Academic stay in GI : Q&A

What are the English-taught courses available at the Industrial Engineering (GI) department  ? 

Please check the webpage https://exchange-student.insa-lyon.fr/  
All classes available for exchange students are listed. You can filter those taught in english.  

What is the French level needed to study at INSA ? 

A minimum of B1 proficiency would be acceptable, while B2 would provide a more comfortable level of understanding. 

Is French required in order to study at INSA ? 

No but it is strongly recommended. Several courses are offered in English. At the GI department, there are 31 ECTS of English-taught courses during the Fall semester (S1) and 38 ECTS of English courses and projects in the Spring semester (S2). Still, it is important to understand the following points :

- each course is subject to quotas 
- english-taught courses are very demanded  
- it is unlikely that you can cumulate all these credits, as the corresponding courses span over several timetables which are quite likely to collide. As class attendance is mandatory, massive timetable collisions are not allowed.

Consequently, it is highly unlikely that you can cumulate 30 ECTS worth of English-taught classes during either the first or second semester. 

Exchange students usually propose 10-15 ECTS English-taught learning agreements during the first semester. 

I plan to make an academic stay during the Spring semester (S2). I am not able to follow classes in French, I can only take English classes. 

The English-taught offer during the Spring semester (S2) is significantly less extensive compared to the offer provided during the Autumn semester (S1). The course offer consists of: 
- 8 ECTS worth of English-taught courses 
- 15 or 30 ECTS worth of English-conducted laboratory research projects. 

So the english-taught offer is limited, and the quotas are also significantly lower, as our in-house student population increases during the second semester.

You can consider several options: 
- If you only wish to take English-taught classes, you can try mixing classes from GI as a major department, and another INSA department as minor. This requires the approval of the minor department, and comes at a risk: timetable collisions between two different departments are likely to occur. 
Nevertheless, it appears unlikely that you will be able to accumulate more than 15 ECTS of English-taught courses in this configuration.

- You may apply for a lab research project (see section below!). 

What is a Lab research Project ? 
Lab research projects come in two versions: 15 or 30 ECTS. In a lab research project, you do not follow ordinary classroom lectures. Instead, you work with a project supervisor inside a research lab, you focus on a research topic and deliver a final project by the end of the semester. Lab research projects are typically conducted in English. 

It is important to keep in mind that Lab research projects operate just like internships. There are no pre-defined subjects, no pre-assigned supervisors. You need to observe the following pre-requisites: 

- you are fond of doing research and you have a research topic you would like to explore. 
- you have reasonably good academic results and you have good reading/writing/speaking English skills. 
- you initiate contact with researchers and request a project proposal. This process is typically collaborative, you are expected to express your interest in a specific topic and inquire about the possibility of collaborating on a research project around that topic. 

If you find a supervisor and a project subject, then you shall be enrolled in this activity. 

It is extremely important to anticipate this process, in parallel with your application. If you arrive on-site without a lab project already arranged, it is unlikely that you will find one.

I am an exchange student at INSA. I would like to pass a certification test in French or English during my stay. 

At INSA, unless you have an excellent level of French, you are strongly encouraged to take the French as a Foreign Language (FLE) course. As part of this course, you have the option to take the TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français), but the exam fees will be at your own expense.

However, please note that there is no option to take an official English language certification test at INSA.

I would like to follow an industrial internship during my academic stay at INSA.
The internships are subject to the following framework:
- all students are required (by law) to follow and validate at least 15 ECTS worth of classes before being allowed to enroll for an internship. 
- internships exist in two forms : 15 ECTS or 30 ECTS (one full semester).
- internships are full time activities. You may not follow classes in parallel.
- internships for exchange students are exclusively operated in Metropolitan France (i.e. the European territory of France).
- there are no pre-assigned internships. Internship offers are regularly published by the GI department and by INSA, but students need to apply (cv+resume). 
Internship opportunities may also be sought on the candidate’s own initiative. 
- the internship topic must be validated by the department, and only then can the internship agreement be signed. The agreement requires three signatures : the company, the GI department and the student. An internship cannot start without a signed agreement. 

Can I follow an internship if I only come for one semester ? 
Technically this is not possible. You need to validate 15 ECTS worth of classes before being allowed to enroll for an internship. This requirement does not allow you to start your internship in time. 
Usually, exchange students who do an internship have a one-year academic stay: they validate their 15 (or more) academic ects during the autumn semester, and they leave on industrial internship during the spring semester.