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As part of its Master in Strategy & Digital Transformation and Master in Business Analysis & Consulting, IÉSEG offers students a specialized course called “Transformation Consulting.” Its primary objective is to help students acquire consulting methodologies and a professional mindset alongside industry experts to drive organizational change. The course was co-designed and developed in collaboration with Sopra Steria Next, a major player in management and digital transformation consulting.

To conclude the course, students take the “SAFe® Agilist” certification exam, an internationally recognized credential in Agile-driven organizational transformation. The Agile methodology is an iterative approach to project management that prioritizes flexibility, collaboration, and the continuous delivery of value.

An integrative learning model in partnership with Sopra Steria Next

While theoretical knowledge is essential when training for consulting careers, it is not enough to build credibility in front of a client. The “Transformation Consulting” course specifically responds to this challenge.

“Our goal was to build this course using an integrative approach, incorporating training modules created by Sopra Steria Next to deliver a comprehensive, tailor-made program that directly addresses our students’ needs and market expectations. This track delivers on one of our Masters’ key promises: acquiring skills alongside industry professionals. This is one of our core strengths.”

Cyrine BEN-HAFAIEDH, Academic Director of the Master in Strategy and Digital Transformation

The project required nearly a year of design and collaborative exchanges with Sopra Steria Next to deliver a course tailored precisely to the needs of students, many of whom aspire to become digital transformation consultants within organizations.

“The teams at Sopra Steria Next had already developed certain modules internally, and we customized the curriculum to align with our pedagogical objectives and needs. We had extensive discussions with the company to fine-tune and optimize the modules, making it a completely bespoke training program,” Cyrine BEN-HAFAIEDH adds.

This iterative process made it possible to adjust every element of the course: content, session length, speaker profiles, and educational tools. The result is a fully customized program tailored to the specificities of both Master’s degrees and the students’ needs.

Immersive learning and real-world simulations

In practice, the course is delivered in three-hour sessions led by Sopra Steria Next consultants. Each session is also supervised by facilitators with complementary backgrounds to provide diverse perspectives and expertise.

Students work on practical case studies using the actual templates and tools employed in real-world consulting scenarios. Working in groups, they must build concrete solutions to real corporate challenges, benefiting from the feedback and advice of seasoned professionals. This immersive approach allows them to better understand workflows, standards, and professional codes in consulting careers, and proves to be highly stimulating for students, as Paula VASQUEZ MORALES, a student in the Master in Business Analysis & Consulting, points out:

“This course was particularly valuable because it truly felt like a point of convergence, where I could finally bring together different concepts and give them a clear structure and purpose. One of the most important lessons for me was understanding how critical adaptability and continuous improvement are in today’s fast-changing environments. Agile methodologies encourage a mindset of learning, iteration, and responsiveness, which I believe is essential for any future consultant. The course also reinforced the importance of communication and cross-functional collaboration. Finally, one of the most impactful takeaways was the importance of fostering customer centricity—placing the customer at the center of every decision.”

Paula VASQUEZ MORALES, student in the Master in Business Analysis & Consulting

For Sopra Steria Next, this partnership also addresses several strategic goals, as IÉSEG is one of the schools where the firm regularly recruits talent. “As a recruiter, finding candidates who already possess the expected skills is a real asset; they bring value to our clients much faster,” Arnaud BERG, Senior Manager in Transformation Consulting, explains.“We also contribute to training future managers with whom we will collaborate on the client side. Finally, on a personal note, I love mentoring and helping people grow. Management is a part of my job that I truly enjoy. Being able to do this with students in class is highly rewarding and fulfilling.”

Developing and adopting the mindset of a consultant

Most students in these Master’s programs have not yet experienced the consulting world, which many hope to enter. It is therefore crucial for them to understand and master the professional posture of a consultant. This is precisely the gap the course aims to bridge. Beyond transformation methodologies and business skills, the goal is to develop the interpersonal and soft skills that elevate a good student into a great consultant.

While students typically start the year with a student mindset, they evolve rapidly as the course progresses. Learning and adopting the right professional posture—knowing how to convince a client, join a conversation, and build a strong argument—is the primary challenge.

“It’s not just about being ‘catchy’ like they might be on social media; it’s about knowing how to present solid arguments, challenge the client’s thinking, and handle objections. It’s about learning how to say things that, even if the client disagrees, will help them articulate their problem and ask the right questions. There is a delicate paradox to master: being both an expert and humble, knowing how to lead while remaining an active listener,” explains Caroline RIEU PLICHON, Academic Director of the Master in Business Analysis & Consulting.

Caroline RIEU PLICHON, Academic Director of the Master in Business Analysis & Consulting

As Cyrine BEN-HAFAIEDH points out, consulting is a demanding profession “where delivery and style must serve the substance and the client.” This combination is what truly makes a difference.

Program complementarity at the heart of the learning experience

Beyond the expertise provided by Sopra Steria Next, the course stands out for its cross-program collaborative approach. Students from the Master in Strategy and Digital Transformation and the Master in Business Analysis and Consulting are brought together to work on the same case studies. This mix enriches discussions through a diversity of backgrounds and helps students develop their ability to work in multidisciplinary teams—a critical skill in the consulting world, where cross-functional collaboration is the norm. The solutions designed gain depth and relevance thanks to these complementary approaches.

“Working with diverse teams from two different master programs showed me how valuable it is to integrate different perspectives to build more effective solutions.”— Paula VASQUEZ MORALES, student in the Master in Business Analysis & Consulting.

International recognition: the SAFe® Agilist certification

In addition to skill acquisition, the course offers students the opportunity to validate their achievements through an internationally recognized certification in Agile transformation, particularly valuable for digital transformation projects.

For students, this external validation is a strong asset on their resume, providing additional credibility with recruiters. It objectively validates the skills they have developed and certifies their grasp of digital transformation challenges.  

“Since the certification is recognized by many large organizations, it makes it a strong asset to have on my CV while looking for new opportunities. As someone with little professional experience outside of internships, it helps me differentiate from other candidates. Even though the certification focuses on large-scale transformation projects and agility, there are some transferable skills that can be applied to smaller organizations or even start-ups.”

Jeffrey DAI, student in the Master in Business Analysis & Consulting.

While not mandatory, the certification acts as a career accelerator. Arnaud BERG concludes: “In consulting firms, we submit business proposals and share resumes and skill sets. Clearly, having this type of certification is a major plus for client needs, and sometimes it is even a prerequisite.”