M2 « Maths in Action »

The M2 « Maths in action : from concept to innovation »  aims at providing a strong education in research, with a close link with applications. It includes several specialties (majors), each offering a more targeted field of application and expertise:

In each of these specialties, several branches of mathematics are taught: analysis, statistics, probability, deterministic or stochastic modeling, numerical modeling, and scientific computing. Very few programs in France offer this combination, and the teaching staff is highly committed to fostering interactions.

Each course switches to English as soon as a non French speaking student attends it.

Training program

The first semester (from September to December) consists of a core curriculum

  • Refresher courses in analysis, statistics, and programming (no-credit but mandatory courses)
  • Deterministic modeling – 6 ECTS
  • Stochastic modeling and statistical learning – 6 ECTS
  • Optimisation and machine learning – 6 ECTS
  • Scientific English – 3 ECTS

The second semester (January to March) is structured differently depending on the enrollment location for the M2 Maths en Action:

  • In Lyon, students choose a major (4 courses) and two additional courses from other majors. Each course is worth 3 ECTS. See the table below for the list of available courses. Exceptionally, the two additional courses may be taken within a ‘partner’ master’s program (such as the M2 Mathématiques Avancées), subject to approval by the teaching staff.
  • In Saint-Étienne, the three second-semester courses (each worth 6 ECTS) are mandatory.

The final-year internship (April to September) is worth 21 ECTS, it serves as an introduction to research professions and can be carried out in a research institute or a company’s R&D department.

Major Mathematics, Biology, and Medicine (Lyon)
– Epidemiology
– Theoretical evolutionary biology
– Cellular dynamics and complex systems
– Modelling in spatial ecology


Major Mathematics, Environment, and Climate (Lyon)
– Modelling of risk assessment and climate change
– Equations of fluid mechanics and their numerical approximations
– Modelling in spatial ecology
– Graphs and ecological networks

Major Mathematics, Images, Data (Lyon)
– Geometric approaches for images and shapes.
– Variational methods for inverse problems in medical imaging.
– Sparsity and high dimension
– Neural networks
Major Mathematics, Statistical Learning, and Machine Learning (Lyon)
– Neural networks
– Sparsity and high dimension
– Graphs and ecological networks
– Optimal transport for statistical learning
Major Mathematics and machine learning for engineering (Saint-Étienne)
– High-Performance Computing and Numerical Simulation (6 ECTS)
– Meta-Models and Global Optimization (6 ECTS)
– Advanced Statistical Modeling (6 ECTS)

Admission

This program is open to students who have successfully completed the first year of a master’s degree in mathematics.

Applications to enroll in the M2 program in Lyon must be submitted via eCandidat Lyon 1.
Applications to enroll in the M2 program in Saint-Étienne must be submitted via eCandidat Saint-Étienne.
Note that some foreign students may be concerned by the Campus France ‘Study in France’ procedure (in which case, pay attention to the early deadline).

  • Application submission: dates to be announced
  • Admission results: July 2025
  • Deadline to accept or decline the offer: to be announced

Maths in Action is eligible for MATHINFI Graduate Programme’s excellence scholarships.

The master program Maths en action is co-accredited with the following institutions: Ecole Centrale de Lyon, l’Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, l’Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne, and Université Jean-Monnet.

Polytech Lyon is also a partner of this program.