off because of the pandemic. I noticed that this design program that I wanted to do had the career opportunities that I was looking for. It was great because it was in France and I always wanted to come back to France. 

How is the programme going so far? 

The course structure is a lot different from in America because there is only the exam at the end and then there's retakes. But I like it a lot and I think it was really interesting how the courses got more specialized as the semester went on. The last semester was the most specialized to my major which I really liked. 

What about student life on campus?

It's good. My favorite thing is when it's warm out and everyone can bring their lunches and sit outside on the picnic tables. What's great about that is that you can meet people from different majors, not just the people on your courses. 

What are you doing now? 

I'm working for GE Renewable Energy Offshore Wind. I'm working with the offshore wind turbines off the coast of St. Nazaire and all over. My job is to work on standardizing bolted connection design across the turbines. 

Any advice for new applicants? 

For new applicants, I would say that the courses can be difficult, but if you put in the right amount of effort then they're actually quite reasonable. I would also say that it's important when you first get here you put yourself out there. That's when people are finding their groups and really trying to make friends. 

Centrale Nantes in 3 words? 

Multicultural - Friendship - Engineering 

After the MSc

Where are our Mechanical Engineering graduates now?

Survey conducted in 2024 of our 2022 MSc Mechanical Engineering graduates, 76% of whom are currently in employment and 15% pursuing a PhD.

Image transcript

Job/PhD search duration:

• 74% find their first job in 3 months or less
• 100% secured their PhD in less than 3 months

Country of origin

• France - 19%
• Asia Pacific - 32%
• Europe other - 10%
• Middle East - 32%
• Africa - 6%

Current country of residence

• France - 90%
• Europe other - 6%
• Americas - 3%

 

• 64% earn a starting salary in excess of €40K
• 25% are undertaking their PhD in the laboratory where they interned for their Master's thesis
• 100% have a permanent work contract
• 70% recommend the programme

Career Prospects

• Sectors: Aeronautics, Automotive, Transportation, Wind and Marine Energy, Mechanics, Consulting
• Fields: Mechanical Engineering, Design, Materials, Advanced Processes, Additive Manufacturing, Research and Innovation
• Positions: Mechanical Engineer, Process Engineer, Design Engineer, Research and Innovation Engineer (post PhD)

Examples of companies where our 2022 AM graduates are working:

• Apex Technologies
• SWIMS
• Vitibot

And of the positions they hold:

• General installation engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer - Research and Development

PhD Opportunities

Examples of PhD topics pursued by our 2022 AM graduates:

• 5-axis machining - LaBoMaP (ENSAM de Cluny), France

What our students / graduates say

Read what our students / graduates have to say about the programme: coming soon

Meet the Programme Supervisors

Matthieu Rauch, M2 Programme Supervisor AM

Matthieu Rauch is Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the Research Institute in Civil and Mechanical Engineering (GeM), Centrale Nantes. His main research interests are manufacturing tool-paths generation, CNC machine tools programming, Additive Manufacturing.

Laurent Gornet, M1 Programme Supervisor Mechanical Engineering

Laurent GORNET is Professor of Structural Mechanics at the Research Institute in Civil and Mechanical Engineering (GeM), Centrale Nantes.
His research focuses on testing and modeling the mechanical behavior of elastomer and composite materials.

Contact: m1-meng-supervisiorfdc9c1f4-bbf6-454d-ac43-ab7d0fea8672@ec-nantes.fr

Why choose this MSc?

Five reasons why you should choose the MSc in Advanced Manufacturing at Centrale Nantes:

 

• A wide scope of manufacturing expertise: from design to manufacturing processes and control and production
• Ideal preparation for a career in either industry or research
• Fully taught in English for a cohort of international students
• Centrale Nantes is ranked 102nd in the world for Mechanical Engineering in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Accredited Master of Science (MSc) preparing for a PhD in France or abroad or for direct entry into the workplace

Centrale Nantes houses 17 buildings on a 40-acre green campus. In addition to the standard facilities of a university campus (classrooms, media library, computer rooms, etc.), it is home to 13 research platforms, some of which are unique in France, and modern and varied sports facilities, the Centrale-Audencia-Ensa incubator and vibrant student life. Facilities on the Centrale Nantes campus:

Watch the video for a bird's eye view of campus:

Video transcript

Welcome to one of France’s most prestigious engineering schools.

This is where we prepare the world of tomorrow - a sustainable world where research and teaching inspire each other, where we contribute each and nervy day to meeting the challenges of energy transition, the factory of the future and healthcare.
Welcome to a school which offers more than 400 course combinations, q school where students play an active role in decision making, a diverse school with over 70 nationalities on campus.
Welcome to Centrale Nantes.

Virtual Tour

Explore the campus with its classrooms, research platforms, student life and sports activities: Take the virtual tour