Sciences Po Saint-Germain Offers Intelligence and Global Threats Diploma
Sciences Po Saint-Germain, located on the outskirts of Paris, offers a specialized diploma known as the "Diplôme sur le Renseignement et les Menaces Globales" (Diploma of Intelligence and Global Threats). This program, developed in collaboration with the Academie du Renseignement, the training arm of the French secret services, was established following a request from French authorities a decade ago. Its inception was influenced by a large recruitment drive within French intelligence agencies after the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.
Program Structure and Participants
The diploma course spans four months and comprises 120 hours of classwork. The cost for external participants, including intelligence agents and corporate security personnel, is approximately €5,000. Professor Xavier Crettiez, who teaches political radicalization, noted that the identities of intelligence agents enrolled are often not fully disclosed. The program is attended by both typical university students in their early 20s and active French intelligence agents, typically aged 35 to 50, alongside security staff from various businesses.
The curriculum is designed to identify, track, and mitigate threats. Key topics covered include the economics of organized crime, Islamic jihadism, business intelligence gathering, and political violence. The faculty includes a former DGSE official, a former French ambassador to Libya, a senior official from Tracfin, and the head of security from the French energy company EDF.
French Intelligence Landscape
Professor Crettiez indicated a significant expansion within the French secret services, estimating approximately 20,000 agents in the "inner circle." This includes the DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security), responsible for overseas intelligence, and the DGSI (Directorate-General for Internal Security), which addresses domestic threats. Additionally, Tracfin, an intelligence agency focused on money laundering, plays a role in combating increased mafia activity and public/private sector corruption, particularly in southern France, often linked to illegal drug trafficking profits.
Private Sector Engagement and Student Profiles
Interest from the private sector continues to grow, with companies in defense, aerospace, and luxury goods sectors seeking graduates to address cybersecurity, espionage, and sabotage threats. Recent graduates have secured positions at companies such as Orange, Thales, and LVMH.
This year's class consists of 28 students, including six active intelligence agents. These agents view the course as a potential pathway for promotion from office-based roles to field work, as well as a source of contemporary academic insights. Younger students, such as 21-year-old Alexandre Hubert, seek to understand economic warfare dynamics between regions like Europe and China. Another student, Valentine Guillot, also 21, was inspired by fictional spy dramas and expressed an interest in joining the security services.
Approximately half of the students enrolled in the program are women, a recent demographic shift noted by lecturer Sebastien-Yves Laurent. He observed that women are increasingly drawn to intelligence gathering with a motivation to contribute to a better world. A common characteristic among the younger students is a reported sense of patriotism. French citizenship is a mandatory requirement for admission, though dual citizens may be accepted.