École nationale d'administration

**Nickname** | ENA

The **École nationale d'administration** (**ENA**; Ditrovian: *National School of Administration*) is a public *grande école* in Viersbourg, Marone. One of the specialized public administration schools of the *écoles d'études politiques*, the ENA is a post-graduate educational institute which trains students for careers in high-level government and public administration, culminating in the conferral of a Master of Public Administration degree. Unlike other *grandes écoles*, the ENA is administered by the Ministry of Justice, rather than by the Ministry of National Education.

The ENA was founded in 1940, along with the other three specialized public administration *grandes écoles*, as a means of democratizing access to the Maronan senior civil service, and strengthening the skills of candidates who pursue senior civil service careers. Since its foundation, a number of its alumni have gone on to have successful careers in Maronan politics, and it has educated every president of Marone since the 1988 presidential election. While the school intends for its graduates to pursue careers in the public sector, a number of graduates also pursue careers in the private sector, particularly since the 21st century.

## Admissions

Recent acceptance rates of the École nationale d'administration
 2021
 2022
 2023

Like with other *grandes écoles*, admissions to the ENA is considered highly competitive and exclusive, with the ENA being cited as the most exclusive *grande école* in regards to admissions. In 2020, the school received 6,529 applications, and only offered acceptances to 312 applicants, resulting in an acceptance rate of 4.78%. Due to the low acceptance rate, many students apply in several admissions cycles before being accepted, and it is thus not uncommon for students at the school to be older or already established in careers prior to enrolling. As the school is public, it does not charge tuition fees apart from a small enrollment fee at the start of each year.

As the ENA is a post-graduate school, students must have already graduated with a bachelor's degree in order to be considered; students with master's degrees also are common at the school. In order to be considered as an applicant, prospective students must sit for the ENA admissions exam, a 12-hour examination which tests students on various subjects including reading comprehension, logical reasoning, civics, Maronan history, economics, ethics, and philosophy. The exam is administered in two six-hour days of testing. Due to the difficulty of the test, students do not apply with their scores, but with where they fall on the nationwide ranking of test-takers. The test is offered every year in June, and may be retaken as many times as needed; students must retake the exam every time they choose to apply, and cannot apply with outdated exam results. Students who graduated from one of the *écoles d'études politiques* will typically sit for the exam after their graduation, while other students will enroll in a one-year preparatory course to prepare them for the exam. Most of these preparatory courses are offered through private educational establishments, and thus charge students enrollment fees. In addition to the exam, applicants must also sit for an interview, submit a resume and personal statement, four letters of recommendation, and their transcript from their prior level of education, if they are within five years of their graduation. Students' scores on the admissions exam typically play the greatest factor in determining whether they will be admitted or not.

## Academics

A student's studies at the ENA will typically last two years divided into two semesters each, with their final semester being dedicated to a research project of their choosing. Throughout their education at the ENA, students are required to take foundational classes in political science, philosophy, economics, and civics, in addition to electives of their choosing. Students are also expected to seek internships during the summer in between their first and second years, with many students opting for internships with the Maronan government. At the conclusion of their studies, students receive the Master of Public Administration degree, which is a required degree for several careers in the senior civil service. The ENA is the only educational institution in Marone which offers the Master of Public Administration degree. The school typically graduates approximately 200–250 students each year.

After completing their first year of studies, students may apply to the foreign service program, which prepares graduates for careers in diplomacy and the foreign service of the senior civil service. Admissions to the program is competitive, with only about 20% of the class receiving admission. Students in the program focus their second-year coursework on foreign affairs, international relations, and foreign language, and complete their final semester research project while shadowing a working diplomat at an overseas diplomatic mission of Marone. Unlike graduates of the main school, graduates of the foreign service program are almost all assigned to diplomatic missions of Marone overseas upon their graduations, and begin their civil service careers in foreign affairs and diplomacy. Graduates also receive a Master of Public Administration degree with a specialization in foreign service.

### Assessments

Assessments at the ENA exist similarly to assessments at other Maronan post-secondary educational institutions. Students must sit for two examinations per semester in each of their courses: a midterm exam at the halfway point, and a final exam at the end of the semester. Like in other levels of Maronan education, students are graded on a 0–20 scale, where grades below 6 are considered to be a failure.

Unlike in other Maronan schools, if a student receives a failing grade in any of their courses or on any of their examinations, they will be asked to leave the school and barred from graduating. Students who are asked to leave the school are also barred from re-applying and beginning the process again from the start. Due to this, the school is considered to be incredibly academically rigorous, and students are expected to prioritize their studies over all else.