Diploma, RNCP Title, Bachelor's, Master's… what are the differences?

When you're looking for a computing course, whether for initial training or a career change, you'll hear about diplomas, RNCP titles, Bachelors, Mastères, certifications…

Everything seems equivalent. In reality, behind these terms lie very different meanings.

So we've prepared a guide to clear all this up!

State diplomas

A State diploma is awarded by a university or an institution authorized by the State (such as an engineering school). It fits within the LMD system (Licence - Master - Doctorat) and grants ECTS credits recognized across Europe.

Examples:

• BUT Informatique (formerly DUT)
• Licence Informatique
• Master Informatique
• Engineering diploma (Bac +5, reserved for engineering schools)

These programs generally offer a solid theoretical foundation: algorithms, systems, data structures, and sometimes advanced mathematics.

They are particularly well suited if you want to:

• Continue on to a Bac+5 or a doctorate
• Retain strong academic recognition
• Work internationally

On the other hand, they can be longer and sometimes less career-oriented.

Professional titles (RNCP)

An RNCP title (Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles) is a professional certification recognized by the State.

It is not a university diploma, but rather a validation of skills related to a specific job.

Each title has a level (5 = Bac+2, 6 = Bac+3/4, 7 = Bac+5) and a skills framework.

For a developer, you'll often see titles such as:

• Développeur web et web mobile (level 5)
• Concepteur développeur d'applications (level 6)
• Expert en ingénierie logicielle (level 7)

There are others, and they can change from year to year, but these are the most common ones

These State-recognized programs are generally more career-oriented, with lots of hands-on projects and often work-study arrangements.

But they also train you for the reality of a job at a given point in time, without always providing the most solid foundations to adapt to future changes, unlike the university path.

Bachelor and Mastère: marketing terms

In France, the words "Bachelor" and "Mastère" are not protected.

This means a school can call its program a "Bachelor Développeur Web" without it corresponding to a State diploma.

What really matters isn't the name, but:

• Is there an associated RNCP title?
• At what level is it registered?

A Bachelor or a Mastère can be very serious… or purely marketing. You always need to be careful.

You'll have noticed the difference between a "Master" (academic) and a "Mastère" (not recognized by the State) — many people confuse the two every year.

Certifications

A certification is neither a diploma nor an RNCP title.

It is a targeted validation of skills, for example:

• React Certification
• AWS Certification
• Scrum Certification

These certifications can boost a profile, but they do not replace a complete training program.

Find your future school

The reality of today's job market is that it's not simply the diploma that will make you a professional, but above all the quality of the learning, courses, and projects delivered by the school that can give you a head start.

That's why we launched our national directory of computing schools in France, so that every student can leave one or more reviews to guide future students!

Discover our complete directory