Academic Programme

Graduate Programme Smart Computing - Master level

Diplôme national de master contrôlé par l'État

Résumé

Our Master Smart Computing is a research-based training program in the broad field of digital intelligence. Smart Computing is a multidisciplinary field in which advanced computing methods and technologies are combined with engineering approaches... Read more

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Details

General information

  • Entry : September 2025
  • Duration : 2 years
  • Place : Nantes
  • Language :
    • First year : English and French.
    • Second year : English
       

Laboratory

Introduction

Our master 's degree is a research-based training program in the broad field of digital intelligence. Smart Computing is a multidisciplinary field in which advanced computing methods and technologies are combined with engineering approaches to create systems, applications and new services that meet society's needs. Every aspect of our daily, social and civic life now has its digital twin, enabling greater efficiency, personalization, security and sustainability. Smart cities should improve the quality of life of their inhabitants, optimizing the use of space and the circulation of goods and people, while integrating environmental standards. Smart power grids improve the efficiency and reliability of distribution, as well as the sobriety of energy consumption.

Working on the intelligent evolution of society requires not only high-level engineering skills, but also new knowledge. The ability to build new knowledge and use it to meet society's new needs is therefore at the heart of this curriculum. Smart Computing trains top-level engineers and researchers capable of working at the cutting edge of digital technology and pushing back its limits.


Why would you choose Smart Computing master's degree ?


By choosing Smart computing, you can :
  • Benefit from the environnement and skills of an internationnally renowned laboratory to :
    • Implement experimental methodologies
    • Develop your autonomy through project-based learning
    • Develop your network in France and internationally
  • Customize your studies with a wide range of “à la carte” courses
  • Benefit from personalized mentoring to help you make the right choices for your goals
  • Take part in scientific events organized by the University Research School
  • Mobility grants for internships abroad or to study in Nantes (subject to eligibility)


Smart Computing Research Ecosystem

Joining Smart Computing means joining the Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes (LS2N), the largest public research unit in Nantes and the Pays de la Loire region.

Digital intelligence systems are at the crossroads of most major fields of computer science and engineering (machine learning, data analysis, software engineering, computer vision, internet technologies, distributed computing and sensing, pervasive computing, social computing, computer security...) combined with other fields of scientific knowledge such as biology, medicine, chemistry, materials, physics and economics) for a variety of applications.

The LS2N is connected to the local socio-economic sphere and to other research laboratories to conduct its multidisciplinary research.

Research immersion enables you to gradually discover key topics and people, define a research project in a given field and start generating knowledge in that field. A mentor researcher helps you to understand this ecosystem and seize its opportunities.

Other participating research units:

              


International outlook

A number of factors make Smart Computing a highly international program:
- The program's international appeal, particularly in M2, thanks to courses taught in English and a partnership policy that enables us to integrate excellent foreign students.
- Support for short, medium or long-term outgoing mobility is available to enable you to benefit from at least one international experience during your course, either for an internship or a study stay.
- A Welcome Grant of €1,000 for selected international Master's students to contribute to their settling-in expenses in Nantes. (excluding French nationals; international students previously enrolled in a French higher education institution (university, school, etc.) are not eligible).

 

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information on all the options!
 

What is a Graduate Programme (GP) ?

The Smart Computing program has been accredited as a "Graduate programme" by Nantes University. This accreditation confirms that the program draws on the research skills of internationally recognized laboratories, and trains students in both the scientific approach and cutting-edge technologies. The skills acquired in accredited Master's programs enable students to successfully enter the workforce as engineers or project managers in the R&D departments of major corporations or innovative start-ups. If you're interested in pursuing a PhD programme, this Master's degree also offers you optimum preparation, since the teaching team is also in charge of coordinating doctoral programs in this field.

Admission

Entry requirement

Academic requirement

  • Application for the first year of Master : a degree equivalent to the european Licence and the bachelor's degree (ISCED level 6) in computer science
  • Application for the second year of Master : a degree equivalent to the Master 1 computer science level


Language requirements

  • Minimum level B2 in French (DELF or TCF) required for entry into the first year of Master's programme
  • A minimum level of B2 in English (or equivalent in TOEIC, IELTS, or TOEFL), or a degree from a university in an English-speaking country, is required for entry into the second year of the Master's programme

Application

Application procedure


How to apply

Selection: File examination, an additional interview may be requested.

Documents to be submitted :
- a letter of application in English demonstrating an interest in research, detailing the area of research covered by the partner laboratories.
- a letter of recommendation from a professor underlining the candidate's aptitude for research.
- a transcript of marks for the diploma giving access to the Master's program.
 

Application procedure for the 2025-26 academic year :

If you are a French national or a citizen of the European Economic Area + Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra: to find out when the platform opens and closes, and to submit your application, go to the Master's application page.

You are a citizen of a country outside the European Economic Area + Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra :
  • Your country is concerned by the Campus France procedure (cf.: List of countries concerned): you must apply exclusively via the "Etudes en France" platform. Note that applications are generally registered between October and January of the previous year.
  • Your country is not concerned by the Campus France procedure :
    • To apply for M1, please use the Mon Master platform.
    • To apply for M2, please follow the application procedure for international students without access documents (SURF).
For further information, please consult our Admission to Nantes University page.

Additional procedure

Financial facilities:

The French government covers a large part of the cost of higher education at university. While a year of university study costs an average of around €10,500 per year, the tuition fees payable by the student are €254 for a year of a Master's degree and €397 for a year of a PhD, to which must be added a student life contribution of around €100. Exchange students are exempt from paying tuition fees.

International students are given priority for a room or studio in a student residence during their first year of study. The cost of accommodation varies from €260 for a room to €370 for a studio.

The programme also offers a Welcome grant of €1,500 to the best foreign students and funds internships abroad.

Internships in France are paid at a rate of around €600 per month, giving a total stipend of around :

- 1200€ to 2400€ depending on the length of the Master 1 placement

- 2400€ to 3600€ depending on the length of the Master 2 placement

To find out about the cost of living in France and estimate your budget, please see the page on Financing your studies on our website.

Programme

The course architecture is designed to gradually develop research skills through a variety of learning situations. Progressive immersion is broken down into 5 teaching units :
  • Research Discovery (Master 1/Semester 1: 6 ECTS)
  • Research Engineering (Master 1/Semesters 1 and 2: 12 ECTS)
  • Accompanied Research (Master 1/Semester 2 : 9 ECTS)
  • Research theme construction (Master 2/semester 2 : 12 ECTS)
  • Supervised independent research (Master 2/semester 2 : 30 ECTS)
 

Immersive principle
 

This progressive learning program aims to initiate and develop the following skills:

  • Maintain an international scientific and technological watch
  • Form and disseminate a scientific and technological culture
  • Design and develop an R&D, research and prospecting approach
  • Implement an R&D, research and prospecting approach
  • Supervise a team dedicated to R&D, research and business development
  • Promote and transfer the results of an R&D, research and prospecting initiative.


These skills are specific to the research process and are reinforced by a doctorate, if you wish to continue in this direction.

A Smart Computing engineer combines expertise in digital engineering and research. To acquire these two skills, students follow the following program:

A Smart Computing engineer combines expertise in digital engineering and research. To acquire these two skills, students follow the following program.

Master 1 (60 ECTS) :

  • Common core of the Master's degree in computer science (30% of ECTS), taken by all students enrolled in the Master's program, to acquire knowledge in theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, systems, applied sciences, ethics and cross-disciplinary skills.
 
  • 3 chosen courses from the menu of Master's courses offered by the IT department and its partners, linked to the skills you wish to develop (20% of ECTS). Professional researchers will be on hand to help you make these choices

Software :

- Massive data and the semantic web
- Software Engineering
- Concurrency and Verification
- Cross-disciplinary projects
 
AI/DATA :
- Human-Computer Interaction
- AI and applications
- Metaheuristic
- Exploratory data analysis

AI/Optimization :

- Duality and continuous linear optimisation
- Graphs and networks
- Introduction to linear optimisation
- Discrete and combinatorial optimisation
 
  • 3 Smart Computing courses to gradually begin research immersion with 3 learning situations (50% of ECTS) :
    • EU "Discovering research" (first semester): discover the players in research, their tasks, their production. Attend thesis defenses, interview research directors, laboratory directors. Observe and report on research in action.
    • EU "Engineering for research" (first and second semester): integrate a research team and develop research prototypes as a research engineer. Acquire engineering skills, understand how new knowledge is validated.
    • EU “Research in DUO” (second semester): Join a research team and develop a research proposal with a doctoral student supervised by a research director.
  • Mandatory summer internship (>= 2 months) integrating at least one of the following characteristics: International internship, multidisciplinary learning situation, integration into the socio-economic sphere.

Master 2 (60 Ects)

  • 2 courses common to all Smart Computing students (10% of ECTS) :
    • Deep learning
    • Middlware

  • 3 chosen courses from the catalog of Master's courses offered by the IT department and its partners, linked to the skills you wish to develop (20% of ECTS)

  • 2 Smart Computing courses
    • UE "Pre-immersion in Solo research" (first semester): develop the research topic you wish to work on and defend it (5% of ECTS) for validation with researchers.
    • UE "First Solo research" (second semester) (50% of ECTS, second semester): complete your master's thesis supervised by a recognized researcher in your scientific field.


What's next?

Level of education obtained after completion

Bac+5 (Unknown label)

Competencies acquired

The SMART Computing pathway aims to develop engineering and research skills.
The Master's degree in computer science delivers the skills defined at national level for a Master's degree in computer science. In addition, our curriculum partly develops certain skills defined for research, as shown in the figure below :
Skills master PhD

The expected skills for a master in computer science are:

  • Advanced and specialized use of digital tools,
  • Development and integration of highly specialized knowledge,
  • Specialized communication for knowledge transfer,
  • Support for transformation in a professional context.

These skills are acquired through participation in the fundamental master's courses in computer science (30% of ECTS). Learning research also actively contributes to these skills in the professional research context.

The expected skills in research are:

  • Design and development of a research and development, study, and foresight approach
  • Implementation of a research and development, study, and foresight approach
  • Valorization and transfer of results from a research and development, study, and prospective approach
  • Training and dissemination of scientific and technical culture.
  • Supervision of teams dedicated to research and development, studies and prospective activities.

These are planned for the doctorate level, but are already covered in the Master's program.

Further studies

Once you've graduated, you'll have the choice of developing your own career, or pursuing a research project at PhD level to give you broader prospects. As a member of the Smart Computing program, you'll be integrated into the MASTIC University Research School and benefit from the advantages of  GP accredited programs.

Career opportunities

Business sectors

Thanks to the cross-disciplinary approach of this course, you can become a research and development engineer in the various fields of digital technology. Your expertise will be aligned with the needs of companies and laboratories involved in advanced digital applications and wishing to add value to complex digital data. Careers

After the Master :
  • Research Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • Entrepreneurship

Over 90% of Master's graduates find a job in the socio-economic sectors within two months of completing their studies. Their salaries are competitive and rank among the highest of all university programs.

 
Updated on 26 August 2025.