Validation of Acquired Experience

The Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) is a way to obtain a degree (French law: loi de modernisation sociale du 17 janvier 2002 & décret 2017-1135 du 4 juillet 2017) through recognition of professional experience. All degrees listed in the National Directory of Professional Certifications National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP) are eligible.

Obtaining a degree is not, however, automatic. Any request follows a specific internal evaluation procedure in accordance with the law.

Who can benefit from the VAE?

All persons must be able to:
– prove relevant activity (continuous or not) during a period of at least one year, whether paid or unpaid 
– prove the link to the degree being sought

Degrees obtained through the VAE procedure have the same value as those obtained by students following the normal program. Evaluation criteria and the level of expectations are the same. Therefore, experience doing work normally reserved to engineers, whether paid or unpaid, is essential. 

What is validated?

We ensure that your experience has allowed you to acquire the knowledge, skills, and capacities required to justify the obtention of the degree being sought. 

Who validates?

The nature of the acquired experience is evaluated by a VAE board of examiners on the basis of a dossier, submitted by the person requesting validation, and during an oral interview with the candidate.

The board of examiners is made up of researchers and professors from ENSAI as well as outside experts. This board will decide to validate the degree in its entirety, partially validate the degree pending the development of additional skills or reject the validation, if the experience put forth is deemed to be insufficient or not adapted to the degree being sought. 

How?

The overall objective is to assess whether or not the acquired experience and skills correspond to those certified by the degree being sought. 

Persons requesting VAE must therefore produce a dossier that presents and analyzes his/her specific experience in order to demonstrate the quality and nature of the acquired experience as it relates to the degree being sought after. As such, a specific program must be chosen, including a specific specialization, in order to constitute said dossier. 

This dossier will serve as the basis of a discussion between the candidate and the VAE board of examiners. The interview will take place in both French and English. 

The board of examiners will pay particular attention to the candidate’s background, work, methodologies as well as knowledge and skills used.

Cost

  • Request for a dossier and initial examination of eligibility: €150
  • Registration and interview (oral examination) with the board of examiners: €5,000 €
  • Additional oral examination/interview with the board of examiners: €1,300

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