VAE
Recognize your experience
Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) allows you to obtain all or part of a Bachelor’s (Bac+3) or Master’s (Bac+5) degree based on your professional, community, or volunteer experience. It’s a concrete opportunity to recognize your skills, accelerate your career development, and obtain a certification recognized by the State and businesses.
The essentials of VAE
2 to 4 months (Bachelor’s degree + 3 years)
6 to 9 months (Master’s degree + 5 years)
100% success rate in obtaining diplomas for comprehensive support programs (2024/2025 academic year)
October | March
€4,900 with a Bachelor’s degree (Bac+3)
€5,900 with a Master’s degree (Bac+5)
Recruitment interview
Accessible to people with disabilities
Accessible to employees and job seekers holding a Baccalaureate (vocational, general)
- Bachelor’s degree (Bac+3): A high school diploma with 5 years of professional experience
- Master’s degree (Bac+5): At least a two-year post-secondary degree (Bac+2) and 10 years of professional experience
State-Recognized Diploma
Business and Marketing Developer Qualification: Level 6 (Bachelor’s +3) or Level 7 (Master’s +5) professional certification.
Turning experience into a degree
VAE at Istec: a structured and effective pathway
Istec offers Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) programs leading to a Bachelor’s degree (Bac+3) or a Master’s degree (Bac+5), accessible to employees and job seekers with a vocational or general high school diploma. Today, it’s a natural step to resume one’s studies to enhance one’s professional experience.
For the Bachelor’s degree (Bac+3), candidates can specialize in strategic fields such as business development and marketing, e-business, business management, or real estate careers, in partnership with the Académie des Pros, which enables candidates to obtain the T/G license. These specializations are designed to strengthen operational skills and facilitate career advancement.
The Master’s degree (Bac+5), on the other hand, offers a wider range of specializations and majors, tailored to candidates seeking positions of responsibility. Students can train in operational and strategic team management, digital management, real estate strategies and careers, or financial risk management. Furthermore, the Master’s degree includes 12 interdisciplinary majors.
Have your professional experience recognized
Analysis of your background and objective
Your application will be reviewed by a committee.
Writing guided by an expert tutor
Presentation of your professional thesis (40 pages for Bachelor’s level, 80 pages for Master’s level). The juries meet twice a year: in June and September.
Why pursue a VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience)?
Pursuing a VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience) at ISTEC offers numerous advantages:
- State and business recognized diploma (Bachelor’s +3 or Master’s +5)
- 100% success rate for comprehensive support programs
- Recognition of your skills and leveraging of your experience
- Boost your career and access new professional opportunities
- Access to the ISTEC network of over 7,000 graduates
- Personalized support from a specialized tutor
- strengthen their skills in management, marketing, sales, and communication
- formalize a work methodology and structure their analyses
- develop their professional agility
For employees, VAE also allows them to:
Financing
Solutions tailored to each profile
Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) can be financed in different ways depending on your status:
- Company: training plan or CPF (Personal Training Account)
- Collecting bodies: OPCO, Transition Pro
- Personal financing
- Pôle Emploi
The Istec teams can advise and guide you in choosing the right solution.
Performance Indicators - Year 2024/2025
Pass rate
(Source: internal data / jury - 2025)
Continuation rate
(Source: schooling data - 2025)
Training dropout rates and causes (Source: Integration Survey - CEFDG 2025 report)
Professional integration rate
(Source: Integration Survey - CEFDG 2025 report)
Company Satisfaction Rates
(Source: Company Survey - CEFDG 2025 Report)
Learner Satisfaction Rate
(Source: Learner Survey - CEFDG 2025 report)
Access conditions
Admissions
• Master's degree (Bac+5): At least a two-year post-secondary degree (Bac+2) and 10 years of professional experience
• My background
• My roles
• My responsibilities
• The connection to the required diploma
📌 This portfolio will be reviewed by a committee (review fees apply).
Access booklet I
This portfolio includes:
• In-depth analysis of my assignments
• Strategic perspective
• Concrete evidence and achievements
• Structured argumentation
🎯 Objective: to demonstrate mastery of the required skills.
• Invitation to an interview
• Presentation of your background and defense of your application
The jury is composed of teachers and professionals.
• Partial validation → Some modules validated
• Rejection → Possibility to resubmit the application
Our teams offer you a free appointment of approximately one hour to analyze your professional background, determine the appropriate diploma and level, and define together your personalized action plan to successfully complete your VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience).
- Contact: vae@istec.fr
- VAE Portal: www.vae.gouv.fr
- Booklet 1 CERFA: Service-Public.fr – Form n°12818*02