Accreditations & Recognitions: How to Find Your Way
Are you considering studying at a management school? Here is the essential information to help you choose a quality programme recognised by the State.
Why Do Labels and Accreditations Matter?
To ensure high-quality teaching that combines theory and practice and opens up future prospects, it is important to pay attention to the labels and accreditations of programmes. These elements guarantee that the training meets the standards established by educational and professional authorities.
At the start of the 2024 academic year, only 63 out of more than 200 French business schools had at least one accredited programme. It is therefore essential to pay close attention to these labels to ensure a quality education.
Find all the answers here to better understand the role and impact of State labels when choosing your programme!
The Difference Between Recognised Degrees and RNCP Titles
The National Register of Professional Certifications (RNCP) is the database that brings together all State-recognised training programmes. An RNCP title is not a degree — it simply attests to a level of education and an academic or university pathway, primarily linked to a specific profession.
Unlike degrees awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education, which encourage progressive academic pathways (for example, from a bachelor’s to a master’s degree) and offer international recognition, the RNCP title is more focused on the acquisition of targeted professional skills, meeting the concrete demands of the job market.
Degrees Recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research
To guide students’ choices and differentiate recognised degrees from RNCP titles, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research has introduced several labels for management programmes, recognised for their academic rigour and career prospects. These labels include:
- Degree conferring a bachelor’s grade, supervised by the State.
- Degree conferring a master’s grade, supervised by the State.
- Visé degree, supervised by the State, for programmes focused on immediate professional integration.
These clear and visible labels allow students to identify quality programmes that combine theory and practical skills.
The Benefits of Labels: Why Are They Essential?
- They indicate the academic quality of programmes, with a complementarity between theoretical courses and professional applications — notably through researchers who work with a forward-looking perspective — fostering the development of critical thinking and the capacity to evolve and adapt to economic, social and societal changes, skills that are valuable throughout life.
- These labels indicate that students have the opportunity to continue into a master’s or even a doctoral programme, to pursue further studies and to work internationally.
The Label Attribution Process
These labels are awarded after a rigorous evaluation carried out by the CEFDG, the only national body responsible for assessing management school programmes.
