Initial Training
2 years of post-secondary education (L2 or equivalent)
FrenchThe first year of the Department of Teaching and Research (DER) in Chemistry at ENS Paris-Saclay offers a rigorous and in-depth general education program that covers a wide range of fields in chemistry. It also focuses on introducing students to the intersections of this discipline with physics and biology, enabling them to develop a multidisciplinary scientific background.
Particular emphasis is placed on learning and mastering experimental skills through a variety of lab exercises and experimental projects, which play a central role in the program. Students are also introduced to research and scientific ethics starting in their first year, particularly through the writing and analysis of scientific articles and the completion of a laboratory immersion and internship.
This first year includes in-depth disciplinary and theoretical instruction, delivered in close collaboration with the Orsay Faculty of Sciences as part of the Paris-Saclay University Double Degree Bachelor’s Program in Physics and Chemistry (Frédéric Joliot-Curie track).
Finally, international exposure is encouraged through various activities that prepare students to thrive in a global scientific context. Thus, the first year aims to equip students with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills—both scientific and methodological—that will enable them to continue their academic journey under the best possible conditions.