Civil Servant Program

Land development, demographics, health, culture, the environment… the scope and application of Official Statistics are immense and rapidly developing. In the field of Data Science new perspectives are emerging at INSEE and in the Ministerial Statistical Services (SSM) which offer dynamic, fascinating, and even international careers in public service. Students in the Official Statistics program have a civil servant status (Attaché Statisticien at INSEE).

PROGRAM

During the first two years of study at ENSAI, engineering students and government statisticians (INSEE trainees) follow an identical curriculum. During the 2nd semester of the 2nd year of studies, civil servant students begin to take classes adapted to the Public Evaluation and Decision Making Master’s degree:

1st year – Unify and consolidate knowledge

Take specific lessons depending on previous education
Acquire basic scientific knowledge in statistics, economics, and computer science
Learn to lead a descriptive study from a real database, carry out basic statistical models, asses different algorithm qualities and link contemporary economic problems to economic theory

2nd year – Broaden and deepen knowledge

Discover advanced statistical concepts and concrete applications
Take specialized classes in temporal databases, length, and economic data, Big Data, surveys… and complementary lessons in industrial economy, demographics, mobile technology
Carry out large projects in computer science and statistics

3rd year – Specialize with the Master’s “Public Evaluation and Decision Making” co-accredited with the University of Rennes 1

Major in one of the 3 specialties : Public Statistics Methodologies (MSP), Statistical studies (ES) or Statistics and Data Processing (STD)
- Optional program (not required to obtain civil servant status)
- Continuing education program possible on condition or postponed for up to 5 year maximum for all students

Curriculum (in French):

1st year 2nd year Humanities Courses 2021-2022 Foreign Languages Guide

CAREER

If the career path for INSEE statistician civil servants is diverse in the official statistics systems of France and in Europe, it is also ever evolving. After completing their studies, civil servant statisticians can, under certain conditions, be promoted to a position of leadership (attaché principal) through examination or nomination, or to the INSEE administrative body (haut fonctionnaire) by an internal competitive exam after several years of professional experience.

INTERNSHIPS

At the end of the first year of studies, trainee statistician civil servants must carry out a job-shadowing internship in an Official Statistics system for at least 8 weeks. For students in the Public Evaluation and Decision Making Master’s degree, an internship at the end of the program between 4 and 6 months must be completed.

DOUBLE DEGREES

INSEE’s civil servant trainee statisticians can obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics from Paris-Dauphine University and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Rennes one during their studies at ENSAI.

ADMISSIONS

Mathematics Competitive Exam
Candidates are recruited from the strength of their results on competitive exams called “Concours communs INP (CCINP)”.
Economics and Social Sciences Competitive Exam (B/L)
Students are selected from a pool of candidates who take exams from the inter-ENS exams. These are the same exams as those in the economics and social sciences entrance exams at ENSAE (Paris). The oral exams take place at ENSAI.
Economics and Management Competitive Exam (D2)
These are the same exams as those for the economics competitive examination with the “Economics and Management” option for ENS Cachan (ENS Cachan D2 preparatory classes), with specific coefficients, to which is added a specific oral examination in mathematics.
INSEE Civil Servant Exam
This internal entrance exam is open to civil servants and non-tenured employees working in all three branches of the French civil service and their dependent public institutions, as well as to magistrates and the members of the French Armed Forces. This entrance exam is also open to candidates working in international intergovernmental organizations.