We train tomorrow's engineers
- More than 20 years of success
- Location : 40 mn from Paris with public transport
- EISTI provides excellent conditions for studying
- EISTI Charter
- A wide choice of courses
- Academic organisation
- Internship
- Examination : continuous assessment
- Scores
- Academic calendar
- EISTI : An active member of the n+i program
- Master degree at EISTI through N+I program
- Contacts
One School, 2 campuses
CERGY: North/West Paris
PAU: South of France
EISTI is a graduate school that places major importance on Information Technology alongside the teaching of Mathematics, Physics, Management and Humanities.
1. More than 20 years of success
EISTI (Ecole Internationale des Sciences du Traitement de l'Information) was created in 1983.
EISTI is a private school (non-profit-making association) which has been recognized by the State and accredited by the national accreditation Board ("Commission du Titre d'Ingénieur" CTI).
In over twenty years, EISTI has trained more than 2 000 engineers and has made its reputation as a "Grande Ecole" and has become a key player for professionals in the field of Information Technology.
The curriculum combines a strong scientific background with industrial experience that leads to the national Engineering degree "Diplôme d'Ingénieur" which academic level is that of a Master of Science in Engineering.
2. Location: 40 mn from Paris with public transport
EISTI is located both in Cergy Pontoise, in Val d'Oise department, 35 kms from Paris and in Pau in the Atlantic Pyrenees department, near Spain.
Cergy-Pontoise is an academic and cultural pole which welcomes more than 24 000 students enrolled in higher education.
It is also a dynamic economic pole with 44 000 firms located all over the department.
The environment is pleasant with a recreational park (250 hectares of which 150 are for nautical and land sport activities).
3. EISTI provides excellent conditions for studying
Thanks to local authority funding, EISTI possesses laboratories equipped with cutting-edge technology. The aim of EISTI to become a key player is made possible trough co-operation with industry, our educational mission and the involvement of 32 strong team of permanent teachers, as well as that of our many visiting lecturers, the vast majority of whom comes from innovative businesses.
Each student of the engineering degree course is loaned a lap top which remains property for the years of study.
Free access to broadband internet: our students have permanent and unlimited access to internet. The objective is the complete cultural integration of new information technologies. All students have their own email address and can host their personal pages on the school site.
At EISTI, all students receive an international student card ISIC which provides them with a lot of advantages.
4. EISTI Charter
The values that we have included in our Charter created in 1989:
- Professionalism
- Open-mindedness
- Solidarity
- Ethics
are the keys to our success.
These values guide us in our ambition to give our students a strong educational background and a professional advantage.
5. A wide choice of courses
EISTI offers a large variety of programmes at different levels:
- A five-year engineering course starting after secondary education ("Baccalauréat") including 2 years of preparatory studies at EISTI taught in French.
- A three-year engineering course after a nation-wide competitive entrance examination to Engineering Schools leading to a five-year degree, the "diplôme d'ingénieur", with nine different options :
- Software Engineering
- Applied mathematics and scientific computing
- Complex computing system engineering
- Man machine interface engineering
- Auditing and strategy
- Telecommunication
- Business Intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence Engineering
- Financial Engineering (70 % taught in English)
- A two-year engineering course leading to the "diplôme d'ingénieur" for French and foreign students who have a Bachelor's degree (four years in higher education).
n+i students are concerned with this program.
- Post-graduate specialized one-year courses leading to the six year degree "Mastère Specialisé" in different subjects:
- Business intelligence
- Economic Intelligence
- Management through quality
- Open Source
- Territorial risk management
6. Academic organisation
In France, the engineering curriculum lasts 5 years, after the "baccalauréat.
The classical French engineering training is provided by what are called the "Grandes Ecoles" (institutions of higher studies and research).
As a typical "Grande Ecole", EISTI has a selective admission policy.
After the high school degree "baccalauréat", our future students are admitted in a two-year intensive, highly selective, scientific curriculum. During these "Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (CPGE)", students prepare the nation-wide competitive entrance examination to Engineering Schools.
Therefore, on entering EISTI, our students have a strong theorical basis in the fields of mathematics and physics.
The EISTI curriculum itself lasts 3 years, out of which 40 weeks at least of industrial placements.
| Organisation of the 3 year engineering courses |
| 1st year |
Semester 1 |
From September to June |
Core program |
| Semester 2 |
| During summer |
July and August |
Internship |
| 2nd year |
Semester 3 |
From September to January |
Core program |
| Semester 4 |
From February to June |
Elective program |
| During summer |
July and August |
Internship |
| 3rd year |
Semester 5 |
From September to March |
Specialisation |
| Semester 6 |
From April to September |
Internship |
For further information, see the detailed CURRICULUM.
In the second semester of the 2nd year, students have to choose elective courses in subjects that are connected to the final year specialisation areas. There are three distinct programs which make it possible to become specialised as early as the second year.
As computer science is constantly evolving, it is not possible to master all subjects, specialisation has become essential. The specialist program represents 20% of the overall second year course and leads to the third year specialisation. Students have to choose among three subjects:
- Technology and information Systems
- Management and Information Systems
- Computing and Applied mathematics
In the last year (3rd year) there are nine different options that enable the students to master specific engineering fields. These options that determine the professional orientation of the future engineers are:
- Software Engineering
- Applied mathematics and scientific computing
- Complex computing system engineering
- Man machine interface engineering
- Auditing and strategy
- Telecommunication
- Business Intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence Engineering
- Financial Engineering (70 % taught in English)
7. Internship
At EISTI, internships are part of the degree program. This form of education is common in French companies who entrust the trainees with real professional tasks and responsibilities.
To obtain an engineering degree from EISTI, the following internships are compulsory:
At the end of the first year: a ten-week programming placement
At the end ofthe second year: a ten-week analysis placement
These placements take place during summer holidays.
In the last year, the internship starts in early April and lasts at least 20 weeks.
This final placement is a way for nearly 60 % of students to get their first job.
Finding an internship:
EISTI students are held responsible for finding a company which will allow them to do an internship. This is viewed as part of the formal training.
However, the internship service will help you by giving addresses of French companies, forwarding internship offers and advising you on how to present yourself.
8. Examination: continuous assessment
Evaluations occur throughout the year by continuous assessment in the form of tests which can vary according to the subjects (orals, homework, projects, reports, examinations).
There are no specific exam periods, tests take place during the semester as soon as all lectures in a specific subject have been held. Students who have failed in a subject (less than 8/20) during the academic year may resit examinations in June.
9. Scores
Each test is graded in the French system from 0 to 20 (0 being the lowest and 20 the highest mark).
Most of the subjects have several kinds of tests during the semester or the year. When all tests have taken place, an average mark of the subject will constitute the annual score for the subject.
An annual ECTS grade is calculated automatically for each subject and appears on the transcripts of results :
- first 10 % best results of the subject (excellent)
- 25 % following (very good)
- 30 % following (good)
- 25 % following (satisfactory)
- 10 % following (pass)
- insufficient, grade below 8/20
At the end of the academic year, a general average of all the subjects is calculated using the ECTS credits as coefficients for the different subjects.
Some ECTS are assigned to each subject according to the work load it represents. These credits are shown in the CURRICULUM. To obtain the credit, the student must get an annual score in the subject of at least 8/20.
What's a study year like
In the first and second years, students have to validate each year 60 ECTS to pass in higher class.
Between 54 and 60 ECTS, students are allowed to resit examinations in June in order to achieve 60 ECTS.
Specificities concerning 2nd year
Each subject of the elective program is validated with 10/20
Specificities concerning 3rd year
In the third year, students have to:
- Obtain a general average of all the subjects of at least 12/20
- Validate 60 ECTS. The subjects concerning specialisation are validated with at least 10/20.
- Validate the final project with at least 12/20
- Validate the final internship with at least 12/20
- Achieve a score of at least 750 at the TOEIC test
10. Academic calendar
First semester : from September to the end of February
Second semester : from February to June
Vacation :
2 weeks for Christmas (December 25th)
1 week in February
1 week for Easter (March or April)
Summer holidays start early June.
During the summer, students have to do compulsory practical training period in a company.
11. EISTI : an active member of the n+i program
The n+i programme is co-ordinated by the Edufrance Agency and supported by the Ministry for National Education (MEN)
This program deals with incoming and outgoing student mobility between 60 French Engineering "Grandes Ecoles" and more than 120 universities in 28 countries, all over the 5 continents.
Foreign students holding a Bachelor degree or equivalent in engineering are eligible to apply for the "n+i" programme to study during 2 academic years in an engineering programme corresponding to the 4th and 5th years.
For further information, go on the website:
or contact the institutional coordinator: mjl@eisti.fr
12. Master Degree at EISTI through n+i program
Foreign students with prior qualifications like a Bachelor's degree may be admitted directly to the second year of EISTI (or the 4th year in higher education).
This is the case for the n+i students.
After their first semester of transition, especially adapted for them, the "n+I" students follow normal courses with their French fellow students during the last 3 semesters of the French engineering degree programme (4th and 5th year in higher education).
A two-year program leading to the Official Master Degree (French national diplôme d'ingénieur).
Package for cultural and linguistic integration
Intensive summer course is organized for non French speaker student in Paris and in suburbs.
This course lasts 8 weeks in July and August.
The program: French culture, intensive language, engineering science courses and visits.
Package for methodological integration
This methodological integration lasts from September to December.
This is a period of cultural and language adjustment which allows students to gain confidence in French, science, and technology.
Students also learn about French teaching methods. This semester is included in the curriculum (30 credits of the 120) and so there is no extra time.
International students study engineering during the transition semester but not yet with French students. Seminar-size courses are taught in French but at a pace suitable for non-French speakers.
Students may ask questions in English, get answers in English, and use documents in English or their own language.
During the transition semester, students get personal help from their tutors : advice and guidance, assistance with housing, and help with administrative procedures and regulatory requirements (registration, bank accounts, visas, residency permits, and so on).
3 Semesters at EISTI
The next three semesters are at EISTI in Cergy orPau.
General organisation of the n+i program
N+I organisation
Semester 1 |
July and August |
Package of cultural and linguistic integration |
| From September to December |
Package of methodological integration(30 ECTS) |
2nd year
(4th higher education)
Semester 2 |
From January to May |
EISTI core and elective program(22 ECTS) |
| From June to August |
Internship 10 weeks (8 ECTS) |
3rd year
(5th higher education)
Semesters 3 and 4 |
From September to March |
EISTI courses (specialisation 24 ECTS, core program 6 ECTS) and final project (PFE) 10 ECTS |
| From April to September |
Final Internship 22 weeks(20 ECTS) |
| |
October |
Graduation day |
During the 3 semesters at EISTI, French language courses are organised 2 hours a week with ENSEA also member of n+i .
ENSEA is an Engineering Grande Ecole in Electronics, next to EISTI.
13. Contacts
Institutional coordinator : Marie-Josée Lamerre Head of International Relations
Tél : +33(0)1 34 25 10 03
E-mail : mjl@eisti.fr
Ecole Internationale des Sciences du Traitement de l'Information
Avenue du Parc
95011 CERGY PONTOISE cedex
Tél : +33 (0)1 34 25 10 10
Fax : +33 (0)1 34 25 10 00
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