Integrated preparatory cycle

Choose a career in digital technology and build a genuine career as an engineer

registration procedure

Parcoursup & Puissance Alpha | Campus France (for international students)

back to school

september 2027

format

full-time

Language

french

Campus

Limoges

diploma awarded

Ingénieur informatique – 3iL Ingénieurs accrédité par la Cti

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Presentation

Why choose the integrated preparatory cycle ?

A learning path designed to put your mind at ease. You don’t need to be brilliant at maths or have any previous programming experience to succeed. The difficulty level increases gradually, with educational support tailored to your pace.

IT from day one. You don’t only get to grips with digital technology towards the end of the course: you’ll be coding, building projects and working with databases from the very first year, alongside your science modules.

Guaranteed entry onto an engineering degree program, without having to sit an external entrance exam. Your progression to the next stage of your studies is subject to the validation of your prior learning, with dedicated support to maximise your chances of success; you will remain at the same institution, with the same teaching staff.

A small, close-knit community that makes all the difference. At 3iL, your lecturers and teaching staff get to know you. You’re not just a number in a lecture theatre: you receive personalised support, term after term.

Your first taste of the working world in your second year. The six-week work placement gives you the chance to experience a professional environment first-hand even before you start your engineering degree.

A wide range of opportunities after the preparatory course. A work-study engineering program, an international placement, or a dual degree with the Faculty of Science at the University of Limoges (third-year Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics/Computer Science): there are several paths open to you, depending on your plans.

Not sure yet if you’re “cut out” for computer science? That’s normal—and that’s exactly where you start.

You’ve just graduated from high school—or you’re about to—and one question keeps running through your mind: “Do I really have what it takes to become an engineer?” Almost all of our students have asked themselves this question before you did. The good news is that the 3iL integrated preparatory program was designed specifically for this stage: to build your foundation, step by step, without requiring you to have all the answers right from the start.

This is a two-year preparatory program, integrated into the school curriculum, that allows you to gradually enter the field of computer engineering: software development, data science, cybersecurity, networking, e-health, and business intelligence. You don’t have to choose between “studying science” and “studying computer science”—you build both at the same time, with close academic support.

Here, you’ll get hands-on experience with computer science starting in your first year, through algorithmics, programming, and real-world projects. You’ll learn by doing, in addition to theoretical instruction. And at the end of these two years, you’ll move directly into the 3iL engineering program without having to take an external entrance exam.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

  • A 92% success rate in the 3iL integrated preparatory program. 
  • More than 450 hours of computer science over the two years not just to “discover” digital technology, but to really put it into practice. 
  • 6 end-to-end projects whether innovative, cultural, or IT-related—to help you learn how to work as part of a team and advocate for your ideas. 

objectives

Strengthen your scientific foundation.
Mathematics, mechanics, electronics, and electricity: you’ll build the fundamentals you need to tackle an engineering program with a solid foundation, at your own pace.  

We’ll get you started in the digital world right from the first week.
Algorithms, programming, databases, networks, web development: you’ll gain hands-on experience with digital careers through practical work and projects.  

Develop your professional skills.
Communication, general knowledge, English, understanding of organizations, and an internship: you’re already building the skills that companies expect from a future engineer.  

Refine your plan.
You don’t have to have all the answers right from the start. The integrated preparatory program gives you the time and tools you need to figure out which digital specialization you want to pursue.

program

The program, term by term

discover

the full program

Term 1

  • Sciences : mathématiques, outils mathématiques, mécanique, optique, électronique numérique.
  • Computer Science: algorithms, programming, systems architecture and networks.
  • Humanities, social sciences and economics: induction week, general knowledge and media, self-awareness, expression, epistemology, English.
  • Student engagement.

Term 2

  • Sciences: mathematics, electricity, mechanics.
  • IT: Java programming, databases, design.
  • Humanities, social sciences and economics: general knowledge and media, scientific discoveries, English, intercultural project.
  • Student engagement.

FAQ

Is this right for you?

No. A good basic understanding of science and a desire to improve are all that’s needed. The maths is built up gradually, with support to help you consolidate what you’ve learnt.

Yes, absolutely. You’ll be introduced to programming from the very first year, even if you’re starting from scratch. The courses are structured step by step, with plenty of practical work.

It offers a progressive, structured program, focused from the outset on IT, projects and practical application, with direct entry into the 3iL engineering program at the end of the two years.

The integrated preparatory course is designed to help you achieve this. Progression to further study is subject to the validation of your prior learning, with support provided throughout the program to maximise your chances of success.

Yes. International exposure is part of the engineering program following the preparatory year, thanks to our partnerships abroad.

That is precisely one of the aims of the foundation course: you gradually discover careers in the digital sector through lectures and projects, enabling you to refine your career plans with complete peace of mind.

No. You must apply via the Campus France scheme. You can find full details on our page dedicated to international applications.

Two years, organised into four semesters, prior to entry onto the engineering degree program.

Yes, a work placement lasting at least six weeks in the fourth semester, to give you your first hands-on experience of working in a company.

Yes. Once you have completed the preparatory course, you can go on to study for an engineering degree under an apprenticeship contract and continue to develop your professional skills within a company whilst working towards your qualification.

C’est un parcours qui vous permet de valider une Licence 3 Mathématiques/Informatique en parallèle de votre cursus ingénieur, en partenariat avec la Faculté des Sciences.

Each year group comprises between 20 and 30 students, which means you can benefit from genuine individual support and direct interaction with your teachers.

There is no minimum entry requirement. English is taught every term to help you progress throughout the course.

Limoges campus.

Thanks to the school’s small size, the teaching staff monitor your progress closely, term after term, and are on hand to help you with any difficulties as soon as they arise.

Are you interested in the 3iL engineering program?

Download the brochure to find out more about the full program, or apply now to join the 3iL engineering programm

brochure