Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne University (UPEC) is a public university that was created in March 1970 as part of the division of the University of Paris into 13 separate institutions.
Its 120,000 square metre campus is situated 20 minutes south east of the centre of the French capital. With over 30,000 students, UPEC is the largest multidisciplinary university in the Île-de-France region.
Subjects covered at UPEC include science, technology, administration, law, economics and management, as well as humanities, social sciences, sports science, education and urban planning.
The university’s motto translates as “Knowledge – Action”.
UPEC has a global outlook, having signed hundreds of international agreements with universities and laboratories abroad. It has an international student population of 3,000 and a centre for teaching French language and culture to non-native speakers.
Créteil has a rich history and is the home of a two-ton stone, used in the Neolithic era for polishing and sharpening tools. This monument is known as the pride of Créteil. The city also has an annual international women’s film festival, where students of the university can get involved in judging.
While the majority of programmes are taught in French, UPEC also offers some degrees in English in subjects including biology and international biometrics.
The university offers workshops in different cultural pursuits for free to students on undergraduate courses, including poetry, sculpture, theatre and much more. Performances emerging from these workshops are then presented as a festival every year in May.
