Preamble

All the conditions and prerequisites for going abroad.

Why go abroad?

In a market which is becoming global (jobs, products, services, research…), it is important to know how to manage interactions with international teams (differences in languages, methods, culture…). UTC's overarching objective is to train creative, innovative and "internationally minded" engineers.

This is why the UTC favours international exchanges and trips abroad throughout the 5 years of the curriculum. This allows its students to perfect their education, to open up to the outside world, to become acquainted with and learn more about new cultures, to practice foreign languages, to acquire new working methods…

When can i go abroad?

In any semester of the major branch for students who have completed their core curriculum at UTC.
In semesters 3, 4 or 5 for students who have not completed the core curriculum at the UTC.

This stay must be prepared. Linguistic and scientific criteria are decisive to obtain the official agreement of UTC. The departures take place in accordance with the dates of re-entry of the host universities:

in the autumn semester (after the administrative re-registration at UTC with the Administration des études (Dean’s Office).
in the spring semester.

Caution: if the Spring start date of the envisaged host university comes before the January exams at UTC, the student cannot go there. Only those students who are on placement in the previous semester, and who finish in December, can go there.

During your stay abroad, if your educational pathway allows it, you can extend your semester of study with a semester of internship: you will get more out of a full year abroad.

What is the framework that allows the stay abroad?

There are many possibilities:

Study stay in a foreign university: the study semesters (1 or 2 semesters) can be carried out during semester 4 of the core curriculum as well as during the 6 semesters of the major branches. The courses taken in the institutions are validated in the form of CC equivalences on return from the stay. Interested students are invited to apply the semester before their departure.
Internships and projects: internships in university laboratories are regularly offered by the institutions with which UTC is in contact.
Double degrees: 21 double degree courses are offered at the UTC.
Preparation of a Master of Science: students have the possibility to apply for a Master of Science in the last year of their major. The Master's programme includes courses in the chosen specialty and research work leading to the thesis. Courses and research are validated in parallel for the engineering degree. The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and GRE (Graduate Record Examination) tests are compulsory and their required level is high. For the USA, TOEFL and GRE are required; for Sweden only TOEFL is required. The duration of a Master's degree in the US and Sweden varies from 18 to 24 months. Applications must be submitted before the end of GX 02 (2^nd semester of the student’s chosen major branch).

Prerequisites for a departure and stay abroad

Obtainthe agreement of the major course director.
Obtain good results and a good assessment at the "follow-up jury" of the semester before departure. Please don't forget that you will have applied 6 months before!
You will have acquired a sufficient level of language skills, or the TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) if it is a requisite of the host institution.

Please note! A minimum TOEFL score is required for the following destinations: United States, Canada (except Quebec), Australia, New Zealand. To have a good chance of success, you should be at least at LE03 level.

For details of how to register and the cost of the test, check out the ETS (Educational Testing Service).

It takes about 3 weeks to be notified as to the result. Don't forget to ask for the results to be sent to UTC when you take the test.

The scores obtained are valid for 2 years after the test date.

To do a Master's degree in the USA you will also need to sit the GRE (Graduate Record Examination).

Please note: a score of 1000 points minimum on the GRE (in addition to the TOEFL) is required. Departures depend on the number of places available (depending on relevant agreements and conventions).

Choosing your courses

The courses you would like to take must fit the training profile of your own degree. Your initial choice must be validated by your core, major or specialty supervisor, depending on your situation.

For stays in Europe: for 30 ECTS credits passed, 6 UTC CCs (30 ECTS credits being the equivalent of the normal student load in Europe for one semester. ECTS" credits are points allocated to each course taken).
For stays in North America: 4 courses passed give 5 UTC CCs, 5 courses give 6 UTC CCs
Stays in Australia and Singapore: 3 successful courses give 4 or 5 UTC CCs, 4 courses give 5 or 6 UTC CCs.