The grandes écoles (French for great schools) of France are higher education establishments outside of the mainstream framework of the public universities. They are generally focused on a single more or less broad topic, have a moderate size, and often are quite selective on the selection of their students. They are often regarded as prestigious, and form the channel most French managing directors and executives come from. A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ...

Preparatory classes

The Lycée Louis-le-Grand, in Paris, is one of the most famous lycées providing classes for preparing for grandes écoles. (Here, on the right side of the rue St Jacques; on the left, the Sorbonne.)

Often, grandes écoles recruit students not after the end of their high school, but after two or more years of initial higher education. For the most part, this education takes place in special preparatory classes, known as prépas, that dispense undergraduate university-level education at an accelerated pace. Prépas are located in a number of select high schools throughout the country; some of them, such as Louis-le-Grand and Henri IV in Paris, are famous in their own name. Download high resolution version (2108x1944, 599 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2108x1944, 599 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The Sorbonne today, from the same point of view The historic University of Paris (French: Université de Paris) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was in 1970 reorganized as 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII). ... Japanese high school students in uniform High school, or Secondary school, is the last segment of compulsory education in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan (Republic of China) (only junior high school) and the United States. ... The Lycée Louis-le-Grand, in Paris is one of the most famous lycées providing classes for preparing for grandes écoles. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

There are four main categories of prépas:

• mathematics and physics (plus computer science and engineering as minors) known as mathématiques supérieures (1^st year; familiarly called hypotaupe) and mathématiques spéciales (2^nd year; familiarly called taupe);
• biology, geology and mathematics (agro);
• humanities (hypokhâgne and khâgne);
• mathematics and economics known as prépa HEC or épice (2 years preparatory class for business schools).

There is some specific jargon in those classes. For instance, the students in mathématiques spéciales are called taupins (which could be roughly translated as the "moles") because they often wear glasses and never go out. Hence, the year of mathématiques spéciales is called the taupe, which could be translated in the context as the "mole hole". One integrates a school when one succeeds in passing the competitive exam to that school. If you integrate a school after two years of prépa, you are 3/2; if you repeat a year, you are 5/2. Indeed, the most prestigious engineering school in France is the École Polytechnique, often dubbed X, as the unknown variable in mathematics. The integral of X between 1 and 2 (the numbers representing years of study) is 3/2, and the integral between 2 and 3 is 5/2. Public preparatory classes do not admit 7/2s, outside of exceptional cases (illness...). Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Mathematics Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: Mathematics Look up Mathematics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Mathematics Bogomolny, Alexander: Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles. ... The willingness to question previously held truths and search for new answers resulted in a period of major scientific advancements, now known as the Scientific Revolution. ... Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Computer Science Riverside Graphics Lab Open Directory Project: Computer Science Collection of Computer Science Bibliographies Belief that title science in computer science is inappropriate Categories: Computer science | Academic disciplines ... Engineering is the application of science to the needs of humanity. ... Main article: Life There are many universal units and common processes that are fundamental to the known forms of life. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... The humanities are a group of academic subjects united by a commitment to studying aspects of the human condition and a qualitative approach that generally prevents a single paradigm from coming to define any discipline. ... Economics (deriving from the Greek words οίκω [okos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules hence household management) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. ... In the USA a business school is a graduate school which offers an Masters of Business Administration. ... Jargon redirects here. ... The cadets of Polytechnique rushed to the defense of Paris against the foreign armies in 1814. ... In calculus, the integral of a function is a generalization of area, mass, volume, sum, and total. ...

Categories

Grandes écoles can be classified into several broad categories:

Écoles normales supérieures

They train researchers, professors and may also be a starting point for high administrative careers. There are four of them: For the suburb of Melbourne, Australia, see Research, Victoria. ... A professor is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Organisational use In some organisational analyses, administration can refer to the bureaucratic or operational performance of mundane office tasks, usually internally oriented. ...

• the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, rue d'Ulm (sciences and humanities);
• the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan in Cachan, a suburb of Paris (applied sciences, engineering, foreign languages);
• the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in Lyon (sciences);
• the École Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines in Lyon (humanities).

Their competitive entrance exams are about the most selective. They recruit mostly from taupes, biology prépas and khâgnes. The quadrangle at the main ENS building on rue dUlm is known as the Cour aux Ernests – the Ernests being the goldfish in the pond. ... École Normale Supérieure de Cachan (ENS Cachan) is a Grande École located in Cachan, a suburb of Paris (5 min from Porte dOrléans). ... The École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (also known as ENSL, ENS-lyon or Normale Sup Lyon) is an elite grande école located in Lyon, France, in the district of Gerland. ... City motto: Avant, avant, Lion le melhor. ...

The normaliens, as the students of the several ENS are known, keep a level of excellence in the various disciplines in which they are trained. Normaliens from France and other European Union countries are considered civil servants in training, and as such paid a monthly salary, in exchange for an agreement to serve France for 10 years, including those of studies.

Engineering schools

There is a broad spectrum of engineering schools, many recruiting after taupes. Things may be a bit confusing since many schools have a lengthy official name (often beginning with École Nationale Supérieure), a shortened name, an acronym and, for the most famous, a nickname (and often a nickname for their students). Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ...

The engineering schools include :

• the École Polytechnique, nicknamed X, which trains engineers and prepares its students (the polytechniciens) for high-level graduate studies or high-level administrative careers;
• the École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris (ENSMP or the Mines de Paris);
• the École Centrale Paris (ECP or Centrale or Piston), whose graduates are centraliens;
• the École Supérieure d'Électricité (Supélec or ESE);
• the École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (SUPAERO), the first air and space engineering school ever in the world;
• the École nationale supérieure de Techniques Avancées (ENSTA);
• the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (National School of Bridges and Roads, ENPC or the Ponts);
• the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) whose graduates are Gardz'art;
• the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications (ENST or Télécom);
• the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne (ENST Bretagne);
• the Institut d'Informatique d'Entreprise (IIE)
• the Institut National des Télécommunications (INT);
• the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG);
• the École nationale supérieure des Mines de Nancy (ENSMN or the Mines de Nancy);
• the École_des_Mines_de_Douai (ENSTIMD or the Mines de Douai);
• the École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Economique (ENSAE);
• the École Nationale Supérieure d'Électronique, d'Électrotechnique, d'Informatique, d'Hydraulique, et de Télécommunications (ENSEEIHT);
• the École Nationale Supérieure d'ingénieurs en Informatique Automatique Mécanique Énergétique Electronique (ENSIAME);
• the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA);
• the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Physique de Strasbourg (ENSPS);
• the Université de Technologie (UTC - UTBM - UTT);
• the Ecole d'Ingénieurs des Technologies de l'Information et du Management (EFREI).

To confuse things even more, schools with similar curricula as the Parisian ones have been established; thus there is, for instance, an École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne in Brittany. They are generally less prestigious than their elder sisters. Other schools include: The École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris (also known as École des Mines de Paris, ENSMP, les Mines, Mines Paris) is one of the French generalist and most prominent engineering Grandes Ecoles. ... École Centrale Paris is one of the leading French Grandes Écoles of engineering. ... The École Supérieure dÉlectricité (generally known as Supélec, formerly ESE) is a leading French electrical engineering grande école. ... The French École Nationale Supérieure de lAéronautique et de lEspace, also known as SUPAERO, was the first engineering school in the world ever dedicated to aircraft construction. ... The École nationale supérieure de Techniques Avancées (National higher school of Advanced Techniques), also known as ENSTA, is a French grande école in engineering. ... The École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) (National school of Bridges and Roads), often referred to as les Ponts, is one of the French Grandes Écoles of engineering. ... École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) is a french technical college. ... The École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Paris (also known as ENST or Télécom or Télécom Paris) a French grande école of engineering, located in Paris. ... The École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne (ENST Bretagne, sometimes known as Télécom Bretagne or even Télécom Brest) is a French research centre and high level training institution in Information Technologies and telecommunications. ... The Institut dInformatique dEntreprise (IIE) is one of the French public Grandes écoles of engineering. ... The Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble ( Grenoble National Polytechnical Institute) is a French technological university consisting of nine Grandes écoles of engineering (engineering schools). ... The École nationale supérieure des Mines de Nancy (also known as ENSMN, les Mines, Mines de Nancy) is one of the top French generalist engineering Grandes Ecoles. ... The École des Mines de Douai is a French public engineering institute located in the city of Douai, close to Lille. ... The École Nationale de la Statistique et de lAdministration Économique (ENSAE) is one of the French Grandes Ecoles of engineering. ... The École Nationale Supérieure dÉlectronique, dÉlectrotechnique, dInformatique, dHydraulique, et de Télécommunications (ENSEEIHT, nicknamed N7) is one of the top French engineering schools in Electronics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Telecommunications. ... The ENSIAME (Ecole Nationale Supérieure dingénieurs en Informatique Automatique Mécanique énergétique Electronique) is one of the European Grandes écoles of Engineering (Equivalent Institute of Technology). ... The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (National Institute of Applied Sciences) is a grande école - a respected, competitive engineering university in France. ... The universities of technology are public institutions awarding degrees and diplomas that are accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. ... The École dIngénieurs des Technologies de lInformation et du Management (lit College for Engineering, Information Technology and Business Studies) is a French private engineering college, whose courses, specializing in computer science and electronic engineering, are taught with support from the state. ... The École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne (ENST Bretagne, sometimes known as Télécom Bretagne or even Télécom Brest) is a French research centre and high level training institution in Information Technologies and telecommunications. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical duchy and French province, as well as the cultural area of Brittany. ...

• the École Centrale de Lille (ECLi);
• the École Centrale de Lyon (ECL);
• the École Centrale de Nantes (ECN).

The École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (civilian air academy) also recruits taupins. The École Centrale de Lille, located in Villeneuve dAscq, near Lille, France, is one of the French Grandes écoles of engineering. ... École Centrale de Lyon is one of the French Grandes écoles of engineering. ... École Centrale de Nantes is one of the leading French Grandes écoles of engineering. ...

Biological and agricultural engineering

• Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA-PG);
• École Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires (ENSAIA).

The Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA P-G) is a French grande école. ...

Business schools (Écoles de commerce)

French business schools are privately run, often by the regional chambers of commerce. Among the most prestigious are: Chambers of commerce are business advocacy groups which are usually not associated with government. ...

• the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC);
• the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (ESSEC);
• the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP);
• the École Supérieure de Commerce de Rouen (ESC Rouen);
• the Grenoble École de Management (Grenoble-EM);
• the ICN Graduate Business School (ICN GBS).

The École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) is a business school, one of the most prestigious French Grandes Écoles. ... The ESSEC (École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales) is one of the leading business schools in France. ... The École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP) is one of the leading business schools in France. ... The École Supérieure de Commerce de Rouen (ESC Rouen or Rouen School of Management in English) is one of the leading business schools in France. ... View of Grenoble-EM. Grenoble Ecole de Management, GEM (Grenoble Graduate School of Management) is a European management school. ... The ICN GBS (ICN Graduate Business School) is one of the leading business schools in France. ...

Military officer academies

While École Polytechnique is run by the Ministry of Defence and its French students are reserve officers in training, it is no longer a military academy and few of its students embrace a military career afterwards. Categories: French government | Stub ... There are three types of military academies: High school level institutions (up to age 19), university level institutions, and those only serving to prepare officer cadets for commissioning into the armed services of a state ( such as RMA Sandhurst ). United States usage The term Military School primarily refers to pre...

• The École Spéciale Militaire de St Cyr (it used to be located in Saint-Cyr l'École but is now in Coëtquidan in Brittany) is the foremost military academy;
• the École Navale is the Naval Academy;
• the École de l'Air is the Air Force Academy.

The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM, Special Military School of St Cyr) is the foremost French military academy. ... The village of Saint-Cyr-lÉcole in the département of Yvelines in France used to host the training school for officers of the French army, the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM). ... Camp Coëtquidan (Camp de Coëtquidan) is a French military educational facility located in Brittany. ...

Political and administrative schools

These schools train students for certain civil service and other public-sector positions. However, many students who undertake studies in these schools do end up working in the private sector. It should be noted that some of the above engineering schools have special curricula for civil service training. A civil servant or public servant is a civilian career public-sector employee working for a government department or agency. ...

• École nationale d'administration (ENA), whose alumni are known as énarques and generally take up high-level positions in government;
• Institut d'études politiques de Paris (more widely known as Sciences Po), offering a broad and rigorous education for students destined to careers in many fields, but most prominently international public affairs (international relations, economics, political philosophy, sociology, and many others). Most students who enter the École nationale d'administration first completed up to 5 years of education at Sciences Po, whose students and alumni are referred to as sciences-potistes. Other Sciences-Po are located in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse.

The École nationale dadministration (generally known as ENA) is the school where many of France senior officials are instructed. ... The Institut détudes politiques de Paris (Paris institute for political studies), familiarly known as Sciences Po, is Frances premier institute for the study and research of politics, international relations, and other related subjects. ... The Institut détudes politiques de Paris (Paris institute for political studies), familiarly known as Sciences Po, is Frances premier institute for the study and research of politics, international relations, and other related subjects. ... International relations (IR) is an academic and public policy field, a branch of political science, dealing with the foreign policy of states within the international system, including the roles of international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ... Political philosophy is the study of the fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, property, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should... Social interactions of people and their consequences are the subject of sociology studies. ... The Institut détudes politiques dAix-en-Provence, also known as IEP dAix-en-Provence is an political science grande école near Marseille, in the région of Aix-en-Provence, set up in 1956 in the premises of the old University of Provence, opposite the St. ... Sciences Po Bordeaux, or Institut détudes politiques (IEP) de Bordeaux, is a French political science grande école situated on the university campus of Pessac, 8 km from the centre of Bordeaux, set up in 1948 External links Official site Postgrads site Categories: Bordeaux | Instituts détudes politiques ... Sciences Po Grenoble, or Institut détudes politiques (IEP) de Grenoble, is a political science grand école situated in the campus of Saint-Martin dHères in Grenoble, France. ... The Institut détudes politiques de Lille or Sciences Po Lille or IEP Lille is an IEP based in Lille. ... The Institut détudes politiques de Lyon is an école superieure in Lyon Categories: University stubs | Lyon | Instituts détudes politiques ... The Rennes IEP (Institut dEtudes Politiques) was founded in 1991, and is a part of the Science-Po group of higher education schools along with those in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Paris, Strasbourg and Toulouse. ... The Institut détudes politiques de Strasbourg, also known as IEP Strasbourg or Sciences Po Strasbourg was the second IEP to be founded, in 1945, after the IEP Paris. ... The IEP Toulouse or Institut détudes politiques de Toulouse is an IEP based in Toulouse, France. ...

See also

• Education in France
• List of universities in France

Education in France: Secondary education in France (collège and lycée) Baccalauréat (the final exam at the end of the lycée) Grandes Écoles List of universities in France See also Minister of National Education (France) Agence pour lEnseignement Français à lEtranger Categories: Education in France... A listing of universities and major tertiary education institutions in France. ...

External links

• Graduate Schools (http://www.internationalgraduate.net/grandes.htm)