Graduate Program

Choosing One’s Own Academic Path:

A student engineer at the master’s level chooses a combination of courses from the four program components: Major, Area of Specialization, Job Position and Sector.
Graduate students at Efrei also pursue graduate training in management, humanities and foreign languages.

 

Apart from the Areas of Specialization that stem from the Majors, all combinations are possible. These combinations may depend on logical considerations, e.g. a certain Job Position or Sector which is more naturally linked to a certain Area of Specialization or may be based on a more explorative approach, e.g. looking for a Sector or Job Position.  Finally, some students may be guided from a Major towards a Job Position as is the case with Finance.

Upon admission to the master’s program, students will be requested to rank their choices for each component of the program.  Choices will be allocated within the limits of class size.  A quota of seats is reserved for international students in each component of the program.

 

Components of the Master’s Program

Majors

The Majors provide the kind of scientific and technical education one might expect from an ICT specialist institution such as Efrei. They form the basis of the technical expertise in each field covered. The teaching of the Majors is carried out throughout the first year of the master’s program (semesters 7 and 8) and represents about 1/3 of the program.

 
  • Information System Architecture deals with information technologies and its associated services.
  • Networks and Services deals with communication technology and its associated services.
  • Digital Intelligence deals with systems and applications which cover a large spectrum from digital technologies to data processing.
  • IT for Finance deals with systems and applications designed specifically for the fields of finance, banking and insurance.

 

 

The Areas of Specialization

The Areas of Specialization provide more detailed scientific and technical training in an area covered by a Major. The teaching of Areas of Specialization is integrated in the second year of the master’s program (semester 9).  The specialization courses correspond to the end-of-year internship and to the first employment position. This teaching represents about a quarter of the training.  Areas of Specialization are made up exclusively of scientific and technical teaching. Each Area of Specialization is connected to a specific Major.
The courses corresponding to each Area of Specialization are offered during the second year of the master’s program and represent about 1/4 of the entire program. Each specialization offers the opportunity to become thoroughly knowledgeable of and competent within a field of expertise. This specialization is further reinforced by the completion of an innovative final research project.

 

  • Areas of Specialization within the Information System Architecture Major:

    • Systems Engineering covers a large range of applications used across the sectors.
    • Business Intelligence is taught completely in English, and focuses on decision-making processes within the context of corporate strategy.
 

  • Areas of Specialization within the Networks and Services Major:

    • Design and Architecture covers a large range of applications used across sectors.
    • Security and Cryptography covers specific expertise in the field of computer security and methods of cryptography in particular.
 

  • Areas of Specialization within the Digital Intelligence Major:

    • Virtual Reality covers relevant technical and scientific knowledge, such as imaging, virtual reality and augmented reality with multiple applications in a variety of fields.
    • Artificial Intelligence and Robotics covers relevant technical and scientific knowledge, such as automatization, robotics and embedded systems with multiple applications in a variety of fields. 
 

  • Areas of Specialization within the IT for Finance Major:

    • Financial Modeling provides deep knowledge of mathematics applied to complex system modeling, and includes the development of a large range of skills applicable to finance, banking and insurance.
    • Financial Engineering is yet to be defined.

 

Job Position

Job Position represents the professional roles or posts typically filled by engineers after several years of experience, regardless of Major or Sector choice:

 
  • Technical Director
  • Network Architect
  • Consultant
  • Business Engineer
  • Entrepreneur
  • Research and Innovation Manager
  • International Project Manager (courses taught in English)
  • Financial Engineer
  • “Kick-Start Program” (this special option is available to students involved in the creation of a start-up company)

Course options in Job Positions are spread throughout the master’s program and represent around 1/8 of the entire program, with:

2/3 of Non-Technical Courses: The objective of these courses is to define the role of the engineer within the company throughout the course of a career. Program content includes: an engineer’s duties, commitments, rights and obligations linked to the profession, as well as particular responsibilities inherent to certain strategic posts or sectors with a sensitive nature or international scope. This training gives future engineers the opportunity to further clarify and define their career goals.

1/3 of Scientific and Technical Courses: The objective of these courses is to define, for each Job Position, the tools and methods (ICT and others) applicable to each position, giving the future engineer greater competence and marketability when entering the job market.

 

Sectors

The Sectors represent the economic sectors where the technical skills might be applied. The study of Sectors generally includes the development of a scientific foundation specific to the sector under consideration; a technical specialization (methods and procedures);  a focus on industrialization and production that includes industrial engineering, technology, methodology and organization; general training which covers the regulation and organization of the sector,  key players, processes and economic and value chain analysis of the sector.

Sectors studied in our program include the following:

 
  • Finance, Banking and Insurance
  • Health
  • Telecommunication and Internet
  • Logistics and Distribution
  • Energy
  • Sustainable Development (courses taught in English)
  • Transportation
  • New Media and Video Games

This component of the program is further enriched by conferences given by professionals from the various sectors.  These courses, which are spread throughout the master’s program, represent around 1/8 of the program, with:

2/3 of Scientific and Technical Courses: The objective of these courses is to familiarize future engineers with the fundamental concepts governing the applicable economic sectors as well as the technology that is particular to each sector. The knowledge acquired in these courses is indispensable in giving future engineers a valuable understanding of the sector they are going to work in. 

1/3 Non-Technical Courses: The objective of these courses is to explore a particular sector from a socio-economic and socio-cultural perspective and to see how ICT resources contribute to the development of a particular sector.

 

Humanities and Management

Humanities and Management is the end result of the general training initiated in the bachelor’s program (it includes the three following aspects: personal development, general culture and business training. It constitutes a general core curriculum common to all Majors and Job Positions.

  • Humanities: seminars on ethics, geopolitics, and other issues, etc.
  • Management: seminars on team leadership, change management, information legislation, quality management, etc.

 

Languages

Languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese and Chinese) are taught in small groups and at different levels. The program emphasizes both the linguistic and cultural elements essential to language acquisition.

International students can browse the website Agence de promotion du FLE for language schools offering French language courses in France.