École Polytechnique

École Polytechnique, French engineering school, directed by the French Ministry of Defense. The school was founded in 1794 for training civil and military administrators. In 1804 Napoleon I turned it into a military academy. In the past, most graduates became technical advisors in the armed forces. Today most go into government service or business. In 1976 the school moved from its original location in the center of Paris to Palaiseau on the outskirts of the city. The student body is predominantly male. Both the school and its graduates are popularly known as X, named after the crossed cannons on the school’s insignia.

The École confers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It offers programs in nine academic departments: mathematics, applied mathematics, physics, mechanics, biology, chemistry, human and social sciences, economics, and foreign languages.

The École Polytechnique is considered one of the grandes écoles (super schools), the most prestigious institutions of higher education in France. Students gain admission upon successful completion of a highly competitive examination. Most students take the exam following two years of preparation after graduating from secondary school. Students spend their first year of school in military training, then spend two years on campus. While on campus they are considered reserve officers and paid a salary by the government. After graduation, they continue their training in engineering schools or in research. The highest-ranking graduates typically are selected for government service or for service in public agencies, such as civil aviation, civil engineering, or telecommunications.