Students

I am currently working as a Process Engineer for Imerys in California and I am a former ENSAM-Georgia Tech double degree program participant. The relationship between ENSAM and Georgia Tech institutions is solid. The feedback I had on the education provided during the program were very positive. As a matter of fact, I was surprised by the choice given to me to become specialized in many various fields.

Whether during my program, my job search or even in my everyday life, I have had the chance to find out Georgia Tech is really respected on the international stage.
This program will give you a lot of credibility when you are considering to give your career an international dimension.
In my particular case, I now regularly collaborate with our colleagues from Europe and South America, being based in the US. I would have not imagined this when I first started the ENSAM-Georgia Tech program almost four years ago.

Growing up, I moved a lot and enjoyed discovering new cultures and new places from within. Later, it was a thrill to study on three Arts&Metiers campuses in France, at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in Spain, and on the campuses of Georgia Tech Lorraine and Altlanta. After graduation, I started working with Schlumberger, an oilfield service company, which offers fantastic technical challenges and opportunities in a truly international setting. Within a team, I design, test and prepare the manufacturing of downhole hardware. I really enjoy having clear deliverable objectives and the means to meet the technical/time/cost targets, while meeting fantastic people along the way. Recently, I trained in Qatar Vietnamese, Tatar and Indian field engineers on our newest prototype developed in France.

Georgia Tech Lorraine has been key to all this. It offers a selection of highly scientific courses with another dynamic than the French system. It opens one's mind and strengthens adaptability and English skills. My double degree ENSAM / GTL was essential to getting my first job with Schlumberger in Houston, Texas.

Last but not least, I met Rebecca, now my wife, at GTL. Our son Adrien was born in Paris last year. He is both French and American.

Woww, Georgia Tech Lorraine can really have a lifelong impact.

Taking my engineering studies outside the borders of the United States was not an easy choice when I was searching for a graduate program, but it is one that I have never regretted. At first I was unsure about how the details would work: where would I live, would I need a car, how would I open a bank account, and especially, did I need to know the local language.

While most of these questions were answered within a month after arrival, some larger ones have only become clear in retrospect. My engineering coursework in France allowed me to study in the same global context that today's big engineering questions are being asked. Although I started with no knowledge of French, my time in the double degree program with GTL and ENSAM allowed me to be ready to begin my first engineering job internationally.

I chose the double degree program for its unique challenges that provided me with more than the standard academic education, as well as the opportunity to travel and explore.  As we converge upon globalization, it is critical to be able to communicate quickly and effectively.  

Working at Michelin's corporate headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand gave me a first-hand opportunity to learn the complexities of French business practices.  Coworkers truly appreciate showing respect for their heritage, constantly learning the nuances of their business customs, and willingness to engage individual differences that are part of working with people of different backgrounds.  Now, I am more adept at facilitating efficient communication in order to produce successful results.

GTL gave me the opportunity to discover another culture in a way that I never could as a tourist.  My friends there helped me to understand the deeper aspects of their individual values and cultures; my time with them enriched my education much more than I had anticipated.  I presently place more emphasis on the quality of my life rather than the drive to benchmark against others.  Success is being happy with who I am and where I am going, not having more than everyone else.

I chose the double-degree program because I thought it was important in today's professional environment to have an international education and an international point of view. It was also a way for me to come back to Europe and discover new opportunities, after 11 years spent in the United States .
The GTL experience taught me how to work and study in a different setting from the one I was used to in the United States. I was able to make lasting relations with people from diverse backgrounds that will help me build a global network.

This program had a very positive impact on my career, as it allowed me to distinguish myself from other young graduates who did not have an international dimension to their education. This translated to many interesting job offers from serious companies, many global leaders in their domain, and also a higher starting salary.

My Business School in Grenoble [Grenoble Ecole de Management, www.grenoble-em.com] gives the opportunity to its students to carry out their 3rd year abroad. After passing the exams and with a good ranking, I succeeded to choose and register for a MSM degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). One of the main reasons I selected the GTech was to acquire knowledge and skills in technology, complementary to my management education.

The GTech experience provided me with another way to study, to assess and analyze situations, and to interact in a different socio-political and cultural environment. It opened and broadened my academic and professional vision. Collaborating with senior and experienced managers already involved in the professional world, provided me with a lot of inputs to on the global business environment.

This double degree supported my applications to the different organizations and firms I worked with, showing the recruiters my ability to perform in various contexts and to work with multicultural teams. It opened doors to my career and completed my address book. Moreover, working in a different language, i.e. writing and reading in English, gave me high-added value in language skills.

Finally, my double degree MSM (Georgia Tech., Atlanta) and MBA (GEM, Grenoble) widened my scope of understanding on cultural, social, and above all, business levels, and gave me access to opportunities, possibilities and networks of skilled, motivated and high-profile alumni community.

Today, I am still using all what I have learned during my higher education when I am advising and assisting international companies. As International Investment Manager with the Lyon Area Economic Development Agency [Aderly, www.aderly.com], my daily mission is to support and to provide advice to CEOs and other executives in their project of setting up an office, opening a subsidiary, transferring their headquarters in Lyon. As such, I need to adapt constantly to our international and multicultural clients, understanding their needs, proving empathy to match perfectly with their expectations, and filling their needs. That where my year at GTech and the experience I acquired during my missions abroad after my MSM is very helpful.

J'ai décidé de faire le Master of Science de georgia tech car c'est une université qui est dans le top 5 aux USA et qui est renommée au niveau international. J'ai eu l'opportunité d'y effectuer une thèse extrêmement intéressante sur les véhicule hybrides, qui en 2000 n'existait qu'en trés faible quantité. la rencontre de personnes du monde entier à Georgia Tech m'a beaucoup appris.

Grâce au master of Science de georgia Tecg, j'ai pu facilement trouvé un emploi chez Schlumberger à Houston. aprés 5 superbes années, je suis retourné en Europe comme consultant au sein du cabinet Londonien d'At.T KEARNEY.

Avant même mon entrée en école d'ingénieur, je comptais déjà effectuer une partie de mes études dans un pays étranger (pour l'ouverture d'esprit que cela peut apporter), au sein d'une université reconnue et de préférence en milieu anglophone (pour des raisons évidentes). Etudier à Georgia Tech Lorraine était la meilleure opportunité de réunir toutes ces conditions.

J'ai trouvé mon bonheur dans ce double diplôme, en découvrant une autre approche de l'enseignement et en côtoyant des élèves d'origine très diverses, français et américains mais également de beaucoup d'autres pays.
Le double diplôme ENSAM GeorgiaTech a très clairement été décisif pour l'obtention de mon poste actuel, puisque les recruteurs étaient à la recherche d'ingénieur possédant un diplôme reconnu, ayant vécu une partie de sa vie à l'étranger et parlant couramment anglais. Ce diplôme m'a ouvert un poste dans lequel j'ai une très grande autonomie, beaucoup de responsabilités et qui me permet de voyager souvent à l'étranger.

I've chosen to achieve a Master at Georgia Tech for several reasons :

-First I am convinced that an international experience has a great interest in terms of career opportunities and personal achievement.
-I definitely wanted to get a double degree in a well known university.
-GTL makes it financially sustainable.
-Finally, the "Ecole des Mines de Nancy" is a partner school and therefore I could get a lot of feedback about GT.

I was hired in AREVA group, an international company. The business often requires feeling comfortable with English language. Something important is also the double degree: it reveals a real will to extend deeply ones skills; for these two reasons I had a quick start in my career in this group. And since a master is a long term investment, I hope the best is to come! I'm currently in an entity which has a dynamic subsidiary in the US; why not?

I chose GTL because I have always wanted to study abroad and there is no better way to see Europe and get credit for classes than being there for four months. This experience has helped me grow as an individual. You just sort of have to figure things out sometimes on your own.

When there are no phones and no one speaks your native language fluently and you are completely lost in a city that you have never been in, you grow as an individual in using the senses to get you around and to resolve the issues. Any future students should definitely give it a shot because I did and it has turned out to be a once in a lifetime experince. The education plus traveling experiences I had were absolutely amazing. Not to mention, there is just something sexy about the foreign accents and the way the women dress and present themselves. It's a must-see and must-do adventure to partake in the journey at GTL.

I chose the GTL double degree, because I felt that having an international master's degree was a requirement for the carrier path I wanted to follow. I was so interested by this double degree, that I pursue a double doctoral degree with a French Doctorat and a Georgia Tech Ph.D.

This experience was a great benefit for me, not only about meeting people from different contries, different cultures, but also about learning different ways of working, different solutions to adapt to the same problem. All these differences pile up together to craft the perfect start of my carrier, which I know will be a journey through an international environment.

The GT double degree was the master key to enter a large group, truly international as Total. I have been offered to worked in Paris, London, Houston, every time within the same company, and have always benefit from this very experience I had at Tech, learning to work with so many different sharp people.

I chose GTL summer program because my brother did it 6 years ago and he recommended it. I also liked the fact that it was the only (or one of the only) GT study abroad program that had an actual campus, own facilities, and GT professors overseas. I also wanted to travel to many different countries and experience many different cultures and history. Some of the other programs were either expensive to travel to other countries (Oxford) or not many different cultures all together (Latin America or Asia Pacific).

The experience showed that I can adapt more easily than I thought. It also gave me confidence to travel alone or with a group.

I took a job offer with a global company headquartered out of Paris. The position will put me in France for 2 years. Not many companies, send their young or new employees overseas so this is a great opportunity. It opens me up to the global market and gives me a competitive advantage among people my age.

At my last internship I had to call manufacturers all over France and Europe and was often obligated to speak in French. I quickly improved my French, learned valuable communication skills
, and obtained an understanding of international business exchange. Aside from the work, I have learned so much about other cultures that I would be otherwise blind to in the United States. I am intrigued how we are all the same and different at the same time. Understanding how others view the US helped me to put it into perspective with the rest of the world.

While the US is particularly influential worldwide, I now cherish the opportunity to be influenced by other countries. Although my experiences in France have been fleeting, they have given me indispensable insight and balance that I will always carry with me.

I have done an 8-month internship at TOTAL E&P in the south of France. I participated in a highly challenging research project dealing with hydrocarbon reservoir characterization for an Offshore Indonesian Field. I designed a new prototype for better sub-seismic fault detection. Also, this internship was a great opportunity for me to work closely with several experts in the Geophysical domain. I really enjoyed the work atmosphere as well as the beauty of the French South Western Region.

I find the Oil & Gas Industry very exciting and it is the sector where I want to build my career. It permits me to travel worldwide and to be a part of multinational teamwork. My double degree Supelec and Georgia Tech is an undeniable asset for me to reach my objective.

During the final year at the ENSEA (French engineer school in Electronics), I was attracted by the double degree program of GTL as it allowed me to transition smoothly from the French universitary system to graduate school of Georgiatech. Studying with a small group of students from all European countries and US in Metz is the perfect transition prior to go to the large campus of Gatech.

At GTL, I connected with fellow students who helped me then to integrate in the US campus. It represents also a very safe environment to attend American style classes with the security of having French speaking resources onsite in Metz in case you get lost !

The model of double diploma with European university is also more and more known in the US and the diploma of Gatech definitely helped me to get my first job offer in Atlanta. This is also the quickest way to be on the job market with a US diploma when coming for a french engineering school.

After joining General Electric via the Information Management Leadership Program with 4 six months assignements at GE Energy sites in Belfort (France), Atlanta and Florence (Italy) as IT project leader, I joined the company broad internal audit at GE Corporate called Corporate Audit Staff. In a 2 year period, this leadership program for GE top talent provides exposure to Finance, Compliance and the largest IT projects of the company.
I can conclude confirming that learning adaptability and flexibility between Paris, Metz and Atlanta early at the university definitely helped me to succeed in the various international assignments and teams I have worked with.

When I graduated and went to my French engineering school, I would deeply want to have an international career path. Uncertain of the opportunities I could have got from international companies during my studies, I've decided to take all the chances on my side and study abroad. GTL, that's to say Georgia Tech, quickly became the best option: famous American university, good ranking, diversified programs... Can't say I regret my choice.

Beyond all travels and entertainment you can have during this period, when you integrate a foreign school you get to experience the background of people you're likely to meet in your future career. You have a better understanding of what drives their decisions or judgements. Automatically you also adapt this education to your personal background. Anyway, Georgia Tech gives you the means to be successful in your studies but also to achieve this integration.

Personally, I've been hired in a French company by an American HR. My double degree has been a real motor in this hiring process but more importantly it granted me as well the trust of my French collaborators. Thanks to it I'll sure be granted the international career I hoped for. Eventually, since money drives the world, it's been as well of great help in this matter.

I am working for the Instrumentation and Controls division of AREVA Nuclear Power. It is quite the opportunity to get to work in a French office in the heart of La Defense, Paris. My French is improving, and I get the chance to be involved in a company that is playing a big role in the energy industry. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this internship is that I am working in a French office in conjunction with a German branch of the company on a contract for Chinese clients. During the course of a normal day I hear French, English, German, and Mandarin! The academic environment at Georgia Tech Lorraine, as well as my studies at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne prepared me well for the internship.

"I've always dreamt of traveling and living through studying or working in the US so my 1st choice was a US school.
GTL seemed to have had a partnership with my school so I chose it.
Also, Georgia Tech has a good reputation and high standards of quality in terms of education in the US so the choice was obvious.

It helped me broaden my vision of the world, especially experiencing a new style of education and a new culture. It was a unique and very enriching experience living with people from different cultures and from different origins.

It helped me know better what I wanted as a career and for my future professional life.
I am now working for SFR the 1st alternative Telecom Operator of France as a Marketing Manager. Georgia Tech helped me realize I liked Marketing better than Engineering through the Minor and Elective courses I took during my cursus."

I spent 13 years overseas and always wanted to study in a large American university. GeorgiaTech is one of the top graduate engineering schools and has a global name attached to it. In this global world I believe that this is extremely important as I was not expecting to work all my life in France. Apart from the brand name and the fact that it is a school known worldwide, I was also looking for the flexibility given in American universities where it is possible to follow electives in other schools and discover new subjects not always available in French engineering schools.

The experience was simply great. A lot of the people I met are friends with whom I kept contact, whether they are in the same city I live in or overseas.

The courses I followed, notably those in financial management made me want to work in that field. After having worked as a risk consultant, I am now business analyst within an asset management company.

Amount of opportunities to kick-off the career one is offered at GTL is quite impressive. As an ME student here closing out on my graduation with just one semester left to go I was extremely interested in finding a challenging internship which would help me fulfill my job-seeking goals as a future young graduate and my professional ambitions later on.

The internship I did at Calderys was undoubtfully an experience to relish. There are several things which make me think of it that way.
As I quickly adjusted myself to the new environment, I enjoyed working for a big international company abroad from the very beginning of my internship. I still had to go back to study, so for me it was not only a perfect opportunity to gain precious hands-on experience but also a chance to see what the company’s business was about and figure out whether I liked it or not.

I did most part of my internship (6 months) near Frankfurt, Germany and then moved to Vienna, Austria for the last month to get to know company’s head office. My level of spoken German – as it was the main conversational languag e at work throughout the internship – greatly improved.
On the other hand, working in the refractory industry was a challenging experience. I discovered plenty of things I had not known before. And so I could learn as there were plenty of possibilities and options.
And finally, at the end of my internship Calderys offered me a job and I accepted the offer. So now, even though I am still yet to graduate, a job in Vienna, Austria is already waiting for me.

"I choose Tech as a significant additional investment in education because I was convinced that the value of a top US engineering degree was tremendous in terms of opening up international opportunities. So far it looks like my forecasts were on the spot.

I gained more friends and an additional international experience which helped me grow as a person. This feeling of self-development still persists today.

Huge, huge impact on my professional career.
As I had planned, Tech opened up doors that I wouldn't have been able to set my foot into had I not decided to make the investment. The fact that Tech is highly recognized in the US and worldwide gave my resume a strong credibility. From starting my career at Infosys India for a brief summer, to becoming a consultant at Accenture and now earning my MBA degree at Wharton, it is absolutely clear to me that my Tech degree is the reason I am where I am right now."

"The outstanding reputation of GIT & GTL research and education, together with the newly developed partnership with TUM, just left no reasonable alternative to becoming a Yellow Jacket!
Reliable and trustful friendship is the powerful support for the pursuit of happiness. Always treat the other as you wish to be treated.
Thorough and aspiring research needs open-minded approaches on a big scope. Be a team player and stay in touch with the rest of the world!"

"As an undergrad, I felt a natural draw toward international engineering. I spent my Junior year studying abroad in Germany, and when I finished, I knew I’d return to Europe soon. Little did I know, less than a year later I’d be one of the pioneers of the Georgia Tech Lorraine program, and taking a journey that has me positioned as CEO of a global software firm.

When I initially inquired about the program, Dr. Puttgen (the first President of Georgia Tech Lorraine) asked if I could be in France in 2 weeks, and the rest as they say, is history. I left for France without knowing any French, and not knowing exactly where I was going. The program was so new, there wasn’t even a building when I arrived. Despite the initial physical limitations, my time at GTL proved to be a cultural awakening; and an experience that propelled me into international entrepreneurialism.

I enrolled in the dual MS degree program with Supelec, a grand ecole in France, where I learned to speak French fluently and developed a global perspective; one that’s become the hallmark of the Georgia Tech Lorraine program. Following graduation, I’ve been in leadership roles with several global software firms, developing innovative software products and bringing them to market. Today, I’m currently CEO at KXEN, an organization that provides next generation business analytics software to drive improved corporate decisions. I developed my global commerce skills at Georgia Tech Lorraine and Supelec and it’s clear that without my time there, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. This global preparation and approach to education and cultural awareness, has helped fuel innovation throughout the Lorraine region, Europe, and the southern United States. As part of the inaugural class of five, I’m proud to be part of an alumni base of over 1,500 worldwide."

"In our business today world it is important to have an international background. When I arrived in Metz as student in Supelec, I discovered Georgia Tech Lorraine and so I applied for a Master Degree.

This experience was unique : experience the student american way of life on a such a campus as GaTech and to compare american and french education (French is more focus on theory and American on pratical).
Last but not least, it improved my English quite a lot. I have used every day since...

As it was quite difficult to apply for an expatriated job with foreign state administration customers without any experience, the double degree Supelec / GaTech was a "kind of warranty" for my boss : it meant the combination of one of the leading french engineering school diploma with an international experience.

So I started my career in a french multinational company, but in Finland.
After 11 years, I worked in 9 different countries (Australia, Lithuania, Sweden, Egypt) and after having started as simple integrator, I'm now Project Manager for a 10th different country..."