Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France

Licence and BUT (first year)

Holders of the baccalauréat or an equivalent qualification (for example DAEU) apply through Parcoursup. International applicants who are not French nationals and not holders or future holders of the French baccalauréat, living abroad, follow the Demande d'Admission Préalable (DAP). Applicants resident in a country with an Études en France space (including Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, India, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey, the United States, Vietnam and others on the university's list) apply through the Études en France platform, which is the only route used for students resident abroad. Applicants from other countries request a paper application file ('dossier blanc') by writing to the Pôle formation vie étudiante, Campus Mont Houy, 59313 Valenciennes Cedex 9. Those in arts, design, archaeology, heritage, culture, multimedia and digital fields apply both through Études en France and through CampusArt. Applicants already in France complete a paper file or apply online at candidature.uphf.fr.

French-language requirement

Applicants who must prove their French level take the TCF-DAP. Exemptions include nationals of states where French is the sole official language, holders of DALF C1/C2 or DELF B2, candidates with 14/20 on the written tests of the TEF, and candidates whose secondary education was mostly in French. Holders of the French baccalauréat and students already enrolled in a French post-baccalauréat course the previous year are exempt from the DAP and apply through Parcoursup.

2nd and 3rd year Licence, professional licence, engineering, Master

Applicants resident in France use eCandidat for second-year DEUST, second and third-year BUT and Licence, professional licences, Master 2 and engineering (4th year initial training; 3rd and 4th year apprenticeship). First-year Master (M1) applications are made on monmaster.gouv.fr; some masters are co-accredited with the INSA Hauts-de-France, and the 'Je candidate' button appears only on the page of the institution running the programme. Master MEEF applications are made through the Université de Lille. Two Master programmes are taught in English: International Master in Transportation and Energy, and Information Technology for Smart and Sustainable Mobility (IT4SSM), EUNICE alliance. Admitted students receive an admission letter and register administratively from mid-July.

Doctorate

Doctorates are prepared at the Polytechnique Hauts-de-France doctoral school (ED PHF). Applicants apply to advertised thesis subjects through the ADUM platform (spontaneous applications go directly to potential supervisors). The file is reviewed in turn by the thesis supervisor, laboratory director, pole director and doctoral school director; the final decision is taken by the university president or the INSA director. The file is a single PDF (35 MB max) with the information form, identity document (and visa for foreign students already in France), CV, cover letter in French or English, transcripts for the last three years of study, diplomas (foreign diplomas translated into French and certified), and optional recommendation letters; cotutelle, CIFRE and employee-doctoral candidates add the relevant agreements. Funding (doctoral contract, CIFRE, MAE aid, etc.) is agreed with the supervisor to secure a three-year thesis.

Practical

The university does not reserve housing for admitted students. Students must prove resources through a grant or personal means. CROUS Lille residence requests are made at crous-lille.fr (before 30 April for current residents, before 30 September for new arrivals) and through the Dossier Social Étudiant from 15 January to 15 May.

• Mont Houy, Valenciennes / Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes / Famars: main campus with more than 7,000 students daily; INSA Hauts-de-France, ISH, IUT and IT2S teaching; presidency and administration, international relations office, LAMIH, IEMN, LARSH and CERAMATHS; the central university library, two university restaurants and several cafeterias, the Maison des Services à l'Étudiant (health centre, registrar, careers and social services), sports facilities including the 9 km 'ligne bleue', the IMTD and Valutec; tramway line and Transalley technopole adjacent.
• Tertiales / Ronzier, Valenciennes: central Valenciennes; management, commerce, law, economics, arts, history and geography; IUT (BUT GEA, BUT TC) and ISH (licences in law, economics, AES, public administration, history-geography, arts; masters in public administration, business law, property law, territorial management, geography, history, arts and digital creation); a research laboratory, library, renovated university restaurant and two cafeterias.
• Centre Universitaire de Cambrai, 6 rue Rambouillet: over 5,000 m2 in former Gillet-Thaon industrial buildings; about 1,300 students (1,122 in 2023/24) taught by the UPHF and the Université de Lille law faculty; DAEU, BUT QLIO and Techniques de Commercialisation, licences in social sciences (HARPE), life sciences and law, a professional licence and masters; amphitheatres, library, laboratories, computer rooms, CROUS restaurant and residence (Saint Roch), gymnasium; ESAC is also based in Cambrai.
• Maubeuge, boulevard du général de Gaulle: about 300 students and 50 staff; BUT Informatique and BUT Mesures Physiques, INSA masters in cyber-defence and information security and in materials science, doctorate in materials science and engineering, DAEU preparation; library and the CERAMATHS materials and processes department.
• Arenberg, Wallers-Arenberg: UNESCO-listed mining heritage site dedicated to research and innovation for cinema, audiovisual and digital media; INSA audiovisual students use the equipment there.

Health centre at Mont Houy with a daily general practitioner, nurses, psychologist, dietitian and gynaecologist; free-of-charge care for students.