Their teaching model is a mix between the North-American model and the French traditions: courses choice, separation of the courses, tutorials / directed work (TDs) and labs / practical work (TPs). These three universities give an engineering degree equivalent to the Bac+5 formations of the French Grandes Ecoles.[6]
^Although called a "university", the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard is in fact a non-university institute (école extérieure aux universités), as defined by Chapter I, Section II (Articles 34 through 36) of French law 84-52 of 26 January 1984 regarding higher education (the loi Savary). See Article I of French Ministry of Education, Res Decree 99-24 of 14 January 1999, which created the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard.
^Cailloce, Laure (Summer 2015). "Claude Lorius, une vie sur la glace" [Claude Lorius, a life on the ice] (PDF). CNRS le Journal (in French) (281). Retrieved 19 July 2017.