The IRUP, the Institut Régional Universitaire Polytechnique – an elite sandwich-training-based institution, is a higher educational institution with French ‘association’ status. It was founded in 1995 on the initiative of the Rhône Alpes Region as part of the State-Region Plan to develop sandwich training in French higher education.

The IRUP is a member of the Alliance des Grandes Écoles Auvergne Rhône-Alpes. The institution offers BTS, bachelor’s, master’s and certification programmes in seven subject areas, all focusing on pressing needs relating to industrial, energy, digital, societal and social transitions.

The programmes are based on a cumulative two- to five-year model, allowing students to plan their futures appropriately, progressing from level to level or switching into or from a different career path mid-programme.

Each institution teaches, via sandwich training, around 600 future high-level technicians, intermediate-level professionals and managers.

The IRUP has close ties with the business world. It is an actor in numerous professional networks and has close relations with over 500 business partners across all activity sectors and at the local, regional and national levels.

Industrial Performance

• BTS – Systems Maintenance
• BTS – Industrial Control and Automatic Regulation

Innovative Construction

• BTS – Fluids, Energy and Home Automation

Accounting

• DCG – Preparatory Programme for the Diploma in Accounting and Administration
• DSCG – Preparatory programme for the diploma in Accounting and Management

Social and Solidarity-Based Economics

• BTS – Health- and Social-Sector Services

IT

• BTS – Digital Systems

Professional certification

• VAE (French scheme for converting professional experience into qualifications)

• French

• Action-based learning: Teaching is based on sandwich training; the teaching strategy is ideally managed thanks to a team of dedicated IRUP tutors
• Small class sizes: In order to promote collective intelligence, teaching is individual-studentfocused and friendly
• Personalised supervision:Individualised coaching for finding internships or sandwich training, and regular monitoring via the team of tutors
• Skills-based approach: Programmes are built around skills blocks crafted through the combined efforts of teachers and business actors
• Mixed teaching team: experienced teachers plus working professionals
• Accessibility: The institution’s facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities : Adaptés à tous les étudiants et aux personnes en situation de handicap

• 563 students and more than 3 500 graduates
• 41 teachers
• Over 500 business partners
• 26 years active
• 2 campuses (Saint-Etienne, Puy-en-Velay)

Accreditations and quality certifications other than those of the FEDE: Qualiopi, ISO 9001

• ERASMUS +: Since 2015, the IRUP has an Erasmus charter, adding an international dimension to its programmes.

• IRUP Alumni Association: brings together IRUP graduates (around 3500 people) who have undertaken sandwich training in one of the IRUP’s programmes or studied on a full-time programme or apprenticeship programme; current students are also members
• Students Club (BDE): very lively: sale of pastries on campus, skiing trips etc.
• Joint projects organised by students (blood donation, first-aid training etc.) organisés par les étudiants (don du sang, formation aux 1ers secours…)