DESs

DESS, short for Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées, was a French postgraduate degree awarded by universities in France and some Francophone countries. Created to provide specialized professional and academic training beyond the licence, the program typically lasted one to two years and combined coursework with a final project, internship, or dissertation. Fields commonly offered included business administration, law, engineering, education, social sciences, and health.

With the adoption of the Licence-Master-Doctorat framework and the Bologna Process reforms in the 2000s, many DESS programs were phased out and replaced by Master’s degrees, including Master Professionnel and Master Recherche tracks. In some cases, the DESS was treated as equivalent to a Master’s level credential, but recognition varied by country and institution. Some universities retained the DESS label for historical or transitional purposes for a period after the reforms.

Today, the DESS is largely of historical interest within the French higher education system. While a few older diplomas may still be in circulation and recognized by employers, new students are generally directed toward Master’s programs under the current framework and nomenclature.

See also: Master’s degree, Diploma, Higher education in France, Bologna Process.