École polytechnique
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
President Laura Chaubard (by interim) | | |
Director | Laura Chaubard | |
---|---|---|
Students | 3,370[1] | |
Undergraduates | 480[2] | |
Postgraduates | 2,000 engineer candidates 500 masters[1] | |
390[1] | ||
Location | , France 48°42′45″N 2°12′36″E / 48.7125°N 2.2100°E | |
Colors | Red & yellow | |
Website | polytechnique.edu |
Battalion of École polytechnique | |
---|---|
Bataillon de l'École polytechnique | |
Founded | September 28, 1794 |
Country | France |
Allegiance | France |
Type | Public research university |
Part of | French Armed Forces |
Motto(s) | Pour la Patrie, les Sciences et la Gloire |
Wars | Sixth Coalition World War II |
Battle honours | Legion of Honour citation to the order of the army |
Commanders | |
Commanding Officer | Senior General Armament Engineer François Bouchet |
Colonel of the Regiment | Thibault Capdeville head of corps and director of human and military training |
École polytechnique (lit. 'Polytechnic School'; also known as Polytechnique or l'X [liks]) is a grande école located in Palaiseau, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris.[3]
The school was founded in 1794 by mathematician
French engineering students undergo initial military training and have the status of paid officer cadets.[6] The school has also been awarding doctorates since 1985, masters since 2005 and bachelors since 2017.[7] Most Polytechnique engineering graduates go on to become top executives in companies, senior civil servants, military officers, or researchers.[8]
History
Foundation and early years
After the Revolution of 1789, the royal engineering schools were closed.
In 1805, Emperor
In 1814, students participated in the fighting to defend Paris against the
The French Second Empire
Because of the tension between revolutionary ideas and the service of the State, the republican ideal gradually disappeared after 1851. The Polytechnicians even found themselves on the side of the Versaillese when the Paris Commune was crushed in 1871. During the years 1871–1872, the number of students admitted per year doubled from 140 to 280.[19] The Polytechnicians sought above all to strengthen their position in the spheres of power to compensate for their loss of influence in the technical field. While they could have turned to an engineering profession associated with industry, the Polytechnicians instead reinforced their sovereign vocation by joining the "state nobility" of the Second French Empire, whose origins, interests and convictions they gradually shared. The years 1860–1870 marked an important evolution since the School became more of a "conservatory of sciences" than a center of research and innovation, while extending its hold on the management of the industrial apparatus.[20]
The World Wars
During
From post-war to today
In 1944, the School was again placed under the administration of the Ministry of War.[22] In 1970, the School became a state-sponsored civilian institution under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence.[23] The first female students were admitted in 1972. One woman, Anne Chopinet, was class valedictorian.[23] In 1976, the School moved from the center of Paris to Palaiseau, in the southern suburbs.[23] In 1985, it began awarding doctoral degrees.[23] In 1994, the bicentennial celebration was presided over by President François Mitterrand.[23] In 1995, a new entrance exam was set up for international students and in 2000, the Ingénieur Polytechnicien was extended from 3 to 4 years.[23]
Locations
Early locations
In 1794, École polytechnique was first housed in the Palais Bourbon. A year later, it moved to the Hôtel de Lassay, a hôtel particulier in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
Montagne Saint-Geneviève (1805–1976)
In 1805, when he placed the School under military administration, Napoleon transferred it to the
Palaiseau (from 1976)
Located in the suburbs of Paris, about 14 km (9 mi) from the city center, École polytechnique is a campus-based institution. It offers teaching facilities, student housing, dining and hospitality services, and a range of sports facilities dedicated to the 4,600 people who live on campus.
The nearest regional train station is Lozère (line B, zone 4 of the RER network). Several buses also connect École polytechnique to the Massy-Palaiseau RER station and Massy TGV station.[25]
The campus is close to other scientific institutions in Saclay (
Organization and administration
Specific status
École polytechnique is an institution of higher education
It is headed by a general officer (since 2012, by a General engineer of Armament, whereas previous directors were generally army generals), and employs military personnel in leadership, administrative and sport training positions.[28] French undergraduate polytechniciens, both male and female, are cadets[29] and have to go through a period of military training before beginning their studies.[30][31]
However, the military dimension of the school faded over time, with a reduced period of preliminary military training, and fewer and fewer students choosing a career as an officer. On special occasions, such as the military parade on the Champs-Élysées on Bastille Day, the polytechniciens wear the 19th-century-style Grand Uniforme, including a bicorne, but students no longer wear uniforms on campus since the abolition of the 'internal uniform' in the mid-1980s. Students also wear the Grand Uniforme for special events on campus, such as conferences and ceremonies.
Activities and teaching staff
École polytechnique has a general engineering curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as a doctoral school. In addition to the faculty coming from its local laboratories, it employs many researchers and professors from other institutions, including laboratories such as
Contrary to French public universities, the teachers at École polytechnique are not civil servants (fonctionnaires)[33] but contract employees. In addition to full-time professors who do research at the École polytechnique in addition to their full teaching duties, there are part-time professors who have only a partial teaching load.[34] Part-time teachers are often recruited from research organizations (CNRS, CEA, INRIA, etc.) which carry out their activities on the School's campus, in the Paris region, or sometimes even in the provinces.
Academic programs
The 'Polytechnicien Engineer' program
The program awards the prestigious
In addition to the 2,000 polytechnicien engineering students (500 students per year), the institution has approximately 439 master's students and 572 doctoral students, for a total of 2,900 enrolled.[1]
Admission
There are two ways to enter the Polytechnicien Engineer program. The first way is through a very selective competitive examination that requires at least two years of intensive preparation after high school in
About 400 French students are admitted to the school each year.[36] Foreign students who have completed a classe préparatoire can also enter through the same competitive examination. In total, there are about 100 foreign students admitted to this cycle each year. Foreign students from European or American universities can also be admitted as part of an exchange program for a semester or a year.[37]
Curriculum
Four years of study are required for the engineering degree:[38] one year of military service (for French nationals only) and a scientific "common curriculum" (eight months and four months, respectively), one year of multidisciplinary studies, and one year of specialized studies ("majors"). Since the reform of the curriculum in 2000, students complete a fourth year of study in a partner institution.
- First year
The curriculum begins with eight months of mandatory military service for students of French nationality. In the past, this service lasted 12 months and was compulsory for all French students; the abolition of
While French students remain under military status during their studies at Polytechnique, and participate in various ceremonies and other military events, such as national ceremonies like Bastille Day or the anniversaries of the
Then begins a four-month period during which all students take the same five courses: Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science and Economics.
- Second year
The second year is a year of multidisciplinary studies. The set of disciplines covers most of the scientific fields (mathematics, applied mathematics, mechanics, computer science, biology, physics, chemistry, economics) and some areas of the humanities (foreign languages, general humanities...). Students must choose twelve courses in at least five different disciplines.
- Third year
In the third year, students must choose a specialization (programme d'approfondissement), which often focuses on a discipline or sometimes an interdisciplinary subject. This year ends with a research internship (four to six months). Students also earn a Master's degree in engineering, science and technology in their third year.
- Fourth year
The fourth year is the beginning of more specialized studies: students who do not enter a State Corps must enter either a Master's degree or a doctorate, a partner college or institute such as the
Class rank and career path
The grades of the second year of the curriculum are used to rank the students. Traditionally, this individual exit ranking was very important for the French students of the École polytechnique, and certain peculiarities in the organization of studies and ranking can be attributed to the need for equity among students.
For French nationals, this ranking is part of a government recruitment program: a certain number of places in civil or military Corps, including elite civil servant such as the
Since the X2000 reform, the importance of rank has diminished. With the exception of the corps curriculum, the universities and schools where polytechniciens complete their training now base their acceptance decisions on the transcripts of all grades.
Of the 47% of graduates who decide to pursue a professional career in the private sector, the majority (58%) are based in the Greater Paris area, 8% in the rest of France, while 34% are based outside France. Only 12% of the cohort work under a non-French employment contract. École polytechnique students earn an average of €44,000 per year after graduation.[40]
Tuition and financial obligations
French students admitted to the École polytechnique do not pay tuition fees and receive a salary as officer cadets. Through the student board, they redistribute part of this sum to foreign students.
There is no particular financial obligation for students who complete the program and then enter an application school or graduate program accredited by the École polytechnique.
Bachelor program
The Bachelor is a three-year program fully taught in English which opened in 2017. Either French nationals or international students are eligible. Applications are opened to final year high school students. Selection is made through an online application file and an oral interview.[41] During the first year of the programme, students follow a pluridisciplinary curriculum based on mathematics.
Master's program
École polytechnique organizes various master's programs, more specialized than the polytechnic engineering program, alone or in association with other schools and universities, on a wide variety of subjects. The school offers programs in AI, computer vision, economics, finance, environmental science, energy, and data science.
Doctoral program
The school also has a doctoral program open to students with a master's degree or equivalent.[42] Doctoral students generally work in the school's laboratories; they may also work in external institutes or institutions that cannot or will not award a doctorate.
About 40% of doctoral students come from abroad.[1]
Research centres
École polytechnique has many research laboratories operating in various scientific fields (
.Student life
Students are represented by a board of 16 students known as "la Kès", elected each November. La Kès manages the relationships with teachers, management, alumni and partners. It publishes a weekly students paper, InfoKès.
Sports
Sports are an important part of student life, as all students are required to play 6 hours of sports per week. There are competitive and club sports ranging from skydiving and judo to circus and hiking. There are two swimming pools, dojo and fencing rooms, and an equestrian center on campus. The "Jumping de l'X" is an international show jumping competition organized by the school.
Notable people
Many École polytechnique graduates hold important positions in government, industry and research in France. Its alumni include three Nobel prizes winners, three presidents of the French Republic, and several business and industry leaders. Researchers at the French National Centre for Scientific Research have found that most business executives in France are traditionally alumni of the École polytechnique.[43]
Rankings
General rankings
In international rankings, the École polytechnique is ranked as part of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris.
Research performance
In 2020, the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities ranked the university at 475th globally with its "Engineering Subjects" placed at 451–500th in the world.[44] In 2020, it is ranked 509th in the world by the University Ranking by Academic Performance.[45]
Other rankings
In the 2015 Times Higher Education Small Universities Rankings, École polytechnique ranks third, after
Year | QS Rank (Change)[47] |
---|---|
2014 | 41 |
2015 | 35 ( 6) |
2016 | 40 ( 5) |
2017 | 53 ( 13) |
2018 | 59 ( 6) |
2019 | 65 ( 6) |
2020 | 60 ( 5) |
2021 | 61 ( 1) |
The
Year | Rank (Change) |
---|---|
2007 | 4 ( 0) |
2008 | 15 ( 11) |
2009 | 14 ( 1) |
2010 | 12 ( 2) |
2011 | 7 ( 5) |
Criticisms
The French
Gallery
-
The Arms of the École polytechnique
-
The main hall seen from the lake
-
Cadets of Polytechnique at theBastille Day Military Parade
-
The bicorne hat of Polytechnique
See also
- Grandes écoles
- Higher education in France
- LULI
References
- ^ a b c d e "Study at École polytechnique". École polytechnique.
- ^ "Applications for the Bachelor program open on November 25th". École polytechnique.
- ^ a b "Arrêté du 25 février 2021 fixant la liste des écoles accréditées à délivrer un titre d'ingénieur diplômé – Légifrance". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ Michel Nusimovici, Les écoles de l'an III, 2010.
- ^ "History - École polytechnique". www.polytechnique.edu. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Les élèves". École polytechnique, école d'ingénieur (in French). Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "Bachelor of Science". programmes.polytechnique.edu. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "Career Paths". programmes.polytechnique.edu. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Becquerel, Allais and Tirole.
- École Normale Supérieure (1975–1979), but he completed his Ph.D. under Michael Herman in 1985 in the Centre de mathématiques Laurent Schwartz of École polytechnique, a research centre which had been created by another Field medalist and a professor at Polytechnique : Laurent Schwartz.
- Sadi Carnot (who was the nephew of Carnot the physicist and the grandson of Carnot the École founder), Lebrun and Giscard.
- ^ "Présentation de l'École". programmes.polytechnique.edu. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ JSTOR 30037440.
- ISSN 0373-6237.
- JSTOR 23632816.
- S2CID 254798029.
- ^ "1794–1804: Revolution and Napoleonic Period". École polytechnique. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ "Journal de l'École polytechnique". jep.centre-mersenne.org. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ a b c "19th century: thrust into the upheaval of the times". École polytechnique. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0003-4436.
- ^ Organisation de l'Ecole Polytechnique. Ordonnance du 13 novembre 1830, Mon. univ. (15 November 1830) 1465–1466; also in Le globe (18 November 1830) 1085–1086 [with editorial remarks]; also in J. gén. civil 10 (1831) 87–97.
- ^ "20th century: wars lead to new orientations". École polytechnique. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "From 1958 to 2018". École polytechnique. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ "Histoire de l'École polytechnique". enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ École polytechnique – Un cadre unique. Polytechnique.edu. Retrieved on 16 June 2014.
- ^ Code de l'éducation, L675-1
- ^ Arrêté du 12 septembre 2005 relatif à l'exercice de la tutelle du ministre de la défense sur divers organismes publics confiés à la délégation générale pour l'armement, article 1
- ^ Décret n°96-1124 du 20 décembre 1996 relatif à l'organisation et au régime administratif et financier de l'École polytechnique
- ^ Décret n° 2008-960 du 12 septembre 2008 fixant certaines dispositions d'ordre statutaire applicables aux élèves français de l'École polytechnique
- ^ First Period : General Education, web site
- ^ Arrêté du 14 août 2001 relatif à la formation militaire et à la formation à l'exercice des responsabilités des élèves français de l'École polytechnique prévues à l'article 2 du décret n° 2000-900 du 14 septembre 2000 fixant certaines dispositions d'ordre statutaire applicables aux élèves français de l'École polytechnique
- ^ Partners, official web site
- ^ Décret 87-16 du 14 janvier 1987: by exception to the general rule that staff in public establishments of an administrative character are civil servants, the teaching staff of Polytechnique is hired on contracts.
- ^ Décret n°2000-497 du 5 juin 2000 fixant les dispositions applicables aux personnels enseignants de l'École polytechnique
- ^ The French 'Grandes Écoles', École Poytechnique web site
- ^ Until 1988, the number of newly admitted French students was around 300 on a yearly basis ; and until 1952, it was between 200 and 250.
- ^ International Exchange Program
- ^ Ingénieur Polytechnicien Program, an English-language page from the school's website, describing the engineering degree.
- ^ a b "Ingenieur Polytechnicien" (PDF). (5.79 MB) p. 74
- ^ "Top 20 des écoles d'ingénieurs qui paient le mieux à la sortie". Les Echos. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Admissions Criteria and Procedures".
- ^ Admission École polytechnique web site
- .
- ^ "Ecole polytechnique". nturanking.csti.tw. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "URAP – University Ranking by Academic Academic Performance". www.urapcenter.org. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ The world's best small universities 2016, 25 January 2016
- ^ "QS Top Universities 2021: Ecole polytechnique". QS Top Universities. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ [1] Archived 18 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Les inégalités sociales d'accès aux grandes écoles – Insee (PDF). INSEE. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Des classes préparatoires et des grandes écoles toujours aussi fermées". Inegalites. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
Bibliography
- Clark, Burton R. (1993). The Research Foundations of Graduate Education: Germany, Britain, France, United States, Japan. University of California Press. p. 412. ISBN 978-0-520-07997-7.
- Gillispie, Charles C. (2004). Science and Polity in France, the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Years. Princeton Universitv Press. ISBN 978-0-691-11541-2.
- Grattan-Guinness, Ivor (March 2005). "The "Ecole Polytechnique", 1794–1850: Differences over Educational Purpose and Teaching Practice". The American Mathematical Monthly. Vol. 112, no. 3. Published by: Mathematical Association of America. pp. 233–250. JSTOR 30037440.
- "In France, the Heads No Longer Roll", The New York Times, Sunday, 17 February 2008