The knowledge to be acquired is that necessary for the continuation of studies in Master's degree in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science, which also corresponds to the knowledge required by the grandes écoles recruiting at the end of the licence.

The detailed content of each Teaching Unit can be found in the "Courses" section.

Solve complex problems involving one or more of the disciplines of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science, by mobilising in-depth knowledge of the fundamental concepts of each of them.
Analyse and model a complex multidisciplinary problem in order to implement a logical and rigorous scientific approach combining abstraction and experimentation.
Write a scientific report and give a presentation, adapted to the target audiences and objectives, in French and English, based on the use of documents and mobilising the scientific knowledge acquired.
Develop, manage and carry out multidisciplinary projects, individually or within the framework of the organisation of a working group, by implementing a project management methodology.
Apply the multidisciplinary knowledge acquired in the degree course to the professional environment of academic research and business.
Define and establish a study project that is coherent with one's professional project, identify and implement the means to make it a reality.

Project-based teaching (at least one per year) focuses on cutting-edge areas of science and industry.

Internships

In the 5th semester (beginning of L3), students have a compulsory one-month internship. This can be done in France or abroad (funding and scholarships are available depending on the application, thanks to the Académie d'Excellence label), in a research laboratory or in a company.

In addition, each year, students who have passed their exams in the first session can do an optional internship of one month or more during the summer. These optional internships take place in public or private research laboratories, in France or abroad. These optional internships may be paid for (depending on the results obtained in the exams and the suitability of the internship for the professional project).

Examples of internship subjects proposed in previous years:

"Modelling the vibration of a piano string" at the Acoustics Laboratory of Marseille, Aix-Marseille University
"Laser cooling of trapped ions" at the Fresnel Institute, Aix-Marseille University
"Digitally generated medieval portraits" at the Computer Science and Systems Laboratory, Aix-Marseille University
"Statistical scripting of data", Sinopia, Aix-en Provence
"Prediction of the end of curarisation in the patient in the operating theatre", Idmed, Marseille
"Building a neutrino detector", Madison, Wisconsin, USA
"Simulation of conjugated polymers", Bangkok Petroleum Institute, Thailand
"Machine learning for astronomical data", University of Warsaw, Poland
"Testing a LHCb detector, CERN, Switzerland

Projects

During the degree, students will have to carry out 4 projects on different subjects: 1 project in the first year, 2 projects in the second year, 1 multidisciplinary project in the third year. The students are grouped by affinity to work on a research topic proposed and monitored by a researcher of the university. Independently, they must carry out a research project which they conclude with a report and a presentation at the end of the semester. The subjects depend on the researchers and are very varied. Depending on the student's choice, these four projects can be an opportunity to discover different fields of research or, on the contrary, to deepen their interest in a particular field.

Examples of project topics proposed in previous years, sorted by dominant subject:

Mathematics: Mandelbrot's fractals, Modelling the spread of epidemics, Road traffic models, How to control the invasion of tiger mosquitoes, Tilings, Cantor set, ...
Physics: Discovering Chury, Building a robot to get out of a maze, Photovoltaic cells, Searching for hot stars in HII regions, How to improve the thermics in the classroom, Poisson points, ...
Chemistry: Nitroxide-controlled polymerisation, Predicting reactivity in silico, Organic synthesis under microwaves, Making a material by supramolecular assembly, ...
Computer science: Designing automatic movie recommendation systems, Line of sight algorithms, Python tools for scientific editing, Pitch estimation algorithms for digital music and speech, ...

Small numbers:

The number of places in the first year of the MPCI degree is limited to 45. Selection is made via Parcoursup. Recruitment in L2 or L3 is also possible depending on departures. More information on the procedures on the Apply page.

A selective degree

High school students wishing to enter the MPCI Bachelor's degree in the first year must have a good academic level in the first and last years of high school, and be motivated by a demanding course in the four main disciplines. Recruitment for the first year of the degree is only done via the Parcoursup platform (except for candidates from countries subject to the CampusFrance system). For applicants who are educated in the French system, it is necessary to have taken the Mathematics and Physics-Chemistry specialities in Première class and, in Terminale class, to have taken the Mathematics speciality and, as an option, the Physics-Chemistry speciality, or the Numerical and Computer Sciences speciality, or the Engineering Sciences speciality. It is also strongly recommended to have taken the Expert Mathematics option.

For more information, please see the Apply page.

Classes in small groups

Most courses are taught in small groups. For example, in the first year, the class of 45 students is separated into two groups of 22 to 23 students for three quarters of the courses. There are never any lectures in a lecture hall. However, the operation of the degree follows the rhythm of the university. See the Study Organisation page for more information.

Individual follow-up throughout the degree

The small number of students means that students can be monitored individually. Each student has a teacher who meets with him or her approximately every two months for an individual interview lasting 15 to 30 minutes. During this interview, the teacher in charge of the student reviews his/her working methods, motivations, orientation, etc.

Professional integration rate

This training is aimed at medium-term studies at Bac +5 (engineer, master) or long term studies at Bac +8 (doctorate, the highest internationally recognised degree). The professions concerned after these studies are those of engineer in the broadest sense in various fields, including research and development.

Industrial sectors concerned: aeronautics, energy, IT, automobile, construction, chemistry, transport, consulting and finance.

A dual study objective:

The aim of the MPCI degree is to train high-level scientists capable of managing the complex problems of tomorrow as engineers or researchers. The natural outlets are the high level engineering schools via admissions on titles (CASTIng or GEI recruitments) or multidisciplinary masters (networks and telecommunications, astrophysics, nanosciences, cryptography,...) or one of the disciplines composing the licence (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science) according to the options chosen.

An alternative to preparatory courses

Even if the licence is often considered as an alternative to the classes prépas, it is a three-year licence (not two), delivering a diploma at the end of the three years. The programme covered is therefore broader than in a preparatory class because it allows students to go directly on to a master's degree (whereas preparatory class students must first do a 3rd year of licence before being able to go on to a master's degree). However, the programme of the first two years of the licence is similar to the programmes of the classes préparatoires (MP or PC streams).

Further study

This joint Aix-Marseille University (AMU) and École Centrale Marseille (ECM) programme aims to enable students to continue their studies towards a scientific degree at Bac +5 or Bac +8, with two possibilities at the end of the licence:

Masters: entry into the masters corresponding to the 4 MPCI disciplines according to the options chosen (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, but also Nanosciences and nanotechnologies, Networks and Telecommunications, Astrophysics, High Performance Computing and Simulation, etc.) at AMU or in other universities
Grandes écoles: entry by specific recruitment procedure in the major engineering schools recruiting at Bac +3.

The professions targeted after a Bac +5 /+8 degree correspond to a wide variety of sectors of activity linked to research and business: transport, energy and sustainable development, astrophysics, security and computer networks, robotics, nanosciences, chemistry, materials, financial mathematics and many others.

Admissions to engineering schools on the basis of qualifications

All engineering schools recruit at university. These recruitments are generally called "admissions sur titre". The procedures vary from one school to another. The recruitment procedures may include the evaluation of a file and/or a motivation interview and/or a written and/or oral exam. Depending on the school, these recruitments can be done at Bac+2 or Bac+3 or even Bac+4 in order to enter the first or second year of the school. In all cases, these recruitments are strictly separate from recruitments via the preparatory classes (CPGE). Please note that for 3rd year students who have already done a preparatory class (in particular those who have started a 2nd year of preparatory class), these recruitments are generally closed. To find out the exact conditions for applying for these recruitments, you should contact each school.

The MPCI degree prepares students more specifically for CASTing (which includes all the Écoles Centrales: CentraleSupélec, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes) and GEI (which includes 15 schools: École polytechnique, École des Ponts ParisTech, ENSAE Paris, ISAE-SUPAERO, ESPCI Paris, Chimie ParisTech-PSL, ENSTA Paris, Télécom Paris, Arts et Métiers Paris, MINES Paris, MINES Saint Etienne, MINES Nancy, SupOptique, IMT Atlantique, ENAC). These recruitments are open to holders of a scientific baccalaureate (Bac+3) and allow them to enter the first year of these schools.

Where are our former students?

Schools that have admitted students from the MPCI degree :

École Polytechnique (X), Écoles Normales Supérieures (ENS rue d'Ulm, Lyon and Paris-Saclay ex-Cachan)
Schools in the Centrale network: CentraleSupélec (an institution resulting from the merger of École Centrale Paris and Supélec), Lyon, Nantes and Marseille
GEI network schools (except X): ISAE-SupAero, Télécom Paris and Bretagne, Mines de Paris, Ponts Paris, ENSTA Paris and Bretagne, ESPCI, Institut d'Optique Graduate School (ex-SupOptique), Arts et Métiers
Other grandes écoles: EPFL, INSA Lyon, ENSIMAG, Phelma, ISIPCA, UTC, Chimie Strasbourg, etc.

Approximately 20% of MPCI students have chosen to complete their engineering course with a doctorate.

Masters integrated by MPCI students :

Masters from Aix-Marseille University: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mechanics, Nanosciences.
Other masters: Master of Computer Science (Paris 7), Master of Computer Science (Paris 7), Master of Fundamental Physics (Paris 6), Master of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Paris Observatory.

The MPCI degree is co-accredited by the University of Aix-Marseille and the École Centrale de Marseille. The latter allows students of the degree through internships, projects, conferences and visits to industrial sites to benefit from its many partnerships with the business world and industry, in addition to all the partners of the University of Aix-Marseille.

The contributions of École Centrale Marseille

A joint award of the degree
Privileged access to the Ecole Centrale and in particular to the ECM
Classes on the ECM premises one day a week
Teachers who usually teach engineering students
Access to common services (FABLAB, sports, documentation, company database)
Support from Centrale's business and research department (professional conferences, company visits, forum)

The benefits of the Académie d'Excellence label

High-performance equipment for students (projects, individual computers, etc.)
additional training: company visits, interview preparation by company HR managers
additional weeks of lectures by international speakers:

Theme 2015: Astrophysics

Theme 2016: Energy transition and sustainable development

Theme 2017: Aeronautics

Theme 2018: Computing at the heart of science

Theme 2019: Science and Health

Theme 2021: Science and Society

Personalized follow-up of each student is carried out on a regular basis with an individual assessment interview every two months between the student and the referring teacher.
The teaching team meets regularly to monitor students, particularly in the event of difficulties.

Reorientations are possible during the course of studies towards less multidisciplinary scientific training.

The personal professional and training project is developed by the student during the three years of study. Students also benefit from the assistance of the internship offices and the tools for finding internships and jobs at the École Centrale de Marseille and the University of Aix-Marseille.

This training allows for mobility abroad, to be set up with the teaching staff to allow for further study under the best conditions. International mobility grants to enable students to undertake an internship abroad are available thanks to funding from the Academy of Excellence.

Some videos presenting the licence:

A video presentation of the licence made in 2018 by the Amidex foundation of Aix-Marseille University: https://youtu.be/9TiIpUpXKec
A video presentation of the MPCI licence made in 2017 by the Ecole Centrale Marseille :
https://youtu.be/CEzzGyt50fU

Video testimonies of students made in 2021 are available on the youtube channel. Among the topics covered:

What are the differences with the CPGE? and with a normal licence?
What are tutorials? Differences with khôlles?
What is the workload?
How did the distance learning go?
Some advice for future L1 students

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS :

You will find below, grouped by theme, the different questions that were asked to the licence managers during the recruitment session in Spring 2020 as well as their answers.

Concerning the recruitment procedure:

What is the recruitment schedule?

The recruitment process follows the official Parcoursup calendar (https://www.parcoursup.fr/index.php?desc=calendrier) for the submission of applications and the return of results. In the meantime, the recruitment committee will study your file to establish the final ranking.

Is it possible to transfer to the MPCI degree after one year of preparatory courses? after two years of preparatory courses?

It is possible to enter the L2 MPCI after a year of preparatory classes (for the procedure, see at the bottom of the following page: https://pluri-sciences.univ-amu.fr/licence-mpci/candidater-a-licence-mpci). However, this possibility of reorientation is extremely limited (0 to 1 entry per year), conditioned to the authorization of passage in the second year of preparatory class (because the program in MPCI license is at least as demanding as in preparatory classes) and must be justified by real motivations. The calculation of saying to yourself "I am going to the preparatory classes and if I have difficulties I will come back to the MPCI licence" is therefore not at all the right one! If you are in difficulty in the first year of preparatory classes, it is possible to apply for an MPCI L1 through the Parcoursup procedure. It is not completely excluded to enter L3 MPCI after two years of preparatory classes, but you must then be aware that you will be ineligible for most of the engineering school admission procedures at the end of L3. Your studies will therefore be directed towards a master's degree.

What is the expected level for admission (grades)?

There is no fixed barrier in terms of grades for admission to the MPCI degree, as other elements are taken into account in our choices (assessments, motivation, etc.). However, to succeed in the MPCI degree, you need to be comfortable with handling even the most abstract scientific concepts. In fact, we note that most of the students in the MPCI licence have a level that allows them to envisage at least the mention bien or even very often très bien in the baccalaureate in scientific disciplines.

What does the 11% selectivity rate on Parcoursup mean?

The 11% selectivity rate displayed on Parcoursup means that last year, 11% of the candidates with the highest ranking by the wish examination commission received an offer of integration into an MPCI degree (which they accepted or not). This rate can fluctuate from one year to the next and can be between 10 and 20% (from 110 to 170 acceptance proposals for 600 to 1000 applications). In recent years, experience has shown that the selectivity of the MPCI degree is similar to that of the largest provincial preparatory classes.

Does the fact of having chosen an SSI or SSVT final year have any importance in recruitment? Does the choice of speciality matter? Does it have an effect on the ability to follow the licence?

Any pathway in scientific final year can open access to the MPCI licence. The ranking on Parcoursup does not take into account the choice of speciality nor the marks obtained in this speciality. The programme of the licence is centred on the study of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science, in their fundamental aspects. It does not include biology or engineering sciences, so the choice between SSI or SSVT is irrelevant for entry into the MPCI degree and then for success. Naturally, in view of the subjects taught, it is easier to succeed in the MPCI degree after having chosen the mathematics or physics-chemistry speciality in Terminale, but another choice is by no means prohibitive. To succeed in the MPCI degree, it is essential to have a thorough mastery of the scientific notions seen in high school, because the level of teaching is that of the most demanding courses in higher education.

Can you be admitted if you have a very good technological baccalaureate or a general baccalaureate other than scientific?

To succeed in the MPCI degree programme, you need to have a solid basic scientific background, which requires a general scientific baccalaureate. Students who have taken other courses in high school can turn to different possibilities for preparing for higher scientific studies and then consider applying the following year for the MPCI degree or other high-level scientific courses. In particular, we can mention the AMNS scheme of Aix-Marseille University (https://sciences.univ-amu.fr/annee-mise-a-niveau-scientifique-amns) and the Classe Préparatoire aux Etudes Supérieures of the Lycée Thiers (http://www.lyc-thiers.ac-aix-marseille.fr/webphp/prepas/prepa_cpes.html). It should be noted that a very good success in these courses is necessary to consider applying for the MPCI degree via the Parcoursup procedure the following year.

Concerning the course of study in the MPCI degree:

Is there a selection procedure for the passage between the different years of the licence? Is it possible to repeat a year?

As for any other degree, the validation of a year (10 average) allows the automatic and unconditional passage to the next year. In case of non-validation of a year, it is then possible to reorientate oneself and repeat the year in a monodisciplinary licence of the Faculty of Sciences of Aix-Marseille University corresponding to the scientific fields of the MPCI licence.

Are there many failures in the licence? What are the possibilities of reorientation?

A few students per year have difficulties in keeping up with the pace of learning imposed by the multidisciplinary nature of the MPCI degree (on average, 5% failure or reorientation at the end of the first year, and 15% reorientation or departure following a competitive examination at the end of the second year). We offer them active follow-up to help them overcome their difficulties. If these difficulties persist, we accompany them in a procedure of orientation towards a monodisciplinary licence of the Faculty of Sciences of Aix-Marseille University corresponding to the scientific fields of the MPCI licence. In the vast majority of cases, these reorientations go smoothly and the students transferred from the MPCI licence succeed brilliantly in the monodisciplinary licence they have chosen.

Where do the courses take place? What are the accommodation options on site?

Classes take place four days a week on the St Jérôme Scientific Campus of Aix-Marseille University, located in the 13th arrondissement of Marseille. The last day of classes takes place on the Ecole Centrale Marseille Campus, located on the Technopôle de Château-Gombert, also in the 13th arrondissement of Marseille. The two campuses, which are not far from each other, are accessible by metro line 1 and then by a bus in its own right (https://www.rtm.fr/). This journey takes 25 to 30 minutes from the St Charles station or the centre of Marseille. It should be noted that the pace of work required for the MPCI degree is not compatible with long daily commutes. Accommodation is available in the immediate vicinity of the campus (CROUS university halls of residence: http://: https://www.crous-aix-marseille.fr/logements/carte-des-residences/, private student residences).

What does the partnership with ECM mean in practice?

The Ecole Centrale Marseille (ECM: https://www.centrale-marseille.fr/) co-accredits the MPCI degree with Aix-Marseille University, which translates into different ways for the students:

-A discovery of what an engineering school is and how it works, as one day of classes per week takes place at the ECM;

-A part of the teaching is carried out by ECM teachers;

access to the ECM's common services (FABLAB: https://fablab.asso.centrale-marseille.fr/, sports, documentation, company database, company visits, forums and professional conferences).

-More flexible eligibility conditions for the CASTIng university recruitment exam for the Ecoles Centrales. Indeed, the ECM has a very precise knowledge of the teaching within the MPCI degree and therefore understands the difficulties brought about by multidisciplinarity, but also the very interesting skills that this offers for the continuation of the course. Consequently, the vast majority of students validating the MPCI licence will be eligible, without this being an automatic process (the MPCI licence is not an integrated preparatory class of the ECM). Moreover, eligibility does not mean admission, which is decided after the written and oral tests.

Why lose 1 year to enter an engineering school?

Most engineering schools choose to orient their recruitment procedure for university students towards the end of the L3, for integration into the first year of engineering school. This represents 6 years (3 in a licence + 3 in engineering school) to validate an engineering diploma recognised at Bac+5. There are a few exceptions, with some schools recruiting after the L2 and/or accepting L3 students directly into the second year. This could give the impression that going through the MPCI licence means losing a year. However, it should be noted that many of our students aim to enter generalist Grandes Ecoles, which many students from preparatory classes enter after repeating their year of specialisation (5/2): they therefore also take 6 years to reach the Bac+5 degree. Moreover, the extra year does not represent a repeat for MPCI students: they do a year of multidisciplinary scientific L3 and then a first year of engineering school, which enables them to build up complementary skills.

Is it possible to be a top-level sportsman or artist in the MPCI degree?

Being a top-level sportsman or artist does not of course prevent you from applying for and being accepted into the MPCI degree. However, the intensity of work required to succeed in the MPCI degree is difficult to reconcile with another intensive practice. Moreover, given the small number of students in the degree, it is not possible for us to offer à la carte schedules. However, we encourage all our students to keep up the sports and/or artistic activities necessary for their balance and personal development during the degree.

How do you organise classes with your students during these days of confinement?

We do our best to organise pedagogical continuity to allow our students to continue working on their courses. This is done by putting documents online, virtual class sessions, discussions to answer questions and personal follow-up if necessary. This remote follow-up is facilitated by the fact that we offer a computer loan system to our students who do not have one. Furthermore, as a significant part of the assessment takes place on a continuous basis during the semester, we will be able to cope with any decision regarding the final examination sessions. We hope of course not to be confronted with such a situation again in the future!

Concerning the content of the MPCI degree courses:

What is the number of hours of classes/work per week?

A week of MPCI courses includes an average of 25 hours of classroom teaching. To succeed in the MPCI degree programme also requires a significant amount of personal work outside of class time, in order to acquire an in-depth mastery of the scientific concepts covered in class. There is less need for the training/correction of exercises that is necessary in a preparatory class, but a very large amount of work is necessary to develop an in-depth mastery of the different scientific subjects, necessary not only for the validation of the licence, but also for the preparation of the rest of the curriculum.

How much work is involved compared to a preparatory course? Is it the same way of working?

The amount of work required to succeed in the MPCI degree is similar to that required in the preparatory classes, despite the fact that there is less classroom time. However, the way of working is fundamentally different. The preparatory classes will put a strong emphasis on the search for efficiency because this is necessary to perform well on the day of the competition. In the MPCI bachelor's degree, we rather push our students towards a search for in-depth mastery of the concepts and the construction of the scientific approach. This translates into a need for personal and group research work, but less repetition of classic exercises.

What are the differences in the programme between the MPCI licence and a preparatory class?

The content of the programmes in the MPCI licence and in the preparatory classes has of course similarities (mathematics remains mathematics, and it is the same in the other subjects). However, the MPCI licence offers a real multidisciplinary programme on the 4 scientific subjects, where a choice must be made on entry to the preparatory classes. This allows students to discover each of the disciplines at the higher level, and then to specialise progressively through a choice of options from the second year onwards. Indeed, the further along the curriculum one goes, the greater the amount of information to be processed and knowledge to be acquired in a subject. It is therefore complicated to maintain the four subjects at the same time and students tend to specialise a little by choosing options in the subjects they prefer and by reducing the amount of time spent on others (even if the training remains essentially multidisciplinary). These choices of options are made freely by the students, but with our help to make them consistent with the personal project of each student. Schematically, the students of the MPCI licence reach a level L3 in two of the scientific disciplines (and thus higher than in preparatory classes, where the programme is at Bac+2 level) and L2 in the two others.

Are there khôlles like in preparatory classes?

Teaching in the MPCI licence includes scientific tutorials (about ten per semester) in all scientific disciplines, which contribute to the formative evaluation. These scientific tutorials are an intermediary between preparatory classes and private lessons. Even if they play a marginal role in the evaluation, they represent first and foremost a time of individualised and differentiated teaching, making it possible to identify and fill in gaps or to go further on subjects mastered.

How is the evaluation done in MPCI ?

Assessment throughout the MPCI degree is based on a balanced combination of formative and normative elements. As in any degree, part of the assessment is done through a final exam session at the end of the semester (the famous "partials"). Depending on the course units, they can account for 25 to 50% of the overall mark. The rest of the evaluation is done by supervised homework during the semester (at least one per subject) and various continuous assessment marks (the scientific tutorials mentioned in the previous question, as well as DMs, TPs, reports, defences, projects, problem-based learning, etc.).

I have never taken a computer course. Is this a problem for my admission and success in the MPCI degree?

We assume that the vast majority of high school students have not taken any computer science courses. This is therefore not a recruitment criterion, but you must have a desire to discover this subject as a science and from a fundamental point of view, in the same way as the other three subjects of the degree. There are no pre-requisites in computer science to enter the MPCI degree, and the courses start with the basics of algorithmics and the functioning of computers. The programming part is done using the Python language.

The MPCI degree programme does not include engineering sciences. Isn't this a problem for entering an engineering school?

What engineering schools look for first in their recruitment is a fairly solid scientific background, on the assumption that a student with a good grounding in the basic sciences will normally be able to follow a course that is more geared towards the engineering sciences and technological aspects. Continuing with this idea, if you look at the programmes of the MP and PC preparatory classes, they contain little to no time for training in engineering sciences, which does not prevent these courses from being the main entry routes to most engineering schools.

Is there any French or Philosophy in the curriculum?

The MPCI degree programme does not include any French or philosophy courses. On the other hand, writing methods (reports, summary notes, etc.) are worked on as part of the scientific project and professional and personal project courses.

Do I have to study English? Is it possible to study another language? Is it possible to have a second language?

As with any other degree, the MPCI degree programme includes compulsory scientific English courses. It should be noted that more and more higher education courses require a level of English for validation of the diploma. In addition to the classic English courses, the L3 internship report must be written in English and a certain number of teachers give a small part of their scientific course in English. Indeed, science is international, so it is interesting to learn about it in a foreign language as early as possible. Students can have access to many facilities set up by the AMU Language Department (https://sciences.univ-amu.fr/service-langue/etoile).

On the other hand, it is not possible to study another LV1 or to add a LV2 within the framework of the MPCI licence.

Other questions :

Is this the college prep?

The MPCI licence could be qualified as a "college preparatory course" in the sense that it offers its students the possibility of continuing their studies in engineering schools as a main outlet. Unlike most bachelor's degrees where only a few students go on to engineering school, this is the choice made by 75% of MPCI graduates, the others preferring to remain in the university system. Conversely, only a few students from each monodisciplinary licence can claim integration into engineering schools each year. Nevertheless, the MPCI degree is not envisaged in a "preparatory spirit" and its integration should not be only a strategy to succeed in integrating an engineering school. Our aim is first of all to give our students a solid training in the sciences in a multidisciplinary way, and they will then be able to use their knowledge and skills in the recruitment procedures of the courses that interest them. Joining a prestigious engineering school at the end of the degree is not the primary goal, but a side effect of the quality of the work done during the three years.

Do all engineering schools recruit university students?

To our knowledge, all the engineering schools offer specific recruitment procedures for university students, through a specific system that is not accessible to preparatory students (these are explained in more detail in the next question). The only notable exception is the ENAC pilot course, which makes no distinction according to the applicants' enrolment streams. Students from preparatory classes are more trained to take competitive exams and therefore have a greater chance of success. On the other hand, ENAC offers several other courses, two of which are particularly accessible to university students: the ENAC Civil Engineer course, with recruitment through the GEI competitive examination after an M1, to enter the 2nd year of the engineering cycle (http://www.enac.fr/fr/ingenieur-enac-civil) and the ENAC Engineer by Apprenticeship course, with recruitment based on a file after the L2 year (http://www.enac.fr/fr/ingenieur-enac-par-apprentissage).

For admissions on the basis of qualifications in engineering school, since it is not a competitive examination, they only look at the marks obtained in the licence?

The selection in the procedures of admission on title is made on the basis of the marks obtained on the three years of licence and/or a letter of motivation and/or letters of recommendation of the teachers and the supervisors of training courses and/or written tests and/or oral scientific and motivation tests. If you are interested in knowing the specific procedure of a particular school, you can usually find it on the school's website. We can also answer any questions you may have on this subject. The two main admission procedures for the most prestigious schools are called CASTIng (https://casting.ec-lyon.fr/) and GEI (http://www.geiuniv.com/). They include written and oral exams in addition to the file examination. We offer a specific preparation during the last semester of the 3rd year to those of our students who wish to apply.

Given the number of undergraduate students throughout France, the pressure rate for admission to engineering schools must surely be very high, right? A lot of candidates for few chosen ones.

Think again, it is exactly the opposite! All the places available on the admission tests of most engineering schools, including the most prestigious general engineering schools, are generally not filled. Many undergraduates do not have the prerequisites to enter engineering schools, are self-censoring or are simply not interested because they want to remain in a university course. It is important to realise that an engineering school will only admit students by admission on the basis of their qualifications if they are judged to be able to flourish within the school, i.e. if they have a sufficiently high scientific level and a coherent study plan. Very often, generalist schools, including the most prestigious ones, tend not to find enough students who meet these conditions, especially as they often require advanced skills in several scientific fields (for example, mathematics and physics), which few students with a single-discipline degree have.

With the reform of the baccalaureate, is the choice of specialities in Première and Terminale important? Which ones should be chosen?

The spirit of the reform of the baccalauréat is that all combinations of specialities in Première and Terminale open up a maximum of possibilities for further study in higher education. However, we wish to admit into the MPCI degree programme those students who have the best chance of fulfilling their potential. For this reason, the specialities to be chosen in Terminale are Mathematics and another scientific speciality (Physics-Chemistry or Numerical and Computer Sciences or Engineering Sciences). The Expert Mathematics option is also strongly recommended. In Première, it is necessary to have taken Mathematics and Physics-Chemistry, as well as a third scientific speciality (Numerical and Computer Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Life and Earth Sciences...).

My goal is to work in research: is the MPCI degree right for me?

If you are interested in research, the MPCI degree is a good way to start your higher education. Indeed, it will provide you with a solid multidisciplinary scientific base and the possibility of pursuing various courses of study towards an engineering school or a master's degree, with the possibility of continuing with a thesis. 20% of former MPCI graduates who have reached the Bac+5 level are now doing a thesis. Furthermore, during your MPCI degree course, all your teachers will also be researchers, and you will be brought into contact with research on numerous occasions: group research projects over the entire semester (S2, S3 and S4), internships (compulsory one-month internship in S5, optional internships during the summer holidays), presentations by researchers and doctoral students, etc.

Can I benefit from an arrangement for assessments in the MPCI licence (for example a third time) in the same way as in high school?

There is of course no problem in obtaining accommodation for exams, which are granted by the Mission Handicap of Aix-Marseille University, after evaluation by the Service Inter-Universitaire de Médecine Préventive et de Promotion de la Santé. Several students in the MPCI degree have benefited or are currently benefiting from such measures.

How does access to Aix-Marseille University sports activities work?

Like all other students at Aix-Marseille University, MPCI students have access to a variety of sports activities, generally organised during lunch breaks or at the end of the day. More details can be found on the University Physical and Sports Activities Service website https://sciences.univ-amu.fr/sport.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS :

Several university halls of residence are available around the Faculty of Science. They are managed by the CROUS and the allocation of a room is subject to a means test.

Many private student residences are also available around the St Jérôme faculty.

What to do after acceptance on Parcoursup?

Registration

For students accepted on the Parcoursup application, administrative registration at the University of Aix-Marseille is mandatory. It is done by following the information on the Parcoursup platform. Be careful not to exceed the deadline (which depends on the date of your final acceptance of the "Licence MPCI" course).

Eventually, to prepare this registration, information is available on the website of the Faculty of Science. You will find there in particular, all the forms to fill in.

Buying books

Unlike in high school, the teachers do not follow a given book, they make their own course. Moreover, the university library has a large number of books on loan, so there is no obligation to buy books for MPCI studies.

Holiday work

It is best not to arrive at the beginning of the school year having forgotten everything about your high school years. It is also important to arrive in good shape. We will not propose lists of specific exercises, as the final year books are full of them. However, for those who would like to rework their courses, the most relevant is to consult the syllabus of the first semester courses, and to take up the parts of the high school course that are continued in the first semester programme of the licence: look at both the course and the exercises, check that you know how to do the exercises WITHOUT looking at the solution or the course. You can also look at what was covered in the various specialised courses in the final year, especially what you did not choose. Doing English would also be a good thing, quite simple in itself. For example, choose as one of your summer readings a text in English, according to your taste: a novel (for adults or children, depending on your level of English, ask a competent bookseller for advice if necessary), a specialised monthly newspaper, a general daily newspaper...

In mathematics, you can rework the usual functions (polynomials, exponentials, logarithms, trigonometric functions and their inverses), calculations of primitives and derivatives, differential equations, sequences and reasoning by recurrence, complex numbers, geometry in the plane and in space, the scalar product.

In physics, you must take up again what corresponds to the "optics" part and the "mechanics" part, which corresponds to the notions of movements, forces, energy, reference frame, Newton's laws... You are advised to rework the exercises on free fall, including with friction. Remember that it is better to do an exercise alone until the end than 10 exercises with the help of the correction each time.

In chemistry, for the first semester, it is possible to review the courses on: light, the wave model; radioactivity; the structure of the atom, the quantification of energy and energy exchanges.

Email address of the MPCI licence managers: sciences-licence-mpci@univ-amu.fr

To contact students of the MPCI degree: MPCI group on the facebook page of the Faculty of Science

Heads of the degree

Frederic Palesi

Philippe Marsal

Year supervisors

Julien Deschamps and Guillemette Chapuisat (1st year)

Anouk Siri (2nd year)

Julia Charrier (3rd year)

Subject leaders

Nicolas Bedaride (Mathematics)

Gilles Renversez (Physics)

Pierre Thureau (Chemistry)

Valentin Emiya (Computer Science)

Responsible for internships:

Julien Deschamps (optional summer courses)

Marie-Christine Record (L3 internships)

Responsible for relations with Ecole Centrale Marseille :

Thierry Gaidon

Responsible for international relations :

Marie-Christine Record