You are high-school student

Are you interested in cybersecurity? You’ve come to the right place!

Because our society is becoming increasingly digitalised, our online data and activities need more and more protection – and that’s where cybersecurity comes in!

This page provides you with an overview of education opportunities in cybersecurity in France.

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Cybersecurity has become a major challenge for our society

The government, army, public bodies and associations are fully aware of this and now have full-scale cybersecurity strategies in place to no longer simply protect themselves from cyber-attacks but, on the contrary, to increasingly integrate digital security from the design stage of their products and services, thus guaranteeing maximum protection for their users. They also make their employees much more aware of this issue.

That’s why there is an impressive range of cybersecurity jobs and specialisations available and it’s only the beginning! The sector is rapidly-developing and the scope has yet to be developed by future generations.

Many companies, start-ups and research laboratories dedicated to cybersecurity are present in Rennes, and more generally in Brittany. Rennes is attracting, recruiting and becoming a key player in the field of cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity is a mindset! 

People who work in cybersecurity enjoy working in a network, with colleagues, and have a life-long interest in cybersecurity innovations.

In high school

The general baccalaureat allows you to access post-baccalaureat training courses that will train you in the cybersecurity sector. During high school, we recommend that you to select one or more of these specialties: Numerical and Computer Sciences (NSI), Mathematics, Engineering Sciences and Physics Chemistry. You will find intellectual and fundamental approaches that will help you in your higher studies.

The technological baccalaureat of “Sciences et Technologies de l’Industrie et du Développement Durable” (STI2D) and the professional baccalaureate “Cybersécurité, Informatique et réseaux, ELectronique” (CIEL) are also possible routes to access post-baccalaureat training courses related to cybersecurity.

Your higher education studies in cybersecurity

‘Brevet de Technicien Supérieur’ (BTS)

The BTS is a two-year course that provides the knowledge and skills needed to integrate university or some engineering schools.

Admission to the BTS is via the online platform Parcoursup.

Here are two BTS that we recommend:

  • ‘BTS Systèmes numériques, option informatique et réseaux’
  • ‘BTS Services informatiques aux organisations’

We advise you to inquire about the prerequisites of the institution you are interested in for your third year after high school, in order to choose the most suitable BTS.

‘Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Écoles’ (CPGE)

The Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Écoles is a two-year course that allows students to increase their knowledge in different disciplines, with the aim of subsequently entering an engineering school, a Grande école or university.

Admission to a CPGE is via the online platform Parcoursup.

We recommend that you choose a scientific CPGE.

‘Bachelor Universitaire de Technologie’ (BUT)

The BUT, which is a three-year training course, can give you access to the cybersecurity sector.

Admission to the BUT is via the online platform Parcoursup.

The IUT of Saint-Malo or Lannion offers, for example, the ‘BUT Réseaux & Télécommunication’ with a specialisation in cybersecurity in the second year. After these 3 years, you can either enter the professional world or continue your studies in engineering schools or at university.

Engineering School or ‘grande école’

Engineering schools and Grandes écoles train students over a 3 to 5 year period (entry after the baccalaureat or after a CPGE, a bachelor degree, a BTS or a BUT depending on the establishment).

Admission to an engineering school or a grande école depends on the entry level:

  • Admission after the baccalaureat is mostly via the online platform Parcoursup. It can also be via a competitive examination, file examination and/or interview. It all depends on the establishment.
  • Admission after a CPGE, a bachelor degree, a BTS or a BUT is via a competitive examination, file examination and/or interview. Here again, it all depends on the establishment.

We advise you to consult the admission conditions of the establishment that interests you.

Here are some examples of engineering schools that train in the cybersecurity sector:

  • INSA Rennes: ‘Diplôme d’ingénieur spécialité informatique option sécurité’
  • IMT Atlantique :
    • ‘Formation Ingénieur généraliste thématique d’approfondissement cybersécurité’
    • ‘Formation Ingénieur par apprentissage spécialité informatique, réseaux, télécommunications (FIP)’
  • ENSSAT :
    • ‘Formation ingénieur informatique par apprentissage, cybersécurité, science des données et du multimédia, intelligence artificielle’
    • ‘Formation ingénieur informatique, cybersécurité, intelligence artificielle, science des données, développement logiciel’
  • CentraleSupélec : ‘Diplôme d’ingénieur parcours InfoSec’

With regard to the Grandes Ecoles, the Master’s ‘Sécurité, défense et intelligence stratégique’ at SciencesPo Rennes enables you to learn about the political aspect of cybersecurity.

University

First of all, you enter a bachelor for 3 years, then you have the choice of continuing on to a master’s at the university for 2 years (classic route) or entering an engineering school or a Grande école.

Admission to a bachelor’s is via the online platform Parcoursup.

Several possibilities are available to you, depending on your profile and your desires, including:

  • A Bachelor’s in Computer Sciences
  • A Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • A Bachelor’s in Mathematics

Digital security is a field that is also developing strongly in law and more and more training courses combine law and digital security. Thus, a legal and/or political science approach is also a very good career option.

Here are two other possibilities for a bachelor degree:

  • A Bachelor’s in law
  • A Bachelor’s in political science

You can complete a bachelor’s degree at any university. The University of Rennes offers all five of the above-mentioned degrees.

Admission to a master’s is via the online platform Monmaster.

Here are some masters that train in cybersecurity:

  • Master’s Computer Science, Cybersecurity track
  • Master’s Computer Science, track Chief information security officer
  • Master’s Mathematics and Applications – IT Mathematics and Cryptography

If you have chosen to focus on law and digital security, you can, for example, choose to continue your studies in a Master’s in Digital Law.

These masters are taught at the University of Rennes. You can access them via the bachelor’s degrees mentioned above.

What jobs in cybersecurity ?

Cybersecurity is a vast field that integrates numerous professions in different fields of application:

  •  Security management and security project management
  •  Security IS design and maintenance
  •  Security incident and crisis management
  • Consulting, services and research

There are also jobs that contribute to the cybersecurity approach or jobs that can specialise in cybersecurity that may be accessible to you.

Depending on the training courses you choose, you may be able to access several jobs in these categories. You can also choose to continue on to a PhD and thrive in the world of research.

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