The École du Louvre is an institution of higher education and grande école located in the Aile de Flore of the Louvre Palace in Paris, France. It is dedicated to the study of archaeology, art history, anthropology and epigraphy. Admission is based on a competitive entrance exam after secondary school (lycée), though candidates may also apply after two or three years of university studies in the subjects of history, classics, literature, geography, philosophy and art. The school offers an undergraduate program, a master's program and a doctoral program as well as a preparation class for civil service entrance exams. History The École du Louvre was created in 1882 with the mission to "extract from the collections the knowledge they contain, and to train curators, missionaries and excavators". The school was originally dedicated to archaeology, but soon expanded to related disciplines, such as history of art, anthropology and ancient languages. The school was created in a context of expansion of higher education in Europe, and in France in particular, which was reflected by providing lectures to the general public in addition to providing an education to students. Public lectures and conferences aimed at fee-paying "auditors", and summer school, continues the tradition on which the school was based. Other prestigious institutions were created during the same period in France, such as the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po) or the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC). In 1920, the school established the General Art History course (known as HGA), that became the foundation for the curriculum. This course would develop into the current graduate program over the following years. In 1927, the school was innovative by creating the chair of museology, the first such in the world. In 1998, following the development of the Grand Louvre, the school moved to its present location in the Aile de Flore, the river-facing wing of the museum. The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts or the Ecole Boulle are also well known art institutions in France. Teaching As of 2006, the École du Louvre complies with the Bologna process and offers an undergraduate degree after three years (Premier Cycle), a master's degree after two years (Deuxième cycle) and a research degree in three years (Troisième Cycle). It also provides preparation classes for some civil service exams as well as conferences for a wider public. Altogether, there are about 700 teaching staff. Premier cycle Undergraduate students follow