FAQ - Questions fréquement posées

To include scientific, economic, commercial knowledge; to familiarize with working methods, to discover the professional world to build a project necessitates a complete and structured course :

• A strong training program allows students to master the engineering sciences as well as life and earth, agronomic, zootechnical, food, biotechnologies and environmental sciences .
• Human sciences courses and economic and management sciences .
• Learning and mastering of at least one foreign language.
• 15 to 18 months practical experience of which 4 months abroad.

The close supervision of our students (1 lecturer/researcher for approximately 15 students) during their individual projects and in small groups, allows everyone to discover the different fields open to them and to make informed professional choices to ensure success.

Our schools encourage youngsters to join student organizations (sports, leisure, professional or group) because we strongly believe that these extra mural activities make an essential contribution to the students' personal and professional development. These experiences further contribute to the students' establishing strong relationships with their colleagues that last well into their professional lives and into their alumni associations which is the major network for their professional future .

The Engineer Title Commission gives the following definition: “The engineering profession consist of posing and resolving technological, concrete and complex problems which are tied to concepts, methods and product manufacture as well as services and systems”.

Because of his/her awareness of situations, the engineer is above all an operational executive whose main goal is the resolution of the total problem, having analyzed all limits, be they technical, human, social, commercial or international .

He/she is a team leader in a multicultural context balancing conceptualization and action.

The company expects an engineer to bring innovations and to keep on the cutting edge of technology in their field while taking into account the constraints from other areas. The engineer is also expected to be able to perform within a given environment while reacting to changing circumstances.

The engineer has been trained to present both in writing and orally on the situation and this in a multicultural context, where he/she will communicate effectively in an international context.

Here are some suggestions to help you make your choice :

Common subjects and principles to all five schools .

• The set courses
• School charters
• School fees (tuition, accommodation and board)
• Advanced courses in 5 th year are available to all students in all schools
• All five degrees have the same reputation on the job market
• There is a wide choice of positions and professions for graduates of all five schools
• Social life, assistance, friendly atmosphere, sport are the bases of student life
• INGENIA is the alumni association for graduates of all five schools and it assists all the engineers in their job search and their career plan.

other criteria for choise :

• The will to live in a particular region. On a city campus, in the country, in a student residence or in an individual lodging .
• Personal perception through meeting other students and faculty members during Open Days on campus and interviews .
• Forming your own opinion after meeting graduates from our schools .

Come to our Open Days! You will meet lecturer/researchers who will introduce the course subjects. You can talk with students who can tell you first hand what life is like in our schools. You will tour the facilities: campus, laboratories, lecture halls and classrooms, student halls….and it is the best way to “taste” the atmosphere of a school !

Nothing is lost as it counts for one third of the final grade. They are taken into account together with the application form and the interview. They are an indication of academic level in a neutral context (outside the weighted grades of Senior School ) and are Baccalaureate level .

The interview allows faculty members of the selection panel to evaluate your personality, your outlook and your future professional plans.

They can also assess your motivation, your interest in the set subjects and your knowledge of the areas which you will be involved in tomorrow.

It offers you an opportunity to ask questions, to tour the facilities, to see first hand the atmosphere and, if you have applied to several schools, can help you decide on the school which would suit you better.

It is an important phase of the application as it counts for one third in the panel's decision .

A continuous grading system is in place, together will group projects and practicals so that your progress is closely monitored so that your strengths and weaknesses are quickly assessed, so that teaching help can be given to help you overcome those weaknesses (extra work, make-up classes)

Success in the first years depends on steady work, class attendance, supervised and practical projects either individual or in groups, and it also depends on participation in student life in the school.

Should there be a serious weakness in a student either in one subject or more, the Director of Studies office has several options: extra work over the summer with some exams in September, going to public university for one year and coming back to the School etc .

There are about thirty advanced areas of study within the Fésia schools which are available to all students .

They involve different sectors :

• Agriculture and land management
• Agro-food technology and management
• Agricultural economics and management
• Environment and land management.

There are several school specific courses :

• Viticulture management (ESA, ESAP, ISARA)
• Landscape and space management (ISA)
• Health and food (ISAB)
• Agricultural journalism (ISA)

No, it is possible to follow a general engineering course which will lead to a degree showing the skills acquired in a Degree Supplement .

• Fésia are private tertiary educational institutions under contract from the State
• Subsidies cover approximately 40% of annual tuition costs for one trainee-engineer
• Annual Tuition fees are 3800 Euros on average and 600 Euros per month on average for cost of living and extra expenses.
• It is important to mention that 30% of costs are self-financed by the schools through Research Study Consulting and the Apprenticeship tax.
• This economic necessity is to your advantage because our lecturer/researchers are in constant contact with companies which whom they have privileged relationships. This closeness also ensures relevance in teaching quality.
• This leads to a quick placement of our engineers when they graduate: over 90% find work within 6 months of graduating. The starting salary allows them to benefit quickly from their investment in education.

To finance this investment, scholarships and bursaries can be obtained from :

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
• Regional and General Councils.
  30% of our students are bursary recipients.

Student loans can also be granted

• Banks with preferential interest rates previously negotiated with each of the schools
• The Schools themselves (scholarships)

Please understand that all the schools have the responsibility of finding a solution to any financial difficulty however exceptional.

Each school has its own network of contacts to help students find shared or individual accommodation.

At the time of enrolment, administration and student associations will help in that search.

Extra-mural activities make up an important part of a trainee-engineer's course. They allow students to fully experience a sense of involvement and responsibility, and foster friendly relations both within their own classmates and other students from other years and from other schools. They play an essential role in the student's development .

• Sports are encouraged through participation in sports clubs on campus. There are usually weekly practice sessions .
• The educational staff encourage membership in student organization and some of these are involved in areas of interest to the school (sustainable development, fair trade, Junior Enterprise, Wine club)

The schools encourage student participation in clubs and associations because they are convinced that these extra-mural activities contribution to the personal and professional educational experience.

If our aim is to train competent engineers, it is vital to help them become responsible citizens.