IUT Montpellier - Sète

50 years of history

1966-2016 IUT Montpellier-Sète turns 50

A brief history of the IUT

The IUT welcomed its first class of students in 1966.

  • October 1966 saw the opening of the Computer Science department (rue de CABRIERES). This department was one of the first 22 created in France by the ministerial circular published on 12 July 1966.
  • October 1967, the Business and Public Administration department (former name for the GEA Business and Administration department) first opened.
  • May 1968, work began on the Applied Physics building on the Colombière site.
  • October 1968 saw the launch of 3 new departments; Electrical Engineering (GEII) in Nîmes, Applied Physics, Business and Marketing.
  • 12 November 1968, the law on careers guidance and higher education was enacted. The IUT became a school within the University of Montpellier.
  • 20 January 1969; a decree was enacted making the IUT presidents the secondary budget coordinators for the IUT.
  • October 1969, 5 new departments were created (Chemistry in Montpellier, Biological Engineering, Electrical Engineering in Montpellier, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in Nîmes). The IUT Montpellier became one of the largest in France, with ten different departments.
  • In 1972, thanks to the unification of the different sites, the departments in the town centre moved to the IUT Montpellier’s current location.

Nowadays, the IUT Montpellier-Sète comprises 8 departments : Chemistry (Montpellier campus), Chemistry (Sète campus), Biological Engineering (GB), Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Business and Administration,Business and Marketing. 2,200 students started the new school year there in 2018.