Institut national des sciences appliquées Hauts-de-France

About Institut national des sciences appliquées Hauts-de-France

INSA Hauts-de-France combines a distinct legal identity with close integration into Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. It was created in January 2020 and operates as one of the university’s establishment-components rather than as an informal department. It is also one of the institutes in the national INSA network. French government records classify the institution as public higher education and confirm that it continues to hold authority to award accredited engineering qualifications. The institution’s main address is the Mont Houy campus in the Valenciennes area. Its academic identity is strongly technological, with broad themes covering transport and mobility, future-oriented industrial systems, energy, computing, digital media, networks, and foundational sciences. The official site also lists licence, master, and doctoral provision alongside the engineering curriculum, although some non-engineering awards are co-delivered with UPHF. Prospective students should distinguish carefully between the five-year engineering route, conventional licence and master programs, apprenticeship pathways, and individually priced international programs. These routes have different application platforms, eligibility rules, tuition arrangements, and teaching formats. The school was actively registering students and publishing start-of-year information for 2026-2027 as of August 2026. Government accreditation records show multiple engineering specialties authorized for entrants through the 2029-2030 academic year, while two older specialty titles have stopped recruiting and should not be confused with the current portfolio.

Admission procedures depend on the qualification sought and the applicant’s educational background. For entry into the first, second, or third year of the engineering curriculum, recruitment is coordinated through the common Groupe INSA process. Applicants holding a French baccalauréat use Parcoursup, while holders of foreign or other secondary qualifications are directed to the Groupe INSA application route. For 2026 entry into the fourth engineering year, applications were accepted through eCandidat from 28 January to 1 March 2026. Applications to apprenticeship specialties used eCandidat with a separate schedule. These dates applied to the 2026 cycle and should not be reused for later admission years without confirmation. For the 2026 cycle, first-year licence applicants used Parcoursup, with wishes submitted from 19 January to 12 March. Applications for the first master year went through the national Mon Master platform from 17 February to 16 March. Second-year master applications and entry into the second or third licence year used eCandidat from 9 March to 29 May. Program-specific eligibility and supporting documents still apply. International applicants must follow the route matching their nationality, residence, prior qualification, and program. The official guidance distinguishes exchange students from individual candidates and refers relevant applicants to Études en France or the institution’s internal process. Admission is followed by administrative registration and then compulsory pedagogical registration. The published dates above concern 2026 admissions; candidates for 2027 or later should await the next official calendar.

The principal engineering route begins with Sciences et Humanités pour l’Ingénieur, a two-year common preparatory curriculum entered after the baccalauréat. It develops scientific, technical, methodological, and human foundations before students proceed to a three-year engineering specialization. Direct entry into the specialization stage is also available to eligible applicants with prior post-secondary study. The official 2026 portfolio presents nine engineering specialties: audiovisual and multimedia; civil engineering and building; electrical engineering and industrial computing; industrial engineering; computer science and cybersecurity; industrial computing and automation; mechanics and energy; mechatronics; and embedded systems and telecommunications. Availability differs by status. Some are taught under conventional student status, some through apprenticeship, and several offer both formats. Applicants should verify the precise route attached to their intended specialty rather than assume every subject is available in both forms. Beyond engineering, INSA Hauts-de-France lists general and professional licences, master’s pathways co-delivered with UPHF, and doctoral study through the multidisciplinary École Doctorale Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. Broad teaching areas include mobility, mechanics, energy, electronics, telecommunications, industrial automation and logistics, cybersecurity, digital media, civil engineering, mathematics, and physics-chemistry. Research-informed teaching and project work connect these areas to the institution’s laboratories and industrial relationships. The standard institutional language recorded for this profile is French. A separate GLOBALINSA international preparatory track and an International Master in Transportation and Energy offer specifically described international options, but their language requirements, fees, and progression rules are program-specific. Students seeking English-taught study should confirm the language of every course directly rather than treating the wider catalogue as English-medium.

Key Highlights

• Public establishment-component of Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France
• Created in January 2020 and operating in 2026-2027
• Member of France’s INSA network
• Current engineering accreditations extend through 2029-2030

Student Life & Environment

Student life is centered largely on the green Mont Houy campus. The student association structure includes the engineering-student BDE, together with sports and arts activities, the Sphimx association for science and technology students, and Trois Quarts de Pouce for audiovisual and multimedia students. Activities described by the institution include sport, music, dance, photography, robotics, environmental initiatives, cultural events, exhibitions, social projects, and student-organized gatherings. Elected student representatives also participate in institute councils and funding-related commissions. Housing is not presented as an automatic part of admission. The 2025-2026 student guide identifies CROUS residences near Mont Houy and central Valenciennes, as well as residences serving the Cambrai and Maubeuge campuses. Access to CROUS accommodation requires an application through the Dossier Social Étudiant process. UPHF also provides access to a private-housing platform listing rentals, shared accommodation, agency properties, and private student residences. Availability and prices should be checked for the intended academic year. Shared university services include student administration through the Maison des Services à l’Étudiant. Students with disabilities can seek support through the institutional disability service. Because teaching may be associated with different buildings or campuses, applicants should confirm the location of their exact program before choosing housing or planning daily travel.

Location & Surroundings

The institution’s principal site is Campus Mont Houy, in Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes and Famars on the edge of Valenciennes in northern France. The official postal address uses Valenciennes Cedex. Campus information identifies a tram stop named Campus Mont Houy, providing a direct public-transport reference point for students without a car. The Maison des Services à l’Étudiant and many engineering teaching buildings are located on this campus. Valenciennes is the main urban center for the institution, while the wider UPHF campus system also includes locations in central Valenciennes, Cambrai, and Maubeuge. Not every INSA program is necessarily taught at every site. The institutional contact directory assigns particular engineering programs to named Mont Houy buildings, and the student guide describes housing near several campuses. Students should therefore check both the campus and building attached to their course before signing a lease. Housing choices include residences near Mont Houy and accommodation closer to central Valenciennes. Living near the tram corridor may offer a practical compromise between campus access and proximity to city services. Exact travel times and service schedules were not stated in the selected official sources and should be checked with the local transport operator.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026-2027, published annual registration charges for students classified by the institution as national were €178 for licence or licence professionnelle study, €255 for a master, €398 for a doctorate or HDR, and €630 for the engineering curriculum. In this fee policy, the national category includes citizens of the EU and EEA, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, and certain Quebec residents. The listed differentiated charges for students from outside the covered European and associated categories were €2,902 for licence study or the engineering preparatory cycle and €3,950 for master’s or engineering study. The institution also stated a €105 student and campus-life contribution for these students. These figures apply specifically to 2026-2027 and may not cover every special international program. For example, dedicated international tracks publish separate program pricing. Housing, food, transport, insurance, equipment, and personal costs are not included in the registration figures above. Career preparation is embedded differently across the portfolio. Several engineering specialties have apprenticeship routes, while licence and master offerings may also be available through apprenticeship, continuing education, or professional contracts. Project work, research connections, and industrial partnerships support exposure to applied settings in transport, energy, manufacturing, computing, construction, and digital systems. The institution publishes graduate-employment material and organizes employer-facing activities, but no current, consistently defined 2026 salary or placement statistic was verified for this profile. Prospective students should compare the internship, apprenticeship, and industry-project requirements of the exact program they are considering.