Year abroad at CentraleSupélec

An exchange scheme was set up between CUED and CentraleSupélec (CS) in 2008. CentraleSupélec is one of the prestigious "Grandes Ecoles" in France and offers a range of courses similar to those given at CUED.  We expect to be able to offer up to 4 places on this scheme again in the coming academic year.

Cambridge students participating in the Exchange Programme spend their third year in Paris instead of doing Part IIA or MET Part I.  They are assessed at CS (by a combination of examinations, coursework and project work) and, subject to a satisfactory performance (i.e., the equivalent to a Cambridge third-class honours or above) will be deemed to have deserved honours at Part IIA.  Note that students do not receive a degree classification for their third year.

To meet representatives of the exchange programme please come along to the Exchange Fair in CLIC on Friday 21 November 2025.

Application Process

If you are interested in applying for the Exchange Programme you should:

• Contact Mr David Tual (dhpt2@cam.ac.uk) to discuss your language level,
• Contact the CentraleSupélec coordinator, Alexander White (ajw36@cam.ac.uk) to register your interest,
• Please submit:
  A completed Application Form (pdf, doc)
  A Reference Form (pdf, doc)
  A 1-2 page Curriculum Vitae

to your DOS, by 9.00am on Thursday 26 February 2026.  Your DOS must then complete the Reference Form and submit all three documents to your Senior Tutor for counter signature. 

Your Senior Tutor is then required to forward your application to clic-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk by Thursday 13 March 2026:

Students will be selected on the basis of their linguistic and academic abilities, and will be informed of the outcome of their application by the end of March.

Opportunities for funding

A grant under the Turing Scheme may be provided to students who require financial assistance to support their Year Abroad at Centrale Superlec, subject to funding being awarded to the University by the Department for Education following an annual application process. Eligibility is subject to review and change each year, depending on the level of funding received. Updated information is outlined athttps://www.iso.admin.cam.ac.uk/turing-scheme

Settling in

Adjusting to life at a new university in a different country is challenging, but there are two areas you can work on to make your life easier.

La langue française

Don't worry, you don't have to be even nearly fluent in French before embarking on the exchange!  Don't underestimate how quickly you'll get to grips with the language when immersed in it.  However, you can make a head start by taking the Language Program for Engineers in CUED Centre for Languages and Inter-Communication  which will provide you with all the basic tools.  The summer before you leave for Paris, you can take an intensive language course at CAVILAM in Vichy, where you will live with a host family and take courses aimed at your language level.  On arrival at CentraleSupélec, you will be given addition French tuition throughout the year.

Maths after la classe préparatoire

France is a country proud of its strong mathematical heritage.  Unfortunately for us, this means that on leaving la classe preparatoire, the students are all rather good at it.  This isn't anything to be scared of! Often it isn't in fact the maths that is difficult, but the methods that are used to solve problems.  This takes some getting used to, but isn't life threatening.  Either way, if you're having trouble with a course, there are lots of people that are there to help, such as the teaching staff and your fellow students.

While the lectures are longer, making the day more structured, previous exchange students have found that there's a lot less studying to complete at home.