Far-off in a less discussed, more orthodoxy-challenging corner of France, Sciences Po Saint-Germain offers a much different educational experience. It mixes intense scholarship with the captivating world of spies. The institution provides a specialized diploma course known as the Diplôme sur le Renseignement et les Menaces Globales, or Diploma of Intelligence and Global Threats. This innovative program, a partnership between Sciences Po and the French government, trains the spies of tomorrow and offers continuing education to today’s agents.
Sciences Po Saint-Germain is located inside a street fronting a string of austere early 20th-century, institutional buildings. Surrounded on three sides by congested highways and topped with imposing metal fences, the campus gives off an impression of clandestineness. The course takes place over four months and includes a total of 120 hours of hands-on classwork. You’ll dive into fundamental subjects such as organized crime economics, Islamic jihadism, business intelligence gathering, and political violence. The program now has 28 students enrolled. It draws in a very varied cohort, from classic undergraduates in their early twenties through to veteran spies coming under day release.
To win admission into this highly selective program, applicants must pass a very demanding vetting process by French security services. French citizenship is the bedsrock eligibility requirement for applicants, even if some dual citizens are allowed into the program. As the course unfolds, nearly half of the enrolled students are women, signaling a shift in gender dynamics within the intelligence field.
Among those students, 21 year olds Alexandre Hubert and Valentine Guillot. Hubert’s focus on the realities of intelligence gathering is a welcome departure from glamorized ideas frequently depicted in film and television.
“Looking at intelligence gathering from a James Bond viewpoint is not relevant; the job is analysing risk and working out how to counteract it.” – Alexandre Hubert
Guillot’s enthusiasm for the course matches Sizing’s. It has opened up a whole new world to her, one that we learned is very different from what she has experienced on television.
“Coming here to discover this world which I didn’t know anything about except for the TV series has been a remarkable opportunity, and now I am very keen to join the security services.” – Valentine Guillot
In addition to these classes, the course includes guest lectures with different industry professionals. A head of security at EDF, a major French energy company, runs one module, providing students with insights drawn from real-world experiences. Their varied experiences challenge the cultural biases of group work while creating opportunities for mutual learning.
Prof. Xavier Crettiez, left, teaches at Sciences Po Saint-Germain and has been instrumental in developing a program to train France’s next generation of spies. He acknowledges the opaque nature of intelligence work.
“I rarely know the intelligence agents’ backgrounds when they are sent on the course, and I doubt the names I’m given are genuine anyway.” – Prof Xavier Crettiez
Prof. Crettiez points out an underappreciated interesting fact. While many students aspire to work as intelligence analysts, only a handful will end up doing so.
“Few new recruits will end up in the field,” – Prof Xavier Crettiez
The demographic makeup of the new cohort mirrors societal changes taking place throughout the country. As Sebastien-Yves Laurent notes, women’s desire to take part in intelligence gathering is a very recent development.
“Women’s interest in intelligence gathering is new,” – Sebastien-Yves Laurent
He adds that these women are motivated not by personal ambition but by wanting to make the world a better place.
“They are interested because they think it will provide for a better world.” – Sebastien-Yves Laurent
The course does more than usher students into jobs. Whether in local or federal intelligence roles or other industries, our recent graduates are already working with leading French companies like Orange, Thales and LVMH.
For anyone not working in the intelligence community who wishes to register, the course is €5,000 (about $5,900, £4,400). This fee is only applicable to external students. It features a cadre of aspiring spies and people on placement from companies looking to improve their capacity to tackle emerging global security challenges.
Roger, a NEA Big Read program participant, highlights his reason for participating.
“I provide consultancy across West Africa, and I joined the course to provide risk assessments to my clients there.” – Roger
At Sciences Po Saint-Germain, students undergo a special combination of scholarly research and hands-on apprenticeship. That real-world, dynamic approach gets them ready for in-demand security careers and mirrors the changing landscape of global threats. By training both new recruits and seasoned operatives together, Sciences Po aims to create a well-rounded understanding of intelligence that is vital in today’s complex world.