University of Rennes 1 has a long history of more than five centuries. Founded in 1461 in Nantes by the duke of Bretagne Francois II, it was closed after the French Revolution in 1793 and reopened as an independent institution in 1808.
The university offers more than 600 degrees in areas ranging from humanities and social sciences to engineering, medicine, pharmacy and economics. Among them, master's degrees are also available taught in English, including MAs in computer science, molecular catalysis and green chemistry, physics, business administration and international management, marketing, finance, and European affairs.
The university’s research covers mathematics, technology and communication, physics and chemistry, biology and humanities and social sciences. Its staff collaborates with universities around the world.
Rennes 1 is spread across six campuses. Its cultural centre, Le Diapason, hosts a theatre hall with 700 seats; an exhibition hall; rehearsals spaces; and sports halls. The university also prides itself on large scientific collections of 1.3 million objects relevant for archaeology, botanics, geology, chemistry, medicine, physics, IT and zoology. It also has rare historical objects such as paintings by Francois Stahly, Jean Lurcat, Andre Lanskoy and Mathurin Meheut.
Rennes is the capital of Brittany. Its Museum of Art displays paintings by Botticelli, Rubens and Picasso. With its 60,000 students, Rennes has a buzzing night life. The city has over 200,000 inhabitants, and is situated two hours away from Paris.
