EPF école d’ingénieurs généralistes

From 1925 to 2022, the EPF École d’ingénieurs généralistes called Sceaux its home. Now, imagine yourselves back in the bustling energy of 1925. The EPF, originally the Institut Électromécanique Féminin, opens its doors thanks to the visionary Marie-Louise Paris. She, a graduate of the Institut d’Électrotechnique de Grenoble and ESME Sudria, sought to create a space where women could excel in engineering. In those early years, the EPF, nestled within the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, focused on electromechanical engineering, offering a path to a full engineering diploma and a shorter program for drafting and assistant engineer roles. The EPF École d’ingénieurs généralistes played a pivotal role in opening up engineering to women. In 1964, a remarkable 45% of female engineering graduates in France came from the EPF. Fast forward to 1933, the school expanded its horizons, adding aeronautics and an extra year of study, becoming the École Polytechnique Féminine. The CTI officially recognized its engineering diploma in 1938, followed by state recognition in 1943. Post-World War II, the EPF embarked on a nomadic journey, moving between locations while maintaining ties with the CNAM for metallurgy certification. Finally, in 1956, the EPF found a stable home in Sceaux, in a spacious villa shared with its founder, Marie-Louise Paris. The EPF joined the Conférence des grandes écoles in 1976. The 1980s marked a challenging era for the EPF, but under the leadership of Colette Kreder, an alumna, the school navigated the difficulties successfully. Kreder’s tenure also saw the EPF achieve the prestigious “fondation reconnue d’utilité publique” status in 1991. In the following years, the EPF expanded further, acquiring new buildings, including the Poincaré site in 1997 and expanding the Lakanal site in 2003. A significant turning point came in 1994 when the EPF became co-educational and adopted the name “EPF – École d’Ingénieur.” Today, the EPF École d’ingénieurs généralistes boasts campuses in Paris-Cachan, Troyes, Montpellier, and Saint-Nazaire, continuing its legacy of empowering engineers for a future open to the world.