International Engineering Program
French
French IEP student, Ian McElroy touring the Alps during his year abroad
France is one of Europe’s largest economies and home to major engineering firms such as Schneider Electric and Toray. As a language, French is widely spoken around the world and one of the official languages of the European Union and United Nations. French IEP students have a unique opportunity to study a beautiful language while interning at major companies with major investments around the world.
French IEP students spend a semester studying engineering at the University of Technology of Compiègne in France. Students then complete a six-month paid internship at an engineering firm in France or in French-speaking Belgium, Canada or Switzerland. In previous years, students have interned for companies such as Schneider Electric, Total, Yanmar, Dassault Systèmes, VP et Green Ingénierie, Bouygues Construction, Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), Électricité de France (EDF) and France Energies Marines, among others.
Partner University
Partner Corporations
Belgium
Bernard Energy Advocacy (Brussels)
Canada
SAP (Karlsruhe, Montreal)
France
Air Liquide (Jouy-en Josas-Cedex)
Biotrial (Mulhouse)
Bouygues Construction (Marseille)
CEREMA (Compiègne)
CIRIMAT Institute at the Université Toulouse 3 (Toulouse)
CGG (Paris)
Constructions 3D (Valenciennes)
Dassault Systèmes (Vélizy-Villacoublay)
École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (Rennes)
Électricité de France (Chatou)
ENERCAP (Lyon)
Eurovia (Vinci Construction – Bordeaux)
Federal Mogul (Crépy-en-Valois)
France Energies Marines (Plouzané)
Geocéan (Marseille)
Groupe ADP (Paris)
GTM (Batiment)
GTM Hallé (Vinci Construction – Nancy)
Hutchinson (Auxy)
Ifremer (La Rochelle)
Ifremer Service PRAO (La Seyne-sur-Mer)
IHU-Strasboug (Strasbourg)
Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (Strasbourg)
Institut Méditerranéen d’Océanologie (MIO – Toulon)
Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble (Grenoble)
Laboratoire Electomécanique de Compiègne (UTC – Compiègne)
Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (Université Paris Cité – Paris)
Laboratoire Simard (UTC – Compiègne)
Laboratoire TIMR (UTC – Compiègne)
Lingua Custodia (Paris)
LMS Imagine (a Siemens business) (Lyon)
Medincell (Jacou)
RATP Group (Paris)
Renault (Guyancourt)
Rhodia (Clamecy, Lyon)
Rhodia (Paris)
Saint-Gobain (Cavaillon, Avignon, Germany)
Schneider Electric (Montpellier)
Sixense Soldata (Nanterre)
Société Générale (Fontenay-sous-Bois)
STMicroelectronics (Grenoble)
Terres Inovia Laboratoire (UTC – Compiègne)
Toray Plastics (Lyon)
Total (Paris, Pau)
Vinci Construction Maritime et Fluvial (Chevilly-Larue)
VP et Green Ingénierie (Paris)
Worldline (Lille)
Yanmar (Saint-Dizier)
ZF (various locations in Germany, Spain, France, USA, Mexico, China, Italy)
Additional Language Opportunities
Compiègne Summer Immersion
Université de Technologie de Compiègne (Compiègne, France)
Every August
The Université de Technologie de Compiègne offers a four-week French language immersion program during August. The program is tuition-free for IEP students, and offers an opportunity to gain experience at our partner university, where they will study abroad during their fourth year. This is not a faculty-led program, so students should be prepared to travel to France on their own. Participants are placed into one of the four language levels courses and take weekend trips. Visit the program’s website for additional information.
France Study Tour
Université de Technologie de Compiègne (Compiègne, France)
URI J-Term, January, during winter break
Students enrolled in the International Engineering and International Business Programs, can gain some short-term immersion experience in France prior to their senior year. This program will allow students to experience the context of the French language and engineering/business studies. Furthermore, it will give students the opportunity to explore the culture and technology environment, and communicate with their budding language skills. Course work will be supplemented with cultural tours and excursions while in France, including a day trip to Paris and site visits to French companies.
Visit the URI Faculty-Led Programs page for additional information and current offerings.