The exchange semester
The exchange semester at Centrale Lyon enables international students to join one of the school's courses for several months and validate ECTS credits. This mobility opportunity gives students the chance to discover new disciplines and enrich their original training. With nearly 57 nationalities represented on campus, exchange students benefit from a stimulating multicultural environment, conducive to exchange and personal enrichment.
Students take 6 courses from a choice of around 60 (organized, for scheduling reasons, into 6 blocks). Courses finish at the end of April and are worth 12 ECTS. Students obtain the remaining 18 ECTS by taking language courses and carrying out a full-time research project in one of our laboratories, from May to mid-July. The research project can be conducted entirely in English.
Period: January to June
Institutional diploma: no
Credits: 30 ECTS
Language : French and English (one third of courses are offered in English)
Tuition fees : Exempt if partnership contract
Application procedure: Between September and October
The Specialty Engineering double degree is open to students who have acquired at least 180 ECTS credits at their home school. At the end of their mobility, they obtain 15 ECTS credits of compulsory specialty courses and 15 ECTS credits of other courses or research project courses.
Courses concerned: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Sensory Engineering offered by Centrale Lyon's in-house school ENISE
Period: September to January
Credits: 30 ECTS
Language : English
Application procedure : March/April
The exchange year
The exchange year at Centrale Lyon offers international students the opportunity to join one of the school's curricula for several months, while validating ECTS credits. This international mobility program enables students to discover new disciplines and enrich their initial training, thus fostering their academic and personal development.
Students who successfully complete the program of the final year of the curriculum are awarded the Diplôme d'établissement "DESECL". Students who take all courses from September to the end of March and then complete an extended internship between April and mid-September. The latter can be carried out in an École Centrale or research laboratory, or in a company.
Period: September to mid-September N+1
Institutional diploma: yes
Credits: 60 ECTS
Language: French and English (a limited choice of English-only courses)
Tuition fees: Exempt if partnership agreement
Application procedure: March/April
The double degree
Centrale Lyon offers a double degree exchange program for several of its courses. Thanks to this opportunity, students obtain both the Centrale Lyon diploma and that of the partner university. This double curriculum offers a training program of excellence, combining the pedagogical approaches of two renowned institutions. As a result, it brings significant added value, preparing students to evolve successfully in an international environment.
The Double Diploma offers students the opportunity to study part of the core curriculum, optional modules, and have access to associated internships during both years, ultimately leading to the Centrale Lyon Engineering Diploma. Diplomas from both institutions are awarded at the end of the combined program - it is therefore necessary for the student to validate the program at both institutions in order to obtain both diplomas.
Period: September to end of August N+2 (Double Diploma 1-2) and September to end of September N+2 (Double Diploma 2-3)
Credits: 120 ECTS
Language: French
Application procedure: March/April
The Centrale Lyon ENISE in-house school offers double engineering degrees on its specialty courses.
Courses concerned: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Sensory Engineering offered by the Centrale Lyon ENISE in-house school
Language: English
Application procedure : Mid-December with the home partner institution
Students with an academic background consistent with the Master's programs on offer and who have completed the first year of a Master's program or have acquired at least 240 ECTS credits (or a national equivalent) at their home school can apply for the second year of the Master's programs. This exchange is possible if a double degree agreement exists between Centrale Lyon and the home institution.
My years in Lyon were the best of my life. I was able to discover a new culture, sample local specialties and appreciate French architecture. Studying at Centrale Lyon allowed me to develop both personally and professionally. I specialized in the environment with the options and professions offered by Centrale. I was also able to get involved with the school, the students, the town of Écully and other schools through the Planet&Co association and projects to raise awareness of climate issues among young people, just as I was able to entertain the people of Lyon and tourists by playing with the Fanfare Piston in the streets of Lyon.
Tristan - Student at Polytechnique Montréal, on a 2-3 double degree program
International Masters
Centrale Lyon offers eight Masters programs designed to welcome international students. These two-year courses (M1 and M2), taught entirely in English, aim to provide students with a high level of scientific qualification. They also provide solid operational skills, with an emphasis on group work and integration into the world of industry and research.
The Research Training Certificate
The Certificat de Formation à la Recherche (CFR) offered by Centrale Lyon is a program designed for students wishing to deepen their research skills. This certificate enables students to participate in research projects in campus laboratories, while developing essential methodological skills. Non-French-speaking students also have access to courses in French as a foreign language to improve their communication skills. In addition, they can attend all courses in the three-year engineering program, either as auditors or for credit. This pathway promotes full integration into the academic and scientific environment.
Period: Can be done at any time. Students usually start in September or February
Institutional diploma: yes
Credits: 30 ECTS (1 semester) 60 ECTS (2 semesters)
Language: French and English
Tuition fees: Exempt if partnership contract
Application procedure: Application submission between March and April for students starting in September (semester 1). Between September and October for students starting in February (semester 2). For more information: contact the International Relations Department.
Options for students coming for 2 semesters:
- Two different research projects, one for each semester.
- First semester in one of the laboratories and second semester as a paid internship with an industrial partner. In this case, the student must take 100 hours of courses taught in the first semester in parallel with the research project, in order to be considered an intern within the meaning of French labor law.
Coming as a doctoral student
The engineering cycle is the basic training at Centrale Lyon. However, the School also welcomes students entering the Master's cycles or pursuing a doctorate on its campus. Centrale Lyon pursues an internationally recognized policy of top-level research that attracts many PhD students from all over the world.
Research project and end-of-studies laboratory work
The École's research laboratories have established long-term bilateral collaborations or partnerships with international universities within the framework of agreements signed by the École.
They can accept international students wishing to carry out a research project or end-of-study work for a period of 3 to 6 months in their fields of expertise.
