MBA – International track

Expand your horizons and lead global transformations.

  • Format

    13 months
    (full-time)

  • Languages

    English

  • Location

    Paris

  • Fees

    €39,000

  • Intake

    September

  • Credits

    90 ECTS

Accreditations

OVERVIEW OF THE MBA – International TRACK

The International track is aimed at experienced professionals looking forward to future roles as global business leaders. The program equips participants with an in-depth understanding of challenges and opportunities in global business. They acquire knowledge in various management disciplines and sharpen their skills to apply it in concrete situations across a wide variety of sectoral and national contexts.

The International track is accredited by AMBA.

In its first participation in the 2020 Global MBA Ranking, IÉSEG was ranked 38th globally, consolidated as the third school with the highest percentage of foreign professors (80%) and shares, together with two schools, the first place for the high percentage of international students.

The International track is part of the IÉSEG HUB MBA which offers three different specializations: an Executive track, an International track and a Leadership & Coding track. All participants benefit from the solid support of the hub in terms of career program, common modules and learning expedition, corporate events, alumni interactions etc.

You will be a part of a thriving, diverse community and interact with experts and fellow participants across three different MBA tracks.

Director’s foreword

MBA – International track

Dr. Jacob VAKKAYIL

Academic Director of the MBA – International Track

If you have realized the need to develop your professional competence through a challenging and thoroughly engaging experience, the IÉSEG MBA – International Track at IÉSEG is an ideal solution.

The program is designed to meet the needs of change-oriented individuals seeking to improve themselves and expand their network. This design involves a broad-based approach that provides key managerial inputs considering current global organizational challenges. A diverse group of expert faculty members facilitates modules all the while applying a judicious mix of both theory and practice.

We are located in the business district of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. The experience of living in Paris will set a very enriching context for your journey of professional and personal growth.

The MBA – International Track offers you the opportunity to be among specially -selected brilliant people from across the globe, who are eager for a learning experience focused on global transformations.

I look forward to seeing you in our program.

MBA – International track – Presentation

KEY BENEFITS OF THE MBA – INTERNATIONAL TRACK PROGRAM

  • The program combines theoretical understanding with practical experience and skill development. The program is flexible so that, when choosing electives, participants can tailor the program to their interests.
  • Participants receive personalized support through coaching and a customized career development program.
  • The case method is used extensively to reflect real world challenges, allowing participants to develop innovative solutions for problem-solving.
  • The program ensures interaction with companies in various ways. Practicing managers are regularly welcomed to interact with participants. In addition, a learning trip in Europe is organized during the second semester for more intensive business and cultural exposure.
  • The MBA faculty is a mix of both internal and external instructors from diverse backgrounds, either academically qualified with doctoral degrees or with at least 10 years of professional experience in their fields. They are passionate about teaching and providing support to participants so that they can achieve their full potential.
  • Studying at IÉSEG, you will be a part of a thriving, multicultural community and interact with cutting-edge experts and diverse participants across three different paths.

WHY DO AN MBA – INTERNATIONAL TRACK

  • DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN GLOBAL BUSINESS
    The MBA program helps you to enrich the knowledge you have gained through practical experience with theoretical understanding. Practical methodologies including the case method is used extensively to reflect real world challenges, allowing participants to develop innovative solutions for problem-solving. The program offers a high degree of flexibility through the incorporation of a large number of electives through which participants can tailor the program to their interests.
  • ENHANCE CAREER BY TARGETING GLOBAL COMPANIES
    IÉSEG MBA program helps you to enhance your career by providing personalized support through a customized career development program that includes personal coaching. Moreover, practicing managers from companies are regularly welcomed to interact with participants and to provide them with practical tips in this process. 
  • LEARN FROM EXPERTS WITH INTERNATIONAL ORIENTATION
    The international track faculty is a mix of both internal and external professors from diverse backgrounds, either academically qualified with doctoral degrees or with at least 10 years of professional experience in their fields. They are passionate about teaching and about providing support to participants so that they can achieve their full potential. In addition, learning trips allow for more intensive business and cultural exposure.
  • JOIN A COHORT WITH DIVERSE PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE
    In the IÉSEG MBA – International track, you will be part of a thriving, multicultural community. Participants come from various countries and regions adding to the richness of peer learning and experience sharing. Furthermore, life-lasting bonds are developed to result in a global network through interactions with the batch of the year and program alumni.

Objectives of the MBA – INTERNATIONAL track

  • Expand horizons and develop managerial and leadership capabilities as applicable to global organizational settings.
  • Perceive organizational problems from a multifunctional and strategic perspectives
  • Develop ethical, responsible and sustainable approach to business considering global imperatives.
  • Adopt innovative solutions to complex business problems
  • Mobilize collective action and lead responsible global transformations at various levels.  

DURATION

The program is offered on a full-time basis and consists of 13 months including 9 modules and 1 capstone project. The curriculum provides a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge, business and leadership competences.

IÉSEG’s MBA – INTERNATIONAL track is:

  • Average age: 30 years
  • Work experience: 7 years
  • Number of nationalities: 11
  • Gender: 68% women and 32% men

Class profile

The MBA – International track attracts a wide range of people with diverse perspectives, cultures, opinions and talents from different regions of the world. The program attracts participants who are seeking to accelerate their professional career and progress to more demanding management and leadership roles.

It is designed to broaden their professional horizons with alternative management-oriented options and responsibilities, as well as new geographic regions. It targets individuals who are highly motivated, ambitious, open to integration in an international and multicultural setting and are eager to explore multiple avenues to develop their technical, managerial and interpersonal skills.

Academic Background

MBA - International track: Academic Background

Study in an international environment

MBA - International track: Class Profile

PROGRAM CONTENT

The MBA – International track meets the requirements of a global MBA program and is designed to enable participants to apply knowledge in different contexts and situations.

The program is offered on a full-time basis and consists of 13 months including 9 modules and 1 capstone project. The curriculum provides a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge, business and leadership competences.

Throughout the program, the faculty adopts a thorough and practical approach using cases and real-life examples to apply concepts to solve business issues. Participants are required to work on cases and/or group projects for each course to develop essential skills to face challenging situations and imagine new solutions. Faculty members foster interactions in the classroom – participants learn from each other’s experiences and are trained to develop and defend their opinions.

Participants also benefit from a personalized coaching and career development program.

  • Electives

    To personalize your learning experience beyond the core modules, participants will be able to choose from a series of electives, such as: Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Innovation, Fintech, Consumer behavior, Business Development Strategy & Commercial Techniques

    The choice of electives offered evolves every year to take current trends, availability of experts, etc. into account.

  • Capstone Project

    The capstone project of the program is an important component that helps integrate learnings from the coursework through a significant practical project. In general, there are two options for the MBA capstone. The first is to engage in a project of professional experience in the form of an internship, regular work contract or entrepreneurial effort that involves full-time commitment for four to six months. The second is to take up a professional consultancy thesis that seeks to address an applied managerial problem under the guidance of an academic advisor. In both cases, the projects are structured within specific time frames following applicable guidelines. The most significant among the requirements is the submission of a structured professional project report or professional consultancy thesis. Participants are free to opt for the type of capstone they would like to do to complete the program within the overall time frame of the program.

ECTS

Full Program

90

COMMON COURSES TO ALL MBA TRACKS

30

> Mastering Accounting and Finance (6 ECTS)
> Financial accounting,
> Measuring and reporting financial information,
> Performance measurement,
> Budgeting and control,
> Practices of management accounting,
> Financial analysis,
> Financial ratios,
> Time value of money,
> Financial risk,
> Factors affecting financial investment decisions.

> Understanding Business Cycles and Transformations (6 ECTS)
> Business economics,
> Economic concepts for market analysis,
> Economic cycles,
> Major trends and industry transformations,
> Scenario planning,
> Organizational transformations,
> Building agile organizations.

> Tackling Grand Challenges (With Learning Expedition 1) (6 ECTS)
> Sustainability and organizations,
> Sustainable Development Goals,
> Climate change,
> Systems thinking,
> Stakeholder engagement,
> Business ethics,
> Corporate social responsibility,
> Diversity,
> Equity and inclusion in organizations,
> Environmental and social governance,
> Reporting, Measurement and communication of ESG outcomes.

> Fostering Entrepreneurship and innovation (6 ECTS)
> Key concepts of entrepreneurship,
> New venture strategies,
> Characteristics of entrepreneurial firms,
> New product development,
> Business model innovation,
> Frameworks for innovation processes,
> Design thinking,
> Value proposition frameworks,
> Research and development strategies and processes,
> Innovation challenges.

> Developping a strategic mindset (With Learning Expedition 2) (6 ECTS)
> Vision, mission and objectives of the firm,
> Frameworks for strategic analysis,
> Processes of strategy formulation,
> Defining competitive advantage,
> Corporate governance,
> External and internal analyses,
> Analysis,
> Value chain analysis,
> Resources and capabilities,
> Issues in strategy implementation,
> Evaluation of business performance.

COMMON COURSES TO THE INTERNATIONAL TRACK AND THE LEADERSHIP & CODING TRACK

15

> Career Development (2 ECTS)
> Vision of professional goal,
> The specificities of the market,
> Multi-step action plan to achieve professional goals,
> Job search/internship tools: know how to use personal and professional network, job interviews (including group interviews),
> Specificities of recruitment processes in targeted companies in France or abroad.

> Management Information Systems (2 ECTS)
> Creating and sustaining a competitive advantage from digitalization,
> The disruptive effects of IT for organizations,
> Communicating more effectively between business and IT,
> Developing an understanding about high-potential IT innovations,
> Successfully managing IT projects.

> Operations Management (2 ECTS)
> Operations design decisions and how they relate to the overall strategies of organizations,
> Production management,
> Capacity planning,
> Aggregate planning,
> Managing inventories in various demand settings,
> Quality theories such as TQM, Six Sigma, Lean, etc.

> Human Resources and People Engagement (2 ECTS)
> Human resources and its link to strategy,
> HR functions and processes: workforce planning, recruitment and selection,
> Training and development,
> Performance management and compensation,
> New trends in managing people,
> People engagement.

> Leadership and Organisations (3 ECTS)
> Key approaches to leadership,
> Self-management and development as a leader,
> Effective decision making for leadership,
> Issues in coordinating efforts and leading teams,
> Structuring Organizations,
> Leadership challenges in dealing with the broader context,
> Handling complexity in the exercise of leadership in organizations.

> Marketing (2 ECTS)
> Elements of the marketing mix,
> Marketing Strategy: segmentation,
> Targeting & Positioning,
> Product strategy and branding,
> Services marketing,
> Marketing channels and retailing,
> Marketing communications.

> Research Methods (2 ECTS)
> Research terminology,
> Literature review process and analysis of published research,
> Quantitative research, principles, causal theories, hypotheses, and testing, etc.
> Qualitative research approaches,
> Mixed methods,
> Issues in data collection,
> Validity and reliability of research.

> French Language
> MBA – Leadership and Coding Track participants are required to take French classes throughout the program. Groups of different levels are formed at the beginning of the program to allow for an adapted learning experience. Classes are taught by IÉSEG’s French teachers.

SPECIFIC COURSES TO THE INTERNATIONAL TRACK

16

> Global Mindset (4 ECTS)
> The context of global businesses,
> Global sociopolitical developments,
> Forces that facilitate and oppose globalization trends,
> Global inequities relevant for markets and business,
> Governance issues,
> Organizational implications,
> Global networks,
> Culture and globalization,
> Managerial issues in a global context,
> Personal capabilities for global effectiveness.

> International Negotiation (2 ECTS)
> Negotiation theories and concepts in an international environment,
> Factors that create value in a negotiation,
> Influence of culture in an international business context,
> Strategies for complex multiparty negotiations.

> International Trade (2 ECTS)
> Models of international trade,
> ITrade policy,
> Political economy of trade,
> Economic integration,
> International trade agreements,
> Protectionismand integration,
> Exchange rate market,
> Interest rates and prices.

> Global Logistics and Supply Chains (2 ECTS)
> Introduction to global supply chains,
> Network design and facility location,
> Decisions process analysis in global supply chains,
> Data sharing in international supply chains,
> Organising for global sourcing”.

> International Marketing (2 ECTS)
> Design,
> Implementation and evaluation of international marketing strategies,
> The influence of political,
> Economic and socio-cultural elements on the consumers and organisations of various national markets,
> Attractiveness of specific markets and segments,
> International marketing plans.

> International HRM (2 ECTS)
> Role of the HR function in a multinational company,
> Planning the workforce in a multinational company,
> Recruitment and selection of multinational companies: Issues and complexities in assessing performances across the world,
> Ethical issues in the use of HRM tools,
> Compensation systems: expatriates vs. locals. pre-departure and post-departure training,
> Re-entry issues and the management of dual career couples,
> Gender stereotypes for expatriates.

> Global Financial Markets (2 ECTS)
> Overview of financial markets,
> International investments,
> Central banking,
> Banking regulation,
> International capital markets,
> The subprime financial crisis (causes, mechanism, consequences),
> Eurozone crisis.

ELECTIVES

4

Students have to take a minumum of TWO Electives. Students may take two additional electives (i.e., a Maximum of FOUR).

> Project Management
> Initiating as a project,
> Defining project planning,
> Issues in executing the project in line with budget,
> Time and scope requirements,
> Control and management of the execution of a project,
> Transfer of the results of a successful project.

> Luxury Marketing
> Luxury consumption patterns: segmenting the market,
> Understanding purchasing process,
> Developing a relationship with customers,
> Luxury brands development: brand extension, licensing and co-branding,
> Luxury Product/service, price and portfolio: integrating creativity and design, managing quality,
> Fixing and managing price,
> Managing the Portfolio,
> Luxury brand communication: Luxury retailing and business models,
> Managing internationalization.

> Big Data Analytics
> Foundations and applications of CRM,
> Analytical CRM,
> Customer lifecycle analytical approaches,
> Identification of good prospects for customer acquisition,
> Customer development via up-selling or cross-selling,
> Customer attrition/retention management,
> Big Data and anlaytics managerial problems and techniques.

> Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Innovation
> Artificial Intelligence (AI) for business,
> Overview of machine learning,
> Supervised learning,
> Unsupervised learning,
> Reinforcement learning,
> Deep learning,
> Organisational, managerial and ethical implications of AI,
> AI use cases and applications,
> Strategic innovation, dealing with AI and emerging technologies.

> Fintech
> Fintech industry overview,
> Fintech vs. traditional financial services;
> Industry segmentation,
> Main segments and markets (challengers banks, payment institutions, p2p lending and other lending, compliances businesses, BNPL),
> Fintech business models: from D2C (direct to consumers) to B2B2C,
> Partnership and platform economy,
> The fintech value chain,
> Legal and compliance,
> Open banking and PSD,
> Creating a fintech product and challenges.

> Consumer Behaviour
> Models of consumer behaviour,
> Cultural influences on consumer behaviour,
> Personal and social influences on consumer behaviour,
> Psychological influences on consumer behaviour,
> Responsible marketing and vulnerable consumers.

> Business Development Strategy and Commercial Techniques
> Understand the changing nature of customer requirements in business contexts,
> Understanding the challenges posed by digitialization of business environments and learn ways to harness these ame to your advantage,
> Understand the importance of customer centricity as key to the success of organizations,
> Understanding the role of marketing and sales in business contexts.

PROFESSIONAL CAPSTONE PROJECT

25

> Professional consultancy thesis or professional experience report ( including entrepreneurial experience or regular work experience )

> See the detailed calendar

Exchanges

During the second semester, IÉSEG also provides the opportunity to a few students to take some additional electives in one or more of its partner schools/universities. These courses are offered over a week and specialize in some aspects of business linked to the region where the partner school/university is located. This arrangement helps International MBA participants to gain a richer multi-location learning experience during their program.

MBA – International track students blog

A student blog presents the program and daily life at the school, with articles written by MBA – International track students.

Discover the International Track student blog

Information about the MBA – International Track is as of October 2023 and may be subject to change.

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Dany MONY

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