Engineering Programme - Year 1

The common-core curriculum in year 1 provides students with broad-based multi-disciplinary engineering training:
 
  • Technical and scientific courses make up 70% of the curriculum with the remaining 30% of the programme devoted to business sciences, social sciences, modern languages and sport.
  • Students benefit from first-hand professional experience during year 1 with a student business project in the second semester and a 4-week internship to discover the business world in July/August.
  • Students also commit to a civic engagement during their first year of studies whereby they make a contribution to society through volunteer work. This is to be completed by the end of March in Year 2.

Overview of the common-core curriculum in year 1 - 2023/24

Autumn Semester
Successful completion of the semester leads to the award of 30 ECTS.
 

lecture
hours

tutorial
hours
lab
hours
exam
 
total
hours
ECTS
credits
Engineering Courses*
Modelling Approaches in Mechanical Engineering  28  28 16 4 76 6
Product Design and Development  4  16 16 2 38 3
Energy, Environment and Climate Challenges 18 14 4 2 38 3
Physics and Fluid Dynamics 14 14 8 2 38 3
Engineering Elective - choose 1 of 6: 3
1. Information Systems 12 14 10 2 38
2. Electronics, Electric Actuators, Embedded Systems 14 10 12 2 38
3. Materials 12 12 12 2 38
4. Applied Thermodynamics 12 16  8 2 38
5. Biology 14 16 6 2 38
6. Production Management 16 12 8 2 38
Modern Languages 1 26  26  2
Modern Languages 2 26**  26**  2
Sports and Physical Education 26  26  2
Soft Skills (Business & Social Sciences) 64 4
Civic Engagement 2

* All (seven) engineering courses are taught in both semester 5 and semester 6. In the first year, the cohort is divided into 2 groups, the programme above reflects the example of one group. The order is reversed for the other group.

** 52 hours for Chinese /Japanese
Spring Semester

Successful completion of the semester leads to the award of 30 ECTS.
 

lecture
hours

tutorial
hours
lab
hours
exam
 
total
hours
ECTS
credits
Engineering Courses*
Engineering Mathematics  16  44 12 4 76 6
From Measurement to Control  26  26 20 4 76 6
Algorithms and Programming 6 12 18 2 38 3
Engineering Elective - choose 1 of 6: 3
1. Information Systems 12 14 10 2 38
2. Electronics, Electric Actuators, Embedded Systems 14 10 12 2 38
3. Materials 12 12 12 2 38
4. Applied Thermodynamics 12 16  8 2 38
5. Biology 14 16 6 2 38
6. Production Management 16 12 8 2 38
Modern Languages 1 26  26  2
Modern Languages 2 26**  26**  2
Sports and Physical Education 26  26  2
Soft Skills (Student Business Project, Business & Social Sciences)
or Architecture (Double Degree in Architecture Programme only) ***
-

34
-

-
-

70
-

-
114

104
 5
Internship  1

* All (seven) engineering courses are taught in both semester 5 and semester 6. In the first year, the cohort is divided into 2 groups, the programme above reflects the example of one group. The order is reversed for the other group.
** 52 hours for Chinese /Japanese
*** 5 ECTS for soft skills or Architecture

Focus on Soft Skills

In addition to the acquisition of technical and scientific expertise, Centrale Nantes places a strong emphasis on personal development and the fostering of soft skills. Students undertake a Student Business Project in their first year and follow their choice of modules in Business Science and Social Science courses. They thus acquire soft skills, with their progress measured against a set of competencies in:
 
  • Personal development (employability: self-awareness, self-confidence),
  • Interaction with others (the eco-system of organisations, contributing to their operation and development)
  • Innovation in one's environment (ecology, innovation, entrepreneurship and finance, ability to take up challenges and understand complexity)
  • Project Management (project management, management methods, interpersonal interaction)
In addition to soft skills, two modern languages (English and a choice of second language) and sport are taught throughout the three years of the engineering programme.

Contribution to sustainable development goals

 
Published on March 16, 2017 Updated on January 29, 2024