If accepted by several institutions, it is Polytechnique that they will most likely choose. The Course Duration French Polytechnique students do their military service during their first year. They are trained as lieutenants and are given positions of responsibility, often of leadership, throughout France and even the world. Full academic training follows, and lasts 2 years. Because of the levels obtained in the preparatory schools, a degree from Polytechnique would be more equivalent to an American or British M.Sc. than a B.Sc., with solid grounding in several different scientific subjects.
Academic training includes lectures and seminars, but also personal projects.
Students and faculty are encouraged to develop a personal relationship with one another. From a pedagogical point of view, this is considered an essential part of the curriculum. At the end of this period they present a short thesis to a panel of professors. The large majority of graduates complete their studies with a Ph.D. or an equivalent degree in science, technology, economics or business, some at foreign universities. Indeed, the broad spectrum of their training enables them to specialize in a number of fields.