A discreet diploma run by a leading French university is training both students and active intelligence agents, with lecturers and classmates often unaware of each other’s real identities, reflecting how France has expanded and formalized its intelligence training since the 2015 Paris attacks.
Professor Xavier Crettiez, who teaches political radicalisation, says he rarely knows the real names of many people in his classroom. Intelligence agents sent to the course usually provide aliases, and he assumes some of those names are not genuine. He says this uncertainty is expected given the nature of the work and the security constraints around the program.
A Campus Suited To Secrecy
The course is held at the Saint-Germain campus of Sciences Po, on the outskirts of Paris. The early 20th-century buildings are surrounded by busy roads and large metal gates, giving the site a low-profile and closed-off feel. What makes the campus unusual is a diploma that brings together students in their early 20s and serving members of the French secret services, typically aged between 35 and 50.
The qualification is called the Diplôme sur le Renseignement et les Menaces Globales, translated as the Diploma of Intelligence and Global Threats. It was developed by Sciences Po in partnership with the Académie du Renseignement, the training arm of France’s intelligence services.
A Course Born After The Paris Attacks
The program was created following a request from French authorities roughly a decade ago. After the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, the government launched a large recruitment drive across intelligence agencies and asked Sciences Po to design a course that could train potential recruits while also providing ongoing education for serving officers.
Large French companies quickly showed interest as well, both by enrolling their security staff and by recruiting younger graduates from the program.
The diploma consists of 120 hours of classes delivered over four months. External participants, including intelligence officers and corporate professionals, pay around €5,000. The curriculum focuses on identifying threats, tracking them, and responding to them. Core subjects include the economics of organized crime, Islamic jihadism, business intelligence gathering, and political violence.
Inside The Classroom
Attendance requires prior vetting by French security services. One class observed focused on intelligence work and the risks of over-reliance on technology. Among the participants was a man in his 40s using the name Roger, who said he was an investment banker providing consultancy and risk assessments in West Africa.
Professor Crettiez says France’s intelligence apparatus has expanded significantly in recent years, with around 20,000 agents operating within what he calls the inner circle. This includes the DGSE, responsible for overseas intelligence, and the DGSI, which focuses on internal threats.
He also highlights the role of Tracfin, which specializes in money laundering. Tracfin has been focused on rising mafia activity, particularly in southern France, linked to large profits from illegal drug trafficking and corruption in both public and private sectors.
Lecturers From Intelligence And Industry
Other lecturers on the course include a DGSE official previously posted in Moscow, a former French ambassador to Libya, and a senior Tracfin official. The head of security at EDF also runs one of the modules.
Interest from the private sector continues to grow. Companies in defence, aerospace, telecommunications, and luxury goods are seeking graduates as they face persistent cybersecurity threats, espionage risks, and sabotage concerns. Recent graduates have joined Orange, Thales, and LVMH.
Students, Spies, And Career Paths
Twenty-eight students are enrolled in the current class, six of whom are intelligence agents. They tend to stay together during breaks and sign attendance sheets using only their first names. Some describe the diploma as a fast-track route from office-based roles to field assignments, while others say the academic setting provides fresh perspectives.
Younger students cite strategic and economic concerns as their motivation. Alexandre Hubert, 21, says he enrolled to better understand economic tensions between Europe and China, adding that intelligence work is about risk analysis rather than cinematic portrayals. Valentine Guillot, also 21, says her interest was sparked by a fictional French television series and that the course has strengthened her desire to join the security services.
Nearly half of the cohort are women, a change noted by lecturer Sebastien-Yves Laurent, who specializes in surveillance technology. He says female interest in intelligence work has increased in recent years and that many younger students display strong patriotic motivations compared with attitudes seen two decades ago.
Eligibility And Reality Of Intelligence Work
French citizenship is required to apply, although some dual nationals are accepted. Professor Crettiez says applications that raise security concerns are rejected immediately. In group photographs, intelligence officers are identifiable only because they choose to turn their backs to the camera.
Despite the secrecy and the physical fitness of many participants, Crettiez says most intelligence roles remain desk-based rather than operational.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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