Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées (French pronunciation: [diplom detyd sypeʁjœʁ spesjalize], DESS) was an old diploma in France, which is no longer awarded.
It completed a fifth year of higher education aimed at professional practice.
It could be chosen after one had got a maîtrise universitaire [fr].
This diploma has been abolished when the bachelor/master/doctorate system had been introduced in Europe (in France between 2003 and 2006) and was replaced by the master.
This article relating to education in Europe is a stub.