The bac +6 level does not correspond to any distinct tier in the official diploma classification in France. The national framework of certifications, aligned with the European framework (CEC), ranks post-master training at the same level as the master itself: level 7. This lack of a specific category creates ambiguity that institutions and students each address in their own way.
Why bac +6 does not exist in the RNCP
The National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP), managed by France compétences, organizes diplomas and professional titles into eight levels, from level 1 (no qualification) to level 8 (doctorate). The master’s degree, obtained after five years of higher education, is at level 7. The doctorate, which typically concludes eight years of study, occupies level 8.
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Between these two levels, there is nothing. No intermediate level corresponds to bac +6 in the RNCP. A student who pursues a year of specialization after their master’s remains, from a regulatory standpoint, a holder of a level 7 certification. The Education Code does not mention a “level 6 years after the bac” as an autonomous category.
To understand precisely what bac +6 is in the French system, it is necessary to distinguish what the official texts say from what schools practice in their communications.
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Specialized Master’s and CGE label: the reality of bac +6 in France
If the RNCP ignores bac +6, the field has made it exist through another channel. The Specialized Master’s (MS) is an institutional diploma created and accredited by the Conference of Grandes Écoles (CGE). It is aimed at holders of a master’s degree or an engineering diploma who wish to acquire dual skills or sector expertise in an additional year.
The Specialized Master’s is the training most directly associated with bac +6. Schools such as Mines Paris – PSL, ENSTA, ITECH, or ESCP offer programs of this type in fields ranging from data science to health management. EHESP, for example, officially qualifies its Specialized Master’s in Health Management as “Post-Master, Level 7, bac +6”.
This wording summarizes the ambiguity well: the school acknowledges that the training lasts six years after the bac while linking it to level 7 of the European framework. The CGE label guarantees a set of specifications (hour volume, professional thesis, internship), but it does not create an additional tier in the state classification.
What the CGE label guarantees and what it does not
The CGE accredits Specialized Master’s programs according to pedagogical quality criteria. The label attests to a level of post-master specialization recognized by the professional world.
- The CGE label is a registered trademark, not a university degree conferred by the state like the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate
- A Specialized Master’s can be registered in the RNCP at level 7, but this registration is neither automatic nor mandatory for all programs
- The mention “bac +6” pertains to the institutional communication of schools, not to a legal category from the Ministry of Higher Education
This distinction has concrete consequences. In a public service competition that requires a level 7 diploma, a Specialized Master’s registered in the RNCP will be acceptable. In contrast, the mention bac +6 alone, without RNCP registration, does not constitute proof of level in the regulatory sense.
Level 7 of the European framework: what this classification actually covers
The European Qualifications Framework (CEC) was designed to facilitate the readability of diplomas between member countries. Level 7 encompasses a variety of profiles: a holder of a research master’s, a graduate engineer, and a holder of a Specialized Master’s are all classified at the same level.
Level 7 thus covers study durations ranging from five to six years, or even longer for certain programs combining a gap year or dual degree. The CEC does not measure years of study but learning outcomes: knowledge, skills, and competencies. Two programs of different durations can lead to the same level if the expected results are comparable.
This logic explains why bac +6 has not received its own level. From a European perspective, an additional year of specialization after the master’s does not necessarily produce a sufficient skills gap to justify a level 7 bis or a level 7.5.
Frequent confusion between diploma level and number of years of study
The correspondence between post-bac years and RNCP levels works simply up to the master’s: bac +2 corresponds to level 5, bac +3 to level 6 (license), bac +5 to level 7. Many students extend this arithmetic logic and expect to find a level 8 at bac +6, or at least a dedicated sub-level.
The reality is different. Level 8 of the RNCP is reserved for the doctorate, which certifies original research work over several years. No one-year professional specialization diploma can claim it, regardless of its quality.
This confusion is not trivial. It sometimes leads candidates to overestimate the administrative weight of a Specialized Master’s in processes where only the RNCP level counts (equivalence abroad, recruitment in the public service, validation by a funding organization). Checking the actual registration of a program in the RNCP remains the most reliable reflex before committing.
French classification of diploma levels
| Years after the bac | RNCP / CEC Level | Common Diplomas |
|---|---|---|
| Bac +2 | Level 5 | BTS, DEUST |
| Bac +3 | Level 6 | License, BUT, DNMADE |
| Bac +5 | Level 7 | Master, engineering diploma |
| Bac +6 | Level 7 (same as master) | Specialized Master’s (CGE label) |
| Bac +8 | Level 8 | Doctorate |
Bac +6 remains classified as level 7, just like bac +5. The official classification does not grant it a distinct designation. For a student or a recruiter, the only relevant question is not the number of years spent in training, but the RNCP level actually attributed to the obtained title.