The Canada program is an opportunity for our third-year engineering students to study at Canadian universities and discover a new way of teaching and working.
The Canada program is an opportunity for our third-year engineering students to study at Canadian universities and discover a new way of teaching and working.
There are two possible routes:
- A semester of classes, from September to October, followed by a 24-week end-of-studies internship
- Dual degree program: Two years at Arts et Métiers two years in Quebec to earn an Arts et Métiers engineering degree Arts et Métiers a North American Master of Science (MSc).
The École Polytechnique de Montréal,the École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal (ETS),the Université du Québec à Rimouski,the Université de Laval, andthe Université de Sherbrooke are all partners of the institution!
Here is the experience of Hugo Taeckens, a dual degree student at ETS:
Can you tell us about your career path?
After two years of preparatory classes in physics and engineering science at Fénelon Sainte Marie in Paris, I enrolled in the general engineering program at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Châlons-en-Champagne. It was my first choice on the engineering school admissions service, and I was very happy to have been accepted.
From the first semester, I was interested in option 1A to study in Canada, so I gave it my all to get accepted. Ranked 71st (nationally) at the end of the first semester in GIM, I was finally lucky enough to be accepted into a two-year dual degree program in Mechanical Engineering with a research thesis at the École Technologique Supérieure de Montréal (also my first choice).
Why did you choose to take the Canada route?
Canada is a country that I had the chance to discover five years ago as a tourist and which I found very appealing. In addition, various people in my circle who had worked in Quebec City or studied at the University of Victoria in Vancouver and McGill University in Montreal shared their experiences with me, which reinforced my motivation.
In addition, I was very attracted by the renowned openness of Quebecers, as well as by the beauty of the landscapes, which I wanted to rediscover for myself.
That's why I decided to apply to ETS, because of its highly practical approach, which produces graduates who are immediately ready to enter the job market and start working for companies. I chose Arts et Métiers the same reasons.
What are your plans at ETS?
In total, we have four sessions. I signed up for the first session for the courses "Advanced Vibrations," "Advanced Modeling Techniques," and "Planning an Engineering Research Project" (which are required for my program). This corresponds to 10 credits out of 15 (so I will only have to take two courses out of the three remaining sessions, with the rest of the credits being validated by my research) and represents 10 hours of classes three weeks out of four, or 21 hours for the fourth week.
I am currently in contact with a professor from the ETS Software Engineering department regarding the following research project (which I would start in the next semester if I am accepted): "Improving the fit of respiratory masks through 3D scanning, finite element analysis, and artificial intelligence." I would therefore be working on this project full-time, with a research thesis to be submitted at the end of my studies.
It is therefore possible to stray a little from the "Mechanical Engineering" specialization in order to find the most interesting research project possible, but also to take courses that are not offered as standard in the chosen course (for me, Mechanical Engineering) by justifying your choice.
What are the benefits of the Canada Pathway?
In my opinion, the Canada Pathway has several advantages:
- To pursue an engineering degree in a country that is both foreign and yet close to French culture. This allows you to improve your English (almost the entire population is bilingual, and there are many Americans), while retaining the ease and ability to make yourself understood in French.
- You can choose between several programs: more academic at Polytechnique Montreal, or more practical at ETS. There are also other options in Sherbrooke, Quebec City, or Rimouski, depending on the size of the city where you want to study.
Montreal, for example, is a student city and very dynamic. - Complete an engineering degree at ETS, one of Canada's top engineering schools, which is well-regarded by companies but still accessible to those coming fromArts et Métiers.
- Enjoy a unique experience, such as a winter with temperatures sometimes reaching -30°C for several months, or magnificent landscapes that change throughout the year, in more than 20 national parks across Quebec.
- The multitude of associations linked to student engineering projects at ETS
- The openness and friendliness of the people here
- The proximity to the United States if you want to discover this country (New York is 600 km away)
The Canada program is one of many international programs offered by the institution. There are also Franco-German, Franco-American, Franco-Argentinian, Franco-Brazilian, Franco-Chinese, Franco-Colombian programs, etc.
