What to do after a BUT?
Once you have your Bachelor universitaire de technologie (BUT), several options are open to you. You can enter the world of work, or continue to an engineering school, a business and management school, or a master's degree at university.
In brief
The BUT is a national Bac+3 qualification leading to a Grade de Licence, a recognition that opens up both the world of work and further study at master's level.
At Excelia Business School, two routes are open after a Bac+3: the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) at master's level, and the Master of Science (MSc) programmes.
Understanding the BUT: definition, meaning and benefits
What is a BUT?
The Bachelor universitaire de technologie (BUT) is a national higher education qualification, awarded by the instituts universitaires de technologie (IUT), which certifies a general and technological education geared towards employability. Created in 2019, it combines theory and practice, both for entering the world of work and for continuing your studies.
How many years does the BUT last?
The BUT is studied over three years after the baccalaureate and earns 180 ECTS credits (the European Credit Transfer System), leading to a Grade de Licence, a recognition equivalent to other Bac+3 programmes.
The difference between the DUT and the BUT: a detailed explanation
The reform that turned the DUT into the BUT has applied since the start of the 2021 academic year, to better align the programme with the needs of the job market and to make it easier to have courses recognised across Europe.
In practical terms, the DUT was a two-year course, that is a Bac+2 level, whereas the BUT covers a full three-year cycle and leads to a Grade de Licence. Rest assured: you still obtain a DUT at the end of your second year of the BUT, which secures your path whatever you choose to do next.
What are the benefits of a BUT?
The BUT combines enhanced academic supervision with a genuine opening onto the professional world.
- A secure path: close supervision over three years
- Direct access to the job market, thanks to a qualification recognised by employers
- Easier further study towards a management school, an engineering school or a university master's degree
- In-depth technical skills, specific to your field
- National recognition, with specialisms suited to your plans
Which is better, a BUT or a licence?
The choice between a BUT and a licence depends above all on your learning style and your goals. The BUT favours a practical approach that prepares you directly for the job market, whereas the licence, at the same Bac+3 level, offers a more theoretical approach, with gradual specialisation.
- Orientation: vocational for the BUT, theoretical for the licence
- Supervision: close and in small groups for the BUT, more independent for the licence
- Specialisation: from the outset for the BUT, gradual for the licence
- Career prospects: rapid employment or further study for the BUT, continuing to a master's degree for the licence
Your decision is therefore built around your aspirations: a structured rhythm for the BUT, independence for the licence.
A focus on BUT specialisms
Some BUT specialisms are geared towards services, others towards industry.
On the services side, specialisms such as Techniques de commercialisation, Informatique et gestion, or Gestion des entreprises et des administrations offer a solid grounding in technical fields, while also familiarising you with the principles of management.
The more industrial specialisms develop highly specialised technical expertise: this is the case with génie mécanique et productique or génie électrique et informatique industrielle.
What careers can you pursue after a BUT?
If you go straight into working life after your BUT, the career prospects vary according to your specialism.
In the services sector, a BUT Techniques de commercialisation leads, for example, to roles such as sales assistant, bank customer officer or sales representative, while a BUT Gestion des entreprises et des administrations leads to roles such as accountant, management adviser or HR officer.
The more technical specialisms lead to roles such as senior technician or project officer.
Joining a business or management school after a BUT
After a BUT, you can join a business or management school through direct entry, without going through a preparatory class. On the Excelia Business School blog, the article Direct entry to business school sets out the conditions in detail, and an FAQ answers the question what level to enter business school at after a BUT. This route allows you to enter directly at master's level, without going back to the first year.
What these schools bring is less an additional qualification than new skills: drawing up strategic plans, analysing markets, exercising leadership, and building a professional network. Your technical profile is not an obstacle: a BUT Informatique, for example, naturally leads to a dual technical and managerial skillset.
What options are there for continuing your studies with Excelia when you hold a BUT?
At Excelia Business School, the first route allows you to join the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) at master's level, a generalist management programme. The second leads you to the Master of Science (MSc) programmes, specialised programmes open after a Bac+3. Still unsure which specialisation best fits your BUT profile? Our quiz helps you identify the MSc programmes that match your plans.
For entry at master's level to the Master in Management, the panel pays close attention to your career plans and how they link to your background, to your past assignments and responsibilities, and to the steps you have taken to find an internship or a work-study placement.
Find out about entry to the Master in Management at master's level
Frequently asked questions
- What is a BUT?
The Bachelor universitaire de technologie is a national Bac+3 qualification, awarded by the instituts universitaires de technologie (IUT), which leads to a Grade de Licence. It combines theory and practice to prepare you for employability as well as for further study.
- Do you still get a DUT with a BUT?
Yes. You obtain a DUT at the end of your second year of the BUT, which secures your path if you change direction.
- Can you do a master's degree after a BUT?
Yes: the BUT leads to a Grade de Licence, which allows you to apply for a university master's degree or a master's degree at a management school.
- What careers can you pursue after a BUT?
Career prospects depend on your specialism: customer officer or sales representative after a BUT Techniques de commercialisation, accountant or HR officer after a BUT Gestion des entreprises et des administrations. Further study then broadens these prospects.
- What to do after a BUT Techniques de commercialisation or GEA?
You can go straight into working life in sales or administration roles, or continue your studies at a business and management school through direct entry, to access positions of responsibility.
