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École Centrale de Nantes

Motto	Shake the future
Type	Public, Graduate engineering
Established	1919
Director	Jean-Baptiste Avrillier
Academic staff	550
Students	2410 students
Location	Nantes , France 47°14′55″N 1°32′53″W / 47.24861°N 1.54806°W / 47.24861; -1.54806
Affiliations	Ecoles Centrale Group,
Website	ec-nantes.fr

École Centrale de Nantes, often called Centrale Nantes, is a famous French engineering school. It started in 1919 as the Institut Polytechnique de l'Ouest. This school helps students learn about the newest science, technology, and management. It offers programs for different levels, like graduate, master's, and PhD degrees.

Centrale Nantes is part of the Ecoles Centrale Group. This group includes other top schools like CentraleSupélec and Centrale Lyon. Centrale Nantes is also part of the TIME network. This network lets students from leading engineering schools in Europe study in different countries.

Where is Centrale Nantes?
A Look at History
What People Think of Centrale Nantes
What You Can Study
Working with Others
Research at Centrale Nantes
Alumni Network
See also

Where is Centrale Nantes?

The Centrale Nantes campus is in the city of Nantes, France. Nantes is in the Pays de la Loire region. You can reach Nantes from Paris by train in just two hours. Nantes is the sixth largest city in France. It sits by the Loire River, about 50 kilometers from the Atlantic coast.

A Look at History

Centrale Nantes began in 1919. It was first known as the Institut Polytechnique de l'Ouest. In 1948, its name changed to Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique (ENSM). Thirty years later, the school moved to its current location by the River Erdre.

In 1991, it officially became the Ecole Centrale de Nantes. It then joined the new Ecoles Centrale Group. As part of this group, it offers a special engineering program. This program leads to a French 'diplôme d'ingénieur', which is a high-level engineering degree. The school also added programs for bachelor's, master's, and PhD students. Since 2017, it has offered special training for professionals.

In 2013, Centrale Nantes teamed up with Audencia Business School. In 2014, it also joined with ensa Nantes, a school for architecture. These partnerships help students get a wider range of skills.

What People Think of Centrale Nantes

Centrale Nantes is often named among the best engineering schools in France. It also appears in international rankings.

For example, in 2022, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Centrale Nantes in the top 250 schools worldwide for Engineering and Technology. This made it the third-best French engineering school in that ranking.

Since 2016, Centrale Nantes has also been in the top 25 universities globally for student mobility. This means many students get to study abroad. In France, L'Etudiant magazine ranked Centrale Nantes as the 4th best engineering school in 2021.

What You Can Study

Centrale Nantes wants to train engineers who know a lot about science and technology. The school welcomes many international students. Over 43% of its students come from other countries. They join through partnerships, exchange programs, or research internships.

Undergraduate Programs

For students just starting university, Centrale Nantes offers two programs:

A four-year BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) in Big Data and Management. This program is with Audencia and teaches both engineering and business. It is taught completely in English.
A one-year Foundation Master's program. This helps students with a bachelor's degree get ready for the master's programs at Centrale Nantes.

Engineering Program (Diplôme d'Ingénieur)

Centrale Nantes trains about 420 students each year in its main engineering program. This leads to the 'diplôme d'ingénieur'. This degree is like a Master of Science and Engineering. Students usually get it after five years of higher education.

Getting into this program is very competitive. French students often spend two years in special classes called 'classes préparatoires'. These classes prepare them for tough entrance exams. If they pass, they study for three more years at Centrale Nantes. International students can join through special programs or exams.

Students first learn a wide range of subjects. Then, in their second and third years, they choose a special area. Some choices include:

Advanced Modelling and Analysis of Structures
Aeronautics
Civil Engineering
Computer Science
Energy Production and Management
Industrial Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Robotics
Virtual Reality

In their final year, students also pick a professional option. This helps them focus on a specific job or industry. Some options are:

Business Finance
Entrepreneurship
Healthcare Engineering
International Business Development
Research and Development

Master's Programs

Centrale Nantes offers six Master of Science, Technology, and Health degrees. These are taught in English. They cover areas like:

Marine Technology (M-TECH): This includes topics like Hydrodynamics for Ocean Engineering.
Mechanical Engineering (M-ENG): With specializations like Advanced Manufacturing.
Control and Robotics (CORO): Including Advanced Robotics and Control Systems.
Civil Engineering (C-ENG): Focusing on Materials and Structures.
City and Urban Environments (U-ENV): Such as Atmosphere, Water and Urban Environment.
Industrial Engineering (I-ENG): With options like Agile Factory Management.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees

These are special international study programs. They are offered by a group of universities from different countries. The best students can get scholarships funded by the European Union.

PhD Programs

You can also study for a PhD at Centrale Nantes. Researchers work on many different topics. Each year, about 30 to 35 students complete their PhDs here.

Working with Others

Centrale Nantes works closely with many companies and other schools. These partnerships are both in France and around the world.

National Partnerships

Centrale Nantes is a public school. It works under the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. This Ministry helps guide higher education and research in France.

As part of the Ecoles Centrale Group, students can exchange with other Centrale schools. This includes CentraleSupélec and Centrale Lille.

The Alliance Centrale - Audencia - ensa Nantes started in 2014. It brings together Centrale Nantes, Audencia Business School, and the Nantes School of Architecture. This team-up combines engineering, business, and architecture. It also led to new double degree programs.

Centrale Nantes also partners with other French schools like Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique and Ecole Navale.

International Partnerships

Centrale Nantes helps students study abroad. It is very active in Erasmus+ Programs. It has four Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's degree programs. It also has many exchange programs for students and staff.

Centrale Nantes has 178 academic partners in 48 different countries.

Industrial Partnerships

The school works hand-in-hand with many companies. These close links help students in many ways:

Company visits
Internships
Projects
Talks from company experts
Job and internship offers

These interactions help students find jobs easily after they graduate. The school also works with companies and networks in West France.

Research at Centrale Nantes

Researchers at Centrale Nantes use different fields of study to solve big challenges. They focus on three main areas:

The factory of the future
Energy transition (moving to cleaner energy)
Engineering for health

Research Labs

Centrale Nantes has several research laboratories:

High Performance Computing Institute (ICI)
Jean Leray Mathematical Institute
Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes (LS2N)
Research Institute in Civil and Mechanical Engineering (GeM)
Research Laboratory in Hydrodynamics, Energetics & Atmospheric Environment (LHEEA)
Urban Architecture Nantes Research Centre (AAU)

Research Facilities

The school has amazing facilities for research:

Ocean test facilities: These are some of the biggest in Europe at a university. They include a towing tank and a hydrodynamic tank.
SEM-REV Offshore test site: This is the first European site for testing offshore energy technologies that connects to the power grid.
Dynamic and Static Test Centre (CRED): This center tests how materials behave under heat and stress.
Engine test benches: Used for studying and modeling complex energy systems.
Supercomputer: One of the most powerful in France for its type.
Composites Platform: This equipment helps make and test organic composite materials.
Rapid Manufacturing Platform: This platform brings together different ways of making things, like 3D printing and machining.
Robotics Platform: This platform explores different types of robots, including production robots and human-like robots.
Structural Testing Floor: Tools for designing and managing the life of structures.
Smart Factory Platform: A flexible platform that shows how future factories will work.
Virtual Reality: An immersive room where you can see complex models in 3D.
Wind Tunnels: Used for studying how air moves around objects.

Industrial Research Chairs

Centrale Nantes works with companies to create special research programs called "chairs." These include:

ESI Group on Advanced Numerical Methods
Renault on Electric Vehicles
Naval Group on Naval Military Technologies
Bureau Veritas on Ships of the Future

Alumni Network

Centrale Nantes Alumni is the network for students who have graduated from the school. It started in 1922 and now has over 20,000 members. They organize more than 500 events each year.

This alumni group is part of the larger Centralien network. This network connects graduates from all Centrale schools in France and 44 other countries.