ECTS
60 credits
Duration
1 year
Training Structure
College of Sciences
Overview
The LProPAC professional bachelor’s degree (Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Fragrances, Flavors, and Cosmetics) is a national, career-oriented Bac+3 degree offered by the University of Montpellier, consisting of two tracks: the Fragrances and Flavors track, administered by the Faculty of Sciences, and the Cosmetics track, administered by the Faculty of Pharmacy. Students enrolled in the Fragrances and Flavors track follow a specialized curriculum designed to develop skills in these fields, while also benefiting from courses shared with the Cosmetics track, enabling them to acquire skills specific to the professional world of fragrances and flavors with a focus on cosmetics.
Courses are taught by a dynamic faculty team composed of faculty members from the School of Sciences and the School of Pharmacy, as well as numerous external industry experts (30%), who provide a clear and essential link to the professional world.
greater than 90%
Success Rate
The Benefits of the Training Program
Highlights:
more than 30% of industry representatives
Program open to continuing education and work-study students
Long-term internship at a company
Network of national and international companies (internships)
Pass rate ≥ 90%
Rapid transition into the workforce ≥ 80% at 30 months
Innovation: Joint Curriculum in Fragrances, Flavors, and Cosmetics
Objectives
The primary objective of the LProPAC bachelor’s degree program in Perfumes and Flavors is to facilitate immediate entry into the workforce by training advanced technicians or engineering assistants in the perfume, food flavor, and cosmetics industries across a wide range of fields, including regulation, quality control, development, evaluation, and formulation.
Expertise and Skills
A graduate is able to formulate and compose flavors and/or fragrances intended for use in food, cosmetics, or fragrance products, in accordance with current manufacturing standards and specifications. They are capable of conducting sensory and chemical analyses (taste, smell, and using dedicated analytical techniques), having been trained in tasting and smelling techniques, and of organizing sensory evaluation tests for consumer products to be conducted with panelists. They know how to select natural or synthetic raw materials from suppliers and verify their organoleptic characteristics, define the composition and sensory profile, and establish the specifications for a finished product, as well as manufacture essences, concretes/absolutes, or synthetic molecules from plants or fossil materials. A graduate may be able to prepare mixtures of solids and liquids (weighing) and blend them, working in accordance with health and safety regulations and production requirements; they may also verify the compliance of the prepared formula and identify any anomalies (quality standards).
Subject-Specific Skills
Apply the appropriate concepts to address and solve problems in the fields of toxicology and the legislation and regulation of perfumed and flavored cosmetics.
Gain in-depth knowledge of the natural and synthetic ingredients used in fragrances, flavorings, and cosmetics (chemical composition, synthesis, distillation, olfactory memory, the olfactory field, direct and retro-nasal olfaction, tasting techniques, flavors, classification of fragrances and raw materials, specialized vocabulary, etc.).
Apply the knowledge and concepts acquired in chromatographic analysis (GC, CCMS, SPME, SPME-GCMS, etc.) and sensory analysis to learn how to replicate an aromatic profile.
Apply these concepts to fragrance applications (chemical reactivity and blending for the creation of accords and fragrances, fine perfumery, functional perfumery, technical perfumery, etc.) while complying with current regulations (labeling, CLP, REACH, SDS, IFRA, etc.).
Apply these concepts to sweet and savory flavor applications in various liquid or solid media (food chemistry) while complying with current regulations (FG, positive list, etc.).
Apply the essential concepts of colorimetry to cosmetic and fragrance products.
Apply the concepts of sensory and cosmetic marketing, as well as quality assurance (standards, quality, weighing/measuring, dilutions), to an industrial application.
Gain knowledge and insight into the industrial world and innovation in perfumes and flavors, careers in perfumery, flavors, and cosmetics, the major historical milestones in perfumery, and the latest product launches.
Understand the laboratory instruments and analytical techniques appropriate for the field of Fragrances, Flavors, and Cosmetics.
Interpret experimental data as part of a quality control process for a formulation or extract (stability testing, organoleptic testing, physicochemical testing, and colorimetric testing).
Identify specific regulations and implement key preventive measures related to health and safety.
Pre-professional Skills
Develop compositions featuring simple and complex flavor combinations, fragrances, sweet and savory flavors, and contrasting flavors (from the selection of raw materials to the final application), in accordance with manufacturing standards and specifications (“brief”/specifications).
Evaluate raw materials and finished products (sensory and chemical analysis, smell and taste, flavors).
Verify that the prepared formula complies with specifications and identify any discrepancies (quality standards).
Organize sensory evaluation tests, set up a sensory panel, and analyze the results.
Identify and carry out a research project (independently or with guidance) that aligns with your career goals.
Use equipment and extraction techniques involving various plant-based raw materials.
Use laboratory equipment and measurement techniques appropriate for the field of Fragrances, Flavors, and Cosmetics.
Cross-Functional and Language Skills
Communicate, process production-related information, and share operational practices.
Learn how to communicate and share the knowledge you have acquired with others.
Apply key concepts in English and communication
Use standard digital tools and IT security guidelines to collect, process, produce, and disseminate information (preparation of documentation: written and oral reports).
Identify and select various specialized resources to research a topic.
Analyze and synthesize data for use.
Develop an argument using critical thinking.
Use written and oral comprehension and expression in English (with vocabulary appropriate to the field of expertise).
Organization
Open on an alternating basis
Work-Study Program: A one-year professional training or apprenticeship contract. This consists of 16 weeks of training and 36 weeks at the company. The work-study schedule is as follows: on average, 3 weeks at the company, 6 weeks in training, and then primarily at the company starting in mid-February.
Internships, supervised projects
Internship | Required |
|---|---|
Duration of the internship | 5 months |
Internship Abroad | Possible |
Duration of the internship abroad | 5 months |
Internships and Supervised Projects:
Projects: Many hours are devoted to independent project work. Because of the program’s professional focus and the fact that more than 30% of the teaching staff consists of industry professionals, numerous national and international industrial partnerships have been established, some of which are formalized through agreements (Cevenessence, Arthur Dupuy® SAS, Traiteur GRAND). Close, formalized collaborations (framework agreements) between different specialized institutions—such as those in the arts or culinary fields (Georges Frêche Hotel Management School, Montpellier Contemporain School of Fine Arts [ESBAMA])—enable the development of multidisciplinary applied projects and provide students with opportunities to participate in cultural projects culminating in public presentations.
Internship: As part of the initial training program, this internship takes place in S6 between February and August.
Final projects are evaluated by a panel consisting of university faculty members and professionals from the fragrance and flavor industry.
Program
The LProPAC program consists of a core curriculum (Fragrances, Flavors, and Cosmetics) and a specialized component for each track. All courses—whether in Year 5 or as part of the core curriculum—reflect the multidisciplinary skills to be acquired, while the specialized courses focus on the skills and experimental know-how specific to the respective fields. The program is open to continuing education and work-study programs. Successful completion of the program earns 60 European credits (ECTS).
Safety & Toxicology
2 creditsNatural ingredients
2 creditsMarketing and Communication Tools
2 creditsQuality Assurance & Technology Watch
2 creditsExtraction and Evaluation of Raw Materials
2 creditsSavory and Sweet Flavors: Sensory Analysis
4 creditsFormulation and Industrial Applications
6 creditsCosmetics & Pharmaceuticals and Fragrances & Aromatherapy Regulations
2 creditsApplied Scientific English
2 creditsExpertise in Fragrance and Flavor Regulations
2 creditsFragrances: Natural and Synthetic Raw Materials
4 credits
Analytical Tools for Quality Control
3 creditsApplied Supervised Projects
2 creditsSupervised Projects
5 creditsInternship
20 credits
Admission
Admission Requirements
Applications are submitted via e-candidat rouge (typically between March and June) and evaluated by the faculty members responsible for the program. The evaluation is based on the candidate’s educational background, grades, and evaluations received during their post-high-school studies, as well as on their career goals and knowledge of the field in which they wish to specialize (Fragrances or Flavors). Shortlisted candidates are invited to a telephone or video conference interview and/or an on-site interview at the training facility.
Registration Procedures
Application Process
Application via e-candidat rouge Faculty of Sciences—Bachelor’s Programs > Professional Bachelor’s Degree > Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Fragrances and Flavors
1- Review of the case file
2. Selection for an interview
3- Acceptance: Your application has been accepted into the program. You must confirm your acceptance within the following week.
-Rejected: Your application was not selected.
After the candidates have been accepted
Final registration for the LProPAC program in the Aromas and Fragrances track takes place at the Faculty of Sciences.
Target Audience
In line with our mission to welcome all students, the departments’ teaching capacity, opportunities for new programs, etc., the program is open to students with two years of post-secondary education (Bac+2), particularly those who have earned a DUT or BTS with a focus on chemistry and/or biology and who have knowledge of cosmetic formulation or fragrances and flavors—depending on their academic track—combined with a minimum two-month internship at a company in the respective fields.
A multidisciplinary, pre-professional track in the second year (L2) with a major in Chemistry specifically prepares students for admission to the LProPAC program (second year, major in Chemistry, pre-PAC track) and is intended for students who have completed the first year (L1) with a major in Chemistry or Biology, or who hold a BTS or DUT in these disciplines; however, it is also open to PACES students.
Individuals who have demonstrated skills acquired through professional experience and recognized through the Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) process may also enroll in the program (initial or continuing education).
Capacity
15 students
About two-thirds of the students are coming from the L2 Chemistry prePAC preparatory year.
Mandatory Prerequisites
Have successfully completed the L2 PréPAC program with the Fragrances and Flavors track, or have successfully completed an L2-level course in biology or chemistry, along with a letter explaining your interest in the field of fragrances and flavors and describing your career plans
Have completed an internship of at least 2 months at a company in the fragrance or flavor industry
Recommended Prerequisites
Knowledge of the chemical structures, functions, and reactivity of organic molecules
Olfactory Recognition and Description of Synthetic Odor Molecules
Formulation Concepts
Weighing, Dilutions
And then
Continuing Education
The primary objective of the LProPAC bachelor’s degree program in perfumes and flavors is immediate entry into the workforce; further study is not recommended. In exceptional cases, upon graduation, students may be able to transfer into master’s programs in a different field (marketing, management, entrepreneurship, etc.).
Transition Programs and Reorientation
Employment Placement
Senior technicians or assistant engineers in the perfume, food flavoring, and cosmetics industries, specializing in regulatory affairs, quality control, product development, and formulation.
e.g., Assistant Perfumer, Assistant Flavorist, …
OSIPE tracks these figures, providing an overview of the success rate of recent graduates in entering the workforce after 30 months (averaging over 80%, excluding those who continue their studies). These figures specify, in particular, the type of employment (fixed-term or permanent contract), the job level (proportion of managerial and technical positions), as well as the average monthly net salary and the region of employment. They also indicate the alignment between the graduate’s education and the nature of the job.