École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ENSAD)

The École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs — « les Arts Déco » — is a public institution of higher education under the supervision of the ministère de la Culture, located on rue d'Ulm, in the 5e arrondissement of Paris. Heir to the « Petite École » of drawing founded in the 18th century, it is today a member of the Université PSL, which opens bridges with the sciences and humanities.

Formation

The curriculum, selective on entry by competitive examination, takes place over five years and leads to a diploma conferring the grade of master. After a first general year, students join one of the specialization sectors, among which graphic design, object design, textile and material design, fashion design, interior architecture, scenography, printed image, photo/video and animation cinema.

Strengths

The school stands out for this diversity of disciplines brought together on a single site: applied arts, design, image and space coexist there, with significant technical workshops (printing, textile, wood, metal, volume, digital). The research dimension is carried by EnsadLab, a laboratory dedicated to research in art and design, often in connection with technologies and sciences.

International exchanges, workshops and partnerships with cultural institutions and businesses are part of the curriculum.

Alumni

Auguste Rodin was a student at the establishment that preceded the school. Among the more recent graduates are the designer Ronan Bouroullec and the director Michel Gondry.