When you complete a specialized Master’s degree or an additional year after a Master’s, you end up with six years of higher education under your belt. Logically, you look for the official term to qualify this level on a CV or an administrative document. The problem is that the French nomenclature does not provide for any national diploma labeled “bac +6”.
Why the official nomenclature ignores bac +6
Since the 2019 reform, the classification of diplomas in France no longer operates on a “bac + X years” basis. It is based on eight levels, aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Long higher education studies are divided into three levels: level 6 (bachelor’s, bac +3), level 7 (master’s, bac +5), and level 8 (doctorate, bac +8).
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Between level 7 and level 8, there is nothing. No level 7 bis, no regulatory “bac +6”. This explains why searching for the official designation of bac plus 6 leads to a dead end in administrative texts: this level simply has not been created.
This absence is not an oversight. The eight-level framework was designed to harmonize European diplomas. The EQF provides for a level 7 covering master’s-type training and a level 8 for the doctorate, without an intermediate tier. France has modeled its nomenclature on this framework.
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Specialized Master’s and post-master training: what is the real status
If bac +6 does not exist in the official nomenclature, some programs do indeed last six years after the bac. The most common case is the Specialized Master’s (MS), a label awarded by the Conference of Grandes Écoles (CGE).
The MS explicitly positions itself as a post-master training. It is generally entered after a level 7 diploma, and one exits with an additional year of specialization. In practice, recruiters recognize this additional year, particularly in sectors such as market finance, supply chain management, or specialized engineering.
The Specialized Master’s remains a school label, not a national diploma. It does not confer any university degree beyond the master’s. The CGE guarantees a specification (hour volume, business mission, professional thesis), but this label does not create a new level in the RNCP.
Concrete consequences on a CV
You can mention “bac +6” descriptively on a CV to indicate the total duration of studies. However, in a public service competition file or an equivalence request, only the RNCP level counts. A holder of a Specialized Master’s will be classified at level 7, just like a holder of a master’s degree.
This distinction is also important for funding. Programs registered in the RNCP may be eligible for the CPF. A Specialized Master’s not listed in the directory will not benefit from this system, even if it represents a sixth year of study.
RNCP level 7 and RNCP level 8: what each level covers
To clarify the gray area around bac +6, it is helpful to look precisely at what the two surrounding levels cover.
- Level 7 (master’s, bac +5): national master’s diplomas, engineering diplomas, diplomas from grandes écoles conferring the master’s degree. Specialized Master’s degrees are attached to this level due to the lack of a higher level.
- Level 8 (doctorate, bac +8): reserved for holders of a doctorate, which requires a minimum of three years of research after the master’s. The gap between bac +5 and bac +8 leaves a two-year void that the nomenclature does not fill.
- Unclassified intermediate training: some university diplomas (DU) post-master, establishment certificates, or executive programs last one or two years after the master’s without obtaining a distinct RNCP level.
In the public service, competitions and salary grids rely on these levels. A candidate with a bac +6 will not benefit from a specific grid: they will be treated as level 7.
Bac +6 in administrative documents: the reference disappears
Recent texts on competitions and public service grids no longer mention the term “bac +6”. The alignment with the 2019 nomenclature has gradually erased this reference from official documents.
In practice, when an employer or organization asks for the “level of diploma,” forms offer bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, or levels 6, 7, 8. No intermediate box between master’s and doctorate is provided.
What to do if you want to highlight six years of study
On a CV intended for the private sector, the mention “bac +6” remains understandable and widely used. Feedback on this point varies by sector, but most corporate recruiters read this mention without difficulty.
For an administrative file, you indicate the RNCP level 7 and specify the exact nature of the additional diploma (Specialized Master’s, DU, establishment certificate). This dual mention allows you to highlight the effective duration of studies without contradicting the official nomenclature.
- Private sector CV: mention “bac +6” with the precise name of the post-master training
- Competition or equivalence file: indicate “level 7 (RNCP)” and attach the certificate of the additional diploma
- LinkedIn profile or recruitment platforms: use the wording “master + Specialized Master’s” to avoid any ambiguity
Bac +6 describes a duration of study, not a grade recognized by the state. This distinction remains the starting point for correctly filling out any form or negotiating a salary scale. As long as the nomenclature retains its current structure, the gap between master’s and doctorate will remain a space without an official designation.