Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France

About Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France

UPHF’s present institutional form dates from 2019, when a French government decree created it from the former University of Valenciennes and associated art schools. A further decree in September 2025 made the arrangement permanent and recognized UPHF as a public scientific, cultural and professional institution constituted as a grand établissement. Its legal headquarters remain in Valenciennes, and it is authorized to seek accreditation for national degrees, offer its own institutional awards and develop doctoral education. The institution is organized around connected science-and-technology and humanities groupings rather than a narrowly technical curriculum. Its components include the Valenciennes University Institute of Technology, the Institut Sociétés et Humanités and the Institut des Transversalités, des Sports et de la Santé. INSA Hauts-de-France is a legally distinct public establishment-component within the larger UPHF structure, while the Cambrai art school also has a specific component relationship. Applicants should therefore confirm which institution registers and awards the qualification attached to a particular course. UPHF operates across several sites in northern France. The 2026–2027 catalogue identifies teaching at Mont Houy, Tertiales, Cambrai and Maubeuge. This distributed structure broadens the subject range but makes program-level checking important: campus, delivery mode and availability of apprenticeship or continuing study vary by pathway. The current official site and 2026 registration materials confirm that UPHF is operating and accepting students for 2026–2027.

Admission routes depend on the applicant’s level, prior education, residence and chosen component. UPHF’s official 2026 guidance directs first-year undergraduate applicants and students seeking certain undergraduate reorientation routes to Parcoursup. Applications for the first year of a national master’s degree normally use Mon Master. UPHF’s eCandidat system covers specified routes such as entry to later years of undergraduate study, professional licences, second-year master’s programs and certain engineering admissions. Doctoral candidates, continuing-education applicants and exchange students follow separate procedures. International applicants outside an exchange agreement must first determine whether they live in a country covered by the Études en France process. UPHF states that residents covered by that system must apply through it; other international situations use the university’s designated route. Applicants should consult the detailed program page for academic prerequisites and language requirements. The university does not publish one institution-wide English-test threshold in the reviewed material, and its predominantly French environment makes program-level language verification essential. Admission and administrative enrollment are separate stages. After receiving an offer, students must complete annual registration, submit required evidence and pay applicable charges. For 2026–2027, the university’s central registration site states a 7 September 2026 administrative-registration closing date, but separate calendars can apply to particular cohorts and INSA pathways. Candidates should therefore follow the deadline attached to their own offer and program rather than treating one date as universal.

UPHF follows the French licence-master-doctorat structure and also offers Bachelor Universitaire de Technologie programs, professional licences and other national or institutional qualifications. Its 2026–2027 catalogue spans science and technology, law, economics, management, arts, languages, humanities, social sciences, health and sport. Examples listed for 2026–2027 include undergraduate study in law, economics, management, arts, languages and humanities, plus master’s fields such as computer science, civil engineering, mathematics, cybersecurity, materials science, sport science, transport and mobility, arts and territorial development. The catalogue marks the campus for each pathway and distinguishes initial study, continuing education, apprenticeship, professionalization contracts and fully online delivery where applicable. These options are program-specific; students should not assume that every subject is available in every format or at every campus. Some courses are delivered through UPHF components, while engineering study is associated with INSA Hauts-de-France and art qualifications in Cambrai can involve the component institution there. At the doctoral level, the École Doctorale Polytechnique Hauts-de-France supports research across mathematics, physical and earth sciences, chemistry, biology and health, humanities, social sciences, engineering and information and communication technologies. Master’s applicants interested in research should compare individual pathways, laboratories and thesis preparation rather than relying only on the broad degree title. The official catalogue is the best starting point for current program names, sites and study modes, followed by the detailed program page for prerequisites, curriculum, assessment and internship requirements.

Key Highlights

• Public French grand établissement headquartered in Valenciennes
• Current institution created in 2019 and made permanent under a 2025 decree
• Teaching distributed across Mont Houy, Tertiales, Cambrai and Maubeuge
• Includes university components and legally distinct establishment-components

Student Life & Environment

Student services are spread across UPHF’s campuses, with the Maison des Services à l’Étudiant on the Mont Houy campus serving as a central point for registration assistance and other support. The university provides orientation and professional-integration services, while campus information also directs students to libraries, sports provision, cultural activities and student organizations. Availability and opening arrangements may differ by location, so students based in Cambrai or Maubeuge should check their local campus rather than assume every Mont Houy service is duplicated. Housing is not presented as university-owned accommodation. CROUS, an organization independent of UPHF, manages university residences serving locations including Aulnoy, Famars, Valenciennes, Cambrai and Maubeuge. UPHF also provides a housing platform containing offers from private owners, agencies and student residences. Its page updated in July 2026 explains the Dossier Social Étudiant route for CROUS accommodation and points students toward CAF housing assistance and Visale guarantees. Accommodation is not automatic, and international students should begin early and verify reservation conditions before paying. Students seeking work experience can use UPHF’s professional network and insertion service for help with internships, jobs and apprenticeship searches. These services can assist with applications and interviews, but they do not constitute a placement guarantee.

Location & Surroundings

UPHF is headquartered in Valenciennes in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, but it is a multi-site institution. The 2026–2027 catalogue uses four principal location markers: Mont Houy, Cambrai, Tertiales and Maubeuge. Mont Houy, in the Valenciennes area, is the principal campus and location of the Maison des Services à l’Étudiant. Tertiales is another Valenciennes teaching site, while Cambrai and Maubeuge place selected programs in other cities across the regional territory. This geography should influence program and housing decisions. A course listed at Mont Houy is not necessarily taught in central Valenciennes, and a Cambrai or Maubeuge student may have different commuting, residence and service arrangements. Applicants should identify the exact site in the current catalogue before choosing accommodation. The university’s housing page lists CROUS residences in Valenciennes-area communities such as Aulnoy and Famars as well as in Cambrai and Maubeuge. Students planning cross-campus activities should check local transport times and timetables independently, since the reviewed sources do not establish a university shuttle linking all sites.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027, UPHF lists standard principal-registration charges of €178 for licence-level study, €255 for a master’s course and €398 for doctoral study. Students holding the specified conditional scholarship notice are shown a zero registration charge in these categories. Engineering registration through INSA Hauts-de-France is listed separately at €630. Eligibility categories matter, so applicants should use the university’s definitions rather than assuming that residence alone determines the rate. For first-time students from outside the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland, UPHF lists differentiated 2026–2027 charges of €2,902 for first-cycle study and €3,950 for master’s or engineering study. The page identifies exceptions within its category definitions and states that affected extra-community students must also pay the €105 student and campus life contribution for 2026–2027. These figures are registration charges, not a complete cost of attendance; housing, food, transport, insurance, study materials and visa-related expenses require a separate budget. Career preparation includes internships and apprenticeship pathways where marked in the program catalogue. The university’s professional-integration office offers individual help with CVs, applications, interview preparation and searches for internships, jobs and apprenticeships. Its Pro’fil network distributes opportunities to students and graduates. No verified salary or institution-wide placement outcome is used here, so applicants should evaluate the curriculum, required work experience and published outcomes for their specific program.