Master 1

First year of Master’s degree Public Management

APPLICATION

General Information

Access level

Bachelor's degree

Location

IAE NANCY Manufacture Campus

Study methods

Initial training, Lifelong learning, Work-study program

Diploma obtained

Four years of higher education

Internship

Yes

Eligible for the Personal Training Account

Yes

RNCP Code

35914

Presentation

A first year Master’s degree to prepare for category A administrative competitions

The first stage of a two-year course, the Master 1 Public Management provides progressive training to enable students to take up executive positions in the civil service and to become operational in general administration functions thanks to a practical approach.

The Master’s in Public Management provides a professional training programme that enables students to take up category A positions in the civil service and to become operational in general administration, management and administrative service management functions.

With an M1 programme preparing students for competitive entrance examinations and two M2 programmes offering the professional skills required for managerial positions in the public sector, this programme supports students from the very start of their career plans right through to the end.

The ‘Public Management’ specialism is perfectly in tune with developments in the public sector, which is increasingly using management tools for its internal operations.

The M1 Public Management and M2 Administrative Services Management are part of the Lorraine ‘Talent’ Classes equal opportunities scheme run by the Institut Régional d’Administration de Metz (IRA), which provides students with support in preparing for category A competitive examinations and an annual grant.

Objectives

The aim of the first year of the Master’s programme is to complete and strengthen the students’ knowledge base, so as to optimise their chances of joining the public administration, either through a competitive examination or on a contractual basis.

As a result, it :

offers preparation for category A competitive entrance exams using methodological tools (summary notes, legal notes, notes with proposals, mock orals), as well as presentations on the civil service (professional conferences, meetings with professionals, testimonials from former students), while incorporating the administrative and management dimension (human resources management, strategic management). The M1 Public Management is part of the Lorraine ‘Talent’ Class scheme.
offers students with initial training in law, economics and management a practical approach to administration, through specialised courses (town planning law, local authority law), tutorials and work placements, as well as a compulsory internship lasting at least two months (and up to 4 months) and a dissertation.

Skills acquired

Situate your role and mission within an organisation so that you can adapt and take the initiative
Be able to use the basic concepts of the organisation and responsibilities of public administrations with ease.
Identify the legal, financial and economic bases for the operation and activity of public administrations.
Produce summaries and analyses of public administration, drawing on concepts from the social sciences and general administrative knowledge.
Use the methods and techniques of day-to-day organisational management to prepare and implement organisational decisions.
Working as part of a team as well as independently and responsibly on a project.

Further study after M1

At the end of the first year of this Master’s programme, students are offered two different pathways which meet different training objectives:

The “Management of Administrative Services” (GSA) pathway

Learn more about Master's 2 Public Management – Administrative Services Management specialisation

The “Management of Public Organisations” (MOP)pathway

Learn more about Master’s degree in Public Management – Public Organisation Management specialisation

Student associations

The student association specific to the Public Management Masters is the IAE Nancy Public Management Masters Student Association (EMP).

Find out about all the student associations at IAE NANCY

Associations étudiantes

Organisation

PACE OF TRAINING

The aim of M1 is to build on these achievements and acquire new knowledge, so as to improve students’ chances of success in competitive examinations. In particular, it offers the opportunity to follow courses aimed at preparing for competitive examinations requiring specific knowledge (educational and cultural policies, defence, urban policy, etc.).

The 1st year of the Master’s programme comprises approximately 500 hours of teaching per year, divided between lectures and tutorials over the two semesters.

A variety of assessment methods are used: written and oral exams, continuous assessment, report writing, etc. The teaching team is made up of academics and people from the professional world of administration.

In M1, teaching is continuous over the two semesters. The internship starts in April.

START OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR: Early September

Course programme – approximately 500 hours of teaching

Institutional Context of the Public Sector (9 ECTS)

The French administrative system
The French social system
Analysis of political and public sector careers

Contemporary Issues in the Public Sector (6 ECTS)

Political issues and controversies
Current challenges in the public sector
Introduction to research

Public Management Tools (6 ECTS)

Public HRM
Public accounting

Professional Development 1 (9 ECTS)

English
Professional workshop/PEEL
Summary report
Legal report

Public Policy Management (6 ECTS)

Public and Political Communication
Sectoral Policies

Organisational Challenges in the Public Sector (6 ECTS)

Organisational Theory
Information Systems Management

Sustainable and Responsible Management (6 ECTS)

Sustainable Urban Planning Policy
CSR in Public Organisations

Public Sector Transformation (6 ECTS)

Project Management
Management of Administrative Disputes
English

805 Professional Development 2 (6 ECTS)

Internship with final presentation

Continuing Education

Employees, jobseekers, the self-employed

Continuing vocational training enables all employees, whatever their professional or personal situation, to update their skills and promote their professional development.

Whether you’re an employee, a jobseeker or self-employed, you can obtain a diploma, a short or long training course leading to a qualification, either face-to-face or by distance learning, on a sandwich course, or even take part in a validation of prior learning scheme…

The Master 1 in Public Management is available as part of a Continuing Education programme, or as part of a Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience (VAE) or Validation des Acquis Professionnels et Personnels (VAPP) programme.

Our Professional Integration and Career Development Department will help you with your plans to return to education by offering you personalised interviews, guiding you through our range of training courses and informing you about the funding available depending on your status.

Learn more

Careers and further study

What happens after the Masters in Public Management?

Holders of a Master’s degree in Public Management can manage the administrative and/or financial department of a local authority, a State administration, a public establishment or an organisation working in conjunction with them (legal or operational department), supervise the work of category B and C administrative staff, analyse and summarise legislative and regulatory documents for senior managers in local authorities, State administrations, public establishments or for senior managers in organisations working in conjunction with them. They are in direct contact with elected representatives to implement public policies and with companies, businesses or individuals that are partners of public authorities. They carry out research, using legal databases in particular, and draft memos for public authority staff or employees of organisations working with them.

Examples of positions held :

Administrative and financial manager of a nature park
Housing Officer
Deputy Director of a departmental electricity syndicate
Head of Department, C.C.A.S.
Director of the C.C.A.S.
Head of finance
Head of BOP management and steering
Head of Administration, Communauté de Communes
Head of Office, Ministry of Education
Head of the Intercademic Examinations and Competitions Department
Competitions Division
General Secretary of a Community of Communes
Deputy Director of a Community of Communes
Head of community services
Local Development Officer, Communauté de Communes
Deputy director of a retirement home

employment rate 18 months after graduation

of graduates feel that their job is in line with their field of study

Find all the figures on the integration of our graduates

Surveys on the future and professional integration of graduates carried out by the Observatoire de la Vie Étudiante de l’Université de Lorraine.

International

Possibility of a semester abroad at a partner university in Master 1 (Erasmus mobility).
Internships abroad possible in Masters 1 and 2.
There is the possibility of a gap year between M1 and M2 to perfect knowledge of a foreign language and/or strengthen professional experience.

Student exchange programmes (Erasmus +, bilateral programmes) enable students to gain international experience as part of their university studies. They also prepare qualified young people with an open mind and cross-cultural experience for a career in an increasingly international environment.

IAE NANCY has around forty agreements with foreign universities. Every year, around 30 IAE NANCY students spend an academic semester abroad.

Find out more about our exchange programmes and partner universities

Application

Conditions of admission

Eligibility is based on an application and admission is based on an interview.

Recommended qualifications:

AES degree
Licence in Management Sciences
Degree in Public Law
Degree in Public Administration
Degree in Economics

Prerequisites :

A career plan in line with the public sector
Use a multidisciplinary approach to analyse a French public-sector structure
Identify and respond to the specific problems of a French public organisation

Continuing education

Employees, jobseekers, the self-employed

How to apply

To apply, go to www.monmaster.gouv.fr
Examination of the application
If eligible, selection interview

For Campus en France applicants, please consult this page: https: //www.campusfrance.org/fr/candidature-procedure-etudes-en-france

Registration fees

For European students undergoing initial training, registration fees for national diplomas are set annually by ministerial decree. In 2026, they will amount to :

254 euros for masters

There is also a Student and Campus Life Contribution of €105 in 2025/2026. This contribution must be paid by students not receiving a grant to cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr