NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

There are eight other IEPs in the provinces; students who hold the baccalauréat are generally admitted into the first year
after taking an entrance examination.
(b) The grandes écoles scientifiques under the authority of the ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche
(École centrale des arts et manufactures, École nationale supérieure des arts et industries textiles, École nationale
supérieure des arts et métiers, etc.) accept students on the basis of a competitive entrance examination. The
students prepare for this very selective examination for two years after the baccalauréat either in the scientific
preparatory classes (classes préparatoires des grandes écoles — CPGE), or in a first cycle university programme, or
sometimes at the advanced schools themselves. After admission, the length of courses varies from two to five years
according to the school. The schools issue an engineering degree which is accredited by the commission des titres
(Commission on Engineering Diplomas) under the direction of the ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et de la
recherche.
(c) There are 14 grands établissements which, for the most part, offer third cycle postgraduate training programmes and
award their own diplomas:
École pratique des hautes études (EPHE);
École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS);
Institut de physique du globe (IPG).
Other institutions, such as the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (Inalco: National Institute of
Oriental Languages), offer complete courses of study. The Collège de France is open to the general public. There are no
admission requirements nor enrolment procedures and a diploma is not awarded.
(d) The four Écoles normales supérieures (ENS), located in Paris, Fontenay/Saint-Cloud, Lyons and Cachan, have similar
requirements: a very selective entrance examination prepared for over two years after the baccalauréat in scientific
preparatory classes (notably in a mathématiques supérieures class and then in a mathématiques spéciales class) or literary
preparatory classes (lettres supérieures class then première supérieure class). The schools prepare their
students for the national university diplomas and for the competitive examinations that serve to recruit teachers (the
CAPES and the
agrégation).
(e) Certain écoles supérieures (advanced schools) are under the responsibility of other ministries, notably:
The École nationale d’administration (ENA)
The École nationale d’administration is under the supervision of the prime minister. Its purpose is to train civil
servants who are destined for senior management posts in the Civil Service, with the exception of the engineering
corps and the technical personnel. Access to the school is subject to an entrance examination. The duration of
studies, which includes internships and studies, is two years.
The military institutions of higher education
These educational institutions are dependent upon the ministère de la défense and include the army, navy and air
force schools. Admission into the most prestigious (École polytechnique, École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr,
École navale, École de l’air de Salon-de-Provence, etc.) is obtained after completing the scientific preparatory
classes and earning a sufficiently high rank in the competitive entrance examination.
The Écoles des mines
The Écoles des mines are under the authority of the ministère de l’industrie. They accept students after an entrance
examination or upon consideration of a degree (depending on the case: BAC plus one year, BAC plus two years, or
BAC plus four years) and issue an engineering diploma in three or four years.
The École nationale des ponts et chaussées