Changing track to engineering studies with the February Start

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Mis à jour le 17/06/2024

During the first few months of studying at Prep School, on the PASS Medical Studies Access programme, for a science degree, at a specialist engineering school or for a BUT Bachelor in Technology, you begin to forge a clearer idea of your personal and professional ambitions, and to realise that there are other studies than those you initially chose that will lead you there. If you've already achieved good academic results and you don't want to lose a year, the February Start is an excellent solution that prevents you from losing the benefits of several months' hard work.

Changing direction to find your niche in general engineering studies thanks to the February Start programme

For these students, the EPF's February Start programme is a way of getting a fresh start and giving life to a well-thought-out personal and professional project!

For example, PASS students (Special Medical Studies Access Track) can pursue their career aspirations through engineering studies by opting for the Engineering and Healthcare major from Year 4 onwards. Graduates of this major go on to work in fields related to patient health.

With these students in mind, EPF has introduced a February start date for its general engineering course on the Montpellier campus.

Personalised supervision to ensure the success of all students

The group size is limited to roughly 25 participants to ensure highly personalised supervision, which enables the teaching staff to monitor each student on an ongoing basis. Teachers also strongly encourage their students to work in groups to stimulate a sense of team spirit. Learning together is a central value at EPF.

EPF teachers provide constant support by making themselves available to students who need extra help. Passionate about teaching, they are happy to provide additional explanations outside class, answer questions, help with exercises, provide methodological advice, and much more.

A pedagogical approach adapted to students in the February Start of the general engineering programme

The February Start date for engineering studies gives students the opportunity to change direction quickly, while continuing their first year of higher education. If you pass your exams, a student who starts at EPF in February will be admitted to Year 2 in September

The February Start programmes take into account what students have already learnt in the first semester

How does a first-year general engineering course fit into just one semester?

The EPF teaching team has designed the February Start programme to take account of the concepts students have already covered. On the one hand, certain parts of the programme have been reduced according to the presumed level, and on the other, some modules have been dropped. This is the case for chemistry, for example, which has already been covered in previous courses. To cover all possible situations, students nevertheless have access to lessons and exercises on their digital workspace, giving them the opportunity to revise certain concepts if necessary.

By identifying concepts that can be addressed individually from those that absolutely must be covered in a lesson, teachers have more time to focus on the core modules..

Blended learning combining digital and in-person learning to make the most of lesson time

To achieve greater efficiency without increasing course load, teachers use a hybrid teaching method (blended learning). To prepare for or extend an in-person class, students have access to a wide range of resources available on Moodle (a digital learning platform). Synchronous courses give priority to active work sessions: students working on the board, group work, more complex study topics.

Most modules alternate between independent and asynchronous learning commitment and class work.

Tips from the teaching staff to help you make a success of the February Start to your general engineering course on the Montpellier campus

The team's mantra is good humour! Yes, the course lasts 16 weeks and is very fast paced. So, we advise you to get into it from day one. Even if this is true for all courses, it's even truer for this fast-track programme! It's best to know your strengths and weaknesses so that you can build on the former and remedy the latter.

In addition, the class plays an important role as a driving force for individual student success. Each person makes a valuable contribution in an atmosphere of mutual support and goodwill. In the end, everyone wins, because motivation brings success to almost all students.

For full details of how to enrol for a February Start, see our special information sheet.