The first year of the Ingénieur Civil des Mines (ICM) programme establishes the scientific, human, and technical foundations of the training.
Students develop a strong engineering culture while discovering the corporate world and contemporary societal challenges.
This first stage allows each student to:
- master the scientific and managerial fundamentals,
- learn to work as a team through concrete projects,
- observe the functioning of industrial organizations during an internship,
- and begin to build their professional project.
🎯 Educational Objectives
- Acquire the scientific and technical foundations essential for any engineer.
- Develop the project culture and responsibility.
- Foster autonomy, creativity, and ethical reflection.
- Introduce students to administration, management, and professional communication.
📚 Organisation of the year
| Semester | Main Focus Areas | Projects and Internships |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 (S5) | • Welcome Weekend for new arrivals • Core Curriculum sciences and management (240 h) • Modern Languages (40 h) • Introduction to Project Management | • Citizen Project I (60 h) – real societal engagement with an external partner • Operator Internship in a company (4 weeks) |
| Semester 6 (S6) | • Core Curriculum sciences and management (160 h) • Core Curriculum climate, environment, and sustainable development (45 h) • Toolbox (2 modules of 40 h) • Modern Languages (40 h) • Liberal Arts Elective (20 h) | • Citizen Project II (100 h) |
🧩 Elective Modules
To broaden their horizons, students choose modules from several themes.
The Toolboxes
The Toolboxes are coherent groups of courses allowing students to acquire methods and tools for solving engineering problems (common to several professions), in the following categories:
- Physics, Processes
- Mathematics
- Computer science
- Economics, Administration, Management
- Environment and Sustainable Development
Each student chooses two modules from several options, according to their interests and profile.
Liberal Arts Elective
This module aims to push students out of their comfort zone, to invite them to think differently and to experiment with new forms of intellectual and creative expression, while enriching themselves humanly and intellectually around a common theme.
🧭 The Keystone Projects: The Citizen Project
The keystone projects form the continuous thread of the ICM curriculum.
They encompass all projects carried out over the three years: citizen project, TECH project, innovation project, and industrial project.
The objective is to ensure coherent progression in how to design, experiment, and innovate.
In the first year, the Citizen Project marks the entry into Mines Saint-Étienne’s project-based pedagogy.
Conducted in teams, it connects technical knowledge and social engagement, while developing collaborative and project management skills.
Objectives: to give meaning to scientific training.
Carried out in two phases (S5 and S6), the Citizen Project is an action-learning experience.
Students work with an association, a community, or a company on an issue of general interest: mobility, inclusion, energy, food, culture, etc.
Are you an association, a school, or any other civic organization and do you have a project to develop?
You have the opportunity to propose a citizen project for the students of Mines de Saint-Étienne!
🌍 Languages and Interculturality
From the first year:
- Two modern languages are compulsory (English + second language of choice).
- Intercultural workshops prepare for international mobility planned for the second or third year.
💼 Professional Experience: The Operator Internship
The operator internship immerses students in the heart of an organization.
They observe the technical, human, and organizational aspects of a company to better understand on-the-ground realities.
Duration: 1 month (June-July)
Objective: to discover the company from within.
Students become observers of production processes, human relations, and organizations.
This is a first immersion that fosters understanding of the professional world and expectations of engineers.
💬 Personal Development and School Life
Throughout the year, a programme titled “Experience Yourself” helps students to know themselves better, strengthen their self-confidence, and develop their teamwork skills.
🎒 Welcome Weekend for New Arrivals
A foundational moment of life at Mines Saint-Étienne, the welcome weekend for new engineering students marks the true beginning of the ICM curriculum.
For over 25 years, this unique experience combines adventure, cohesion, and discovery around essential values: trust, curiosity, mutual aid, and team spirit.
Supervised by staff and second-year students, this four-day stay combines sports activities, communication workshops, collective projects, and convivial moments.
A highlight that forges the cohesion of the cohorts and transmits the human values that are the pride of the Master’s Degree in Science and Executive Engineering graduates.