Master’s in Defence and Strategic Intelligence (SEDEFIS)

Presentation

Given the increasing complexity of the security environment of States and the European Union, mastering appropriate analysis and reasoning techniques becomes indispensable at all levels of administrations and businesses. Therefore, the Master’s in Defence and Strategic Intelligence trains professionals equipped to provide effective and high-level decision support in all types of staff positions.

The programme is multidisciplinary, unique, with a legal focus on strategic intelligence in security and defence, integrating national, European, and international dimensions of the subject. It will enable the diploma holder to master the security and defence environment within both private companies and central administrations or local authorities, drawing on national training frameworks.

The instructors are all university specialists and mostly professionals in security and defence at the local, regional, national, European, or international levels.

Acquired skills

Mastery of national, European, and international legal frameworks concerning security, defence, and armed conflicts
Scientific and political keys to understanding national crises and their management
Ability to consider the strategic interests of France and Europe
“Citizen responsibility” through training, visits, specialised seminars
Mastery of staff writing techniques
Methodological capacity for crisis anticipation, strategy preparation, decision-making, project management
Methodological capacity for understanding risks and uncertainties, leeway, and avenues for progress

Who can apply?

If you wish to apply for the Master’s in Defence and Strategic Intelligence, you must either:

Have completed the first three years at Sciences Po Rennes. The master’s programme focuses on public law but remains open to other branches of law

Have passed the 4A entrance exam for the IEP network

Hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree (Year 1) in Law (limited places available)

Internships

Students in the first year who are not from Sciences Po must complete a mandatory two-month internship between June and August.

In the second year, the period from September to the end of March is dedicated to coursework, while the period from April to September is allocated to a three-month internship.

There is a highly active alumni association for the SEDEFIS master’s programme. The network actively supports internship searches as well as professional recruitment in both the public administration and private sectors.

Employment opportunities

Graduates of the Master’s in Defence and Strategic Intelligence (SEDEFIS) will have access to careers in:

In the public sector, such as:

Category A civil service exams open by the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of the Interior accessible to French nationals or citizens of the European Union
Gendarmerie
Air Force/Army
Navy
Commissioner
Maritime Affairs
Students may also choose to pursue a Ph.D

In the private sector, such as:

Integration into national and international strategic management teams of multinational corporations: designing economic strategies for national or international industries beyond the defense sector
Leading collaborative projects in industrial research
Consulting roles in international firms auditing corporate strategies