The first year of the Microelectronic and Computer Systems Engineering (ISMIN) programme lays the scientific, technical, and human foundations of the training.
Students acquire a solid engineering culture while discovering the challenges of the digital society, the corporate world, and the project culture specific to Mines Saint-Étienne.
This initial phase enables them to:
- master the scientific and computer science fundamentals,
- learn to design and implement through practical projects,
- discover the operations of technology companies,
- and begin to develop their career plan in an innovative environment.
🎯 Educational Objectives
- Acquire the scientific fundamentals in electronics, computer science, mathematics, and physical sciences.
- Develop a project and responsibility culture from the first year.
- Foster creativity, autonomy, and analytical skills.
- Introduce students to professional communication, management, and business knowledge.
📚 Organisation of the year
| Semester | Main Focus Areas | Projects and Internships |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 (S5) | • New Student Welcome Weekend • Core courses in electronics, computer science, physics, and applied mathematics. • Communication, modern languages & cultures. | Observation and Analysis Internship |
| Semester 6 (S6) | • Consolidation of scientific fundamentals in electronics, microelectronics, computer science, physics. • Managerial Awareness. • Introduction to project management and technical communication. • Modern languages & cultures | • Engineers in Solidarity Project (ISA) • Robot Project • Prototyping Project |
🧩 The Capstone Projects: learning by doing
The capstone projects form the framework of the ISMIN pedagogy.
They span the three years of the programme and encompass all projects undertaken by students.
Engineers in Solidarity Project (ISA) (S6)
Students commit to a civic project serving an external partner (association, school, community, etc.).
These projects promote open-mindedness, social responsibility, and cooperation.
Examples: scientific popularization, digital inclusion, sustainable development, scientific culture.
Objective: to give meaning to scientific training and the engineer’s role in society.
💡 Are you a host organization (association, school, community)?
Robot Project (S5)
Students design, program, and test an autonomous mobile robot.
This project allows them to concretely apply their physics, electronics, and computer science courses, while developing teamwork and autonomy.
Prototyping Project
This project invites students to imagine, design, and build a complete application independently, mobilizing the skills acquired in semester 5.
They thus discover the development stages of a sensor and its acquisition chain, from design to testing.
Supervised for nine sessions, students then, in pairs, create their own acquisition system over three independent sessions.
To give shape to their prototypes, they rely on the equipment of IDFab, the school’s fablab: 3D printers, soldering stations, printed circuit board engraving, simulation tools, and much more.
🌍 Languages and Interculturality
From the first year:
- Two compulsory modern languages: English + second language of choice (Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, etc.).
- Intercultural workshops prepare students for the international mobility required for the ISMIN diploma.
- Intensive English courses for non-French-speaking students.
Objective: to prepare students to thrive in multicultural and international environments.
💼 Company Experience: the discovery internship
The discovery internship is the first professional immersion of the ISMIN programme.
- Duration: 1 month (at the end of semester 5).
- Objective: to observe how a company operates, understand its professions and the challenges of production and innovation.
- Expected outcome: an observation report analyzing the organization, working methods, and the engineer’s role.
This internship constitutes an essential step to connect scientific teachings with real-world practice.
💬 Personal Development and School Life
Throughout the first year, a personal development programme helps students to:
- better understand themselves and leverage their strengths,
- strengthen self-confidence,
- develop their interpersonal skills,
- learn to work effectively in a team.
This approach promotes harmonious integration into student and professional life.
🎒 ISMIN New Student Integration Weekend
A highlight of the Aix Marseille-Provence campus life, the ISMIN new engineering student integration weekend marks the true beginning of the programme.
Organized annually at the start of the academic year in September, it brings together first and second-year students around a common objective: to create lasting cohesion and introduce them to the “Mines” spirit in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
Supervised by school staff and second-year students, this stay combines sports activities, communication workshops, group games, and discussion sessions.
It’s an immersive experience where trust, mutual aid, curiosity, and team spirit are at the heart of the activities, reflecting the values that drive the ISMIN community.
More than just an integration weekend, this event constitutes a true initiation to engineering life and to the culture of Mines Saint-Étienne: rigor, solidarity, and openness.
It marks the beginning of a journey rich in learning, projects, and encounters, within a united and dynamic cohort.