An immersive training course for the ecological and climate transition of companies and territories
TECTO combines expert input, feedback from experience, workshops, and field assignments. The programme comprises 616 hours, structured around 5 areas, and is based on a regular alternation between the School and a host organisation (company, local authority, association).
👉 For admission requirements, see the Apply page.
Programme highlights
- Work-study rooted in the field: learning by doing, in contact with local stakeholders.
- A multidisciplinary approach: environmental sciences, engineering, planning, human and social sciences.
- A collective territorial project (“Territory-School”) + a supervised professional thesis.
- Expert speakers: transition professionals and research professors.
- A pedagogy promoting reflexivity, debate and collective intelligence.
Programme structure (510 h)
The five teaching blocks
Global challenges associated with planetary boundaries – 95 h
This first module allows learners to acquire a detailed knowledge of the planetary boundaries framework.
Introductory modules complete this teaching block in order to develop a holistic and critical vision of ecological transition issues.
Main teachings
- Earth System: planetary boundaries and resources
- Ecological issues and social justice
- Climate change – scientific basis and challenges of territorial adaptation
- Ecosystems and biodiversity
- Thinking about ecology
- Digital challenges
- Technocratic analyses and low-tech principles
- Research seminar and guided reading
🎯 Objective
Understand the complexity of planetary boundary issues.
Tools and methods to reduce impacts and anticipate risks – 125 h
Learners discover and put into practice engineering tools and methods to integrate energy/climate issues as well as all planetary boundaries.
This teaching block brings together the most widely used tools for quantifying impacts or sizing solutions, as well as innovative modelling and analysis methods.
Main teachings
- Greenhouse gas emissions assessment and Science Based Targets
- Life cycle assessment and absolute environmental sustainability assessment
- Modelling of complex systems, application to hydrosystems
- Territorial energies, application to solar energies
- Data management and geomatics, application to global health issues
- Methods for risk analysis
- Multidimensional tools for sustainability and resilience analysis
🎯 Objective
Mobilise engineering tools to address challenges, both in terms of reducing emissions (carbon, pollution, etc.) and impacts, and in terms of anticipating risks.
Action frameworks for companies and territories – 85 h
This teaching block addresses the challenges and skills of various territorial stakeholders.
It provides an understanding of the roles, coordination and constraints—institutional, economic, regulatory, etc.
Through numerous case studies, it allows for a better grasp of field realities and levers for action, based on inspiring approaches.
Main teachings
- European and French legislative and regulatory framework for the ecological transition
- Local authorities: action framework and inspirations
- Territorial planning
- Companies: action framework and inspirations
- Circular economy and resources
- Crisis management
- Water resources and watersheds: biodiversity, management, and conflicts
🎯 Objective
Understand the framework and levers for action of territorial stakeholders.
Individual and collective dynamics for ecological transformations – 105 h
This teaching block provides the skills necessary to facilitate transition projects for complex organisations and territories involving various stakeholders.
It is based on technical contributions mobilising several human and social sciences. Learners will also be encouraged to enrich their posture to cooperate, debate and decide…
Main teachings
- Life and monitoring of the learner collective
- Postures at the heart of transformations
- Systemic paradigm
- Stakeholder ecosystems
- Imaginaries and foresight
- Ethical questions and controversies
🎯 Objective
Understand the individual and collective dynamics at the heart of transformations.
Explore your posture to facilitate the transition of an organisation or a territory.
Field projects and professionalisation – 100 h + tutoring
Putting learning into practice is at the heart of the system.
Learners participate in field missions and conduct a professional thesis within their host structure.
Components
- Project management and methodological support
- Collective “Territory-School” project
- Work-study mission with a host structure
- Writing and defense of the professional thesis
🎯 Objective
Learning through the field. Contributing to concrete projects.
🌱 The “Territory-School” core project
A space for learning through the field, experimentation and collective construction.
You work on a real issue, based on exchanges with territorial stakeholders, workshops and deliverables responding to a territorial commission.
🧭 Main partner
EPURES, Urban planning agency for the Loire territories
📘 The professional thesis
The professional thesis is conducted throughout the year with an academic tutor and a referent in the host structure.
It delves into a concrete ecological transition issue by combining research tools and an operational approach.
Methods used
Field surveys, interviews and qualitative analyses, modelling or comparative studies.
🎯 Objective
Produce work with medium-to-long-term added value for the host organisation.
Active pedagogy
- 70% applied activities: case studies, workshops, visits and projects.
- 30% academic teaching: theoretical input and guided work.
- Alternation between school and field promoting learning by doing.
Go further
At a Glance
🎓 Degree depending on profile
• CTI-accredited specialized engineering degree
• Institutional diploma (Master of Science in Engineering 2 or equivalent 5-year post-secondary degree)
📅 Work-study program (18 weeks out of 52 in school-based training)
• October to May: 2 weeks in school-based training / 2 weeks in a host organization (company, local authority, association)
• June to September: 100% in a host organization
🕓 Duration
1 year (from October to September)
📍 Location
École des Mines de Saint-Étienne
158, cours Fauriel
42023 Saint-Étienne
📘 Teaching methods
Learning by doing (workshops, collective project, professional thesis, corporate mission)
Contacts
Academic Directors
TECTO brochure
An Accredited and Recognized Program
The TECTO program – Ecological and Climate Transition of Territories and Organizations is a specialized engineering program, accredited by the Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur (CTI).
The program is registered in the National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP 40958).
It awards a specialized engineering degree, recognized by the State and industry, equivalent to Bac + 6.