A program committed to addressing major issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2015)
A selective and resolutely international program, the I-BE³ bachelor’s degree is an international undergraduate program for the engineers of tomorrow: professionals equipped with systemic, scientific, and practical thinking, multidisciplinary expertise, and a keen awareness of environmental, climate, and societal issues, for a new form of engineering that contributes to a sustainable future.
The I-BE³ bachelor’s degree offers a progressive and attractive curriculum based on project-based learning and focused on the major societal challenges of engineering—energy, water, health, climate, sustainable cities, mobility, and responsible industries. The program gives cross-disciplinary emphasis to data science, artificial intelligence, and big data processing.
The program is organized around three teaching blocks—semester-long engineering, research, and entrepreneurship projects (PRJ), engineering and data sciences (SI), and challenges and professionalization (EP). It also incorporates the CARE (Coaching, Accompaniment, Remediation, Enrichment) system, a distinctive and structuring element of the program, offering personalized support throughout the course (reflexivity program, support, skills portfolio, etc.).
At the end of the three years, graduates of the I-BE³ Bachelor’s degree will be able to continue their studies. A specific pathway will allow them to apply for engineering programs at Mines Paris, ESPCI, or Chimie ParisTech, as well as scientific master’s programs at PSL. It will also be possible to continue studies at other universities in France and abroad. The professional skills developed throughout the program, in accordance with the CTI (Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur) standards, also offer the possibility of direct entry into the workforce. The goal is to ensure a smooth academic transition while giving students the freedom to explore other horizons.
In Sophia Antipolis, this teaching approach will draw directly on the local economy and stakeholders, allowing students to work on real issues related to local economic and industrial dynamics.
The launch of I-BE³ makes perfect sense on our Pierre Laffitte campus in Sophia Antipolis, an area renowned for its capacity for innovation and its cutting-edge industrial fabric. This program contributes to the creation of a center of excellence in engineering on the French Riviera. It will enable young talents to acquire a systemic approach to global issues, while benefiting from active and interdisciplinary teaching. It embodies the ambition of our three engineering schools: to offer high-level training that responds to the challenges of ecological, energy, and digital transitions.
Godefroy Beauvallet – Director General of Mines Paris – PSL
A strategic lever for the development of the Sophia Antipolis campus
The I-BE³ Bachelor’s program will recruit 60 students starting in September 2026, with a ramp-up to 300 by 2029. It is part of the strategic development of the Pierre Laffitte campus of Mines Paris – PSL in Sophia Antipolis and is the first building block of a large-scale project aimed at consolidating the School’s academic and scientific presence in the region and strengthening Sophia Antipolis’ position as a European center for training and research in transition engineering.
This overall project also provides for an increase in the range of master’s level courses on offer, as well as a significant research component structured around two projects: medtech (related to advanced medical technologies and health engineering) and hightech (related to plasma technologies for decarbonization). Financially supported by France 2030 as part of the Skills and Jobs of the Future program (ANR-24-CMAS-0011), the Sud Region and the Sophia Antipolis Urban Community (particularly as part of the Plan Sud Ingénieur), this program represents a strong convergence between academic and regional strategy, promoting attractiveness, innovation, and skilled employment in the region.
An internationally-oriented program with local roots
The I-BE³ bachelor’s degree combines scientific expertise with an international outlook, including a mandatory semester abroad, and is aimed at an international audience.
It thus strengthens the international higher education offering in the French Riviera region, alongside the Valbonne International Campus and the higher education institutions located in Sophia Antipolis.
The first two years will take place on the Pierre Laffitte campus of Mines Paris – PSL in Sophia Antipolis, at the heart of the Côte d’Azur technology park. In the third year, depending on their choice of specialization, some students will remain at the Pierre Laffitte campus, while others will move to the PSL engineering schools in the Paris region. A final group of students will be able to continue their studies abroad in the form of a dual degree with high-level international partner universities.
Find out more about the program and applications
