Student review [#21955] for Aeronautical Engineering
at Institut Supérieur de L´Aéronautique et de L´Espace - ISAE-SUPAERO

I am finishing my master of science at ISAE Supaero, in Toulouse. This is one of the most important aeronautics universities in Europe. Overall my output is good. Almost all subjects have theoretical lessons. Something that I think is very important is that they teach you how to use some of the most used software in the industry thus this will be very valuable for your CV.
Moreover, this program offers a lot of different intensifications depending on the path you want to follow for your future career. At the end of the first semester (which is common for everyone) you can choose between Space systems, Automatic Control, Propulsion and aerodynamics, Structures, Systems engineering, and, Embedded systems.
I think that the university is quite demanding, and you need to work hard, especially for practical sessions reports. But if you work you will not have any problem passing everything, normally exams are very similar from one year to another and they only cover what was explained during lessons.
The worst point of this university is the professors. The university indeed makes a huge effort to bring some of the best professionals from the sector to deliver the lessons. However, they do not know how to teach and as a result, you spend so many hours on lessons feeling lost. Moreover, to my opinion, the schedule of lessons is also terrible. This is normal in France. But is very common that you have classes from 9 to 17h every day just with 1:15h for lunch. And the worst part is that you can have 4h of lessons in a row about the same subject (sometimes even the whole day) thus your brain just gets melt. I think it would be better to have shorter sessions on each subject.
Besides, during the 4th semester, you will have to make a 4-6 months internship that will help you to introduce yourself into the labour world. Contrary to other countries internships in France are paid. Of course, salaries are much lower than regular contracts. But it will be enough to pay your expenditures on your own. Moreover, in Toulouse, there is a huge industry so even if you do not know French perfectly it is possible to find an internship easily. Another very important point is that most probably after you finish your internship you will be able to get a permanent contract on the enterprise. Thus, I think Toulouse is a great place to launch your professional career, especially if you are an engineer.
Furthermore, as long as you are a student the French government will help you to pay the rent of your apartment. They refund you around 40% of the price depending on the case. If you come to study in Supaero I recommend staying in the dorms for at least the 3 first semesters because it will help you to know your mates, also you will be very close to your classes and is the cheapest option.
About the city, I think Toulouse is a very comfortable place to live. It is a medium-size city thus you will have a lot of services and activities to do. The public transport is also very efficient because there are 2 lines of metro and 2 of trainway, apart from busses. There are also plenty of green zones where you can work out or just have a nice walk through the channel du midi. It is also a city of students so it is super alive at any time.