Master in International Business (MIB) program

This course analyzes the determinants and consequences of the international integration of markets and develops an understanding of the challenges and risks of international trade and investments. It also discusses the impact of globalization on goods, labor, and financial markets.

This course focuses on financial globalization, that is, the opening up of a country’s financial system to capital flows and financial firms from other countries. It provides the necessary background to understand the basics of global financial markets.

It then presents two important and related aspects of global finance: existing financial regulation and the two recent financial crises, the subprime crisis and the sovereign debt crisis. Finally, it explores possible solutions to fix global finance.

This course focuses on understanding and implementing the main strategy theories and applying them to organizations that operate in increasingly global markets. For instance, students analyze and implement the “strategy tripod”, which examines strategy from an industry-, institution-, and resource-based view. The course also identifies and discusses the challenges and opportunities that the globalization of markets poses to companies.

This course develops the statistical skills needed to make informed business decisions. Students learn how to collect, analyze, interpret, and present data, applying statistical techniques with SPSS. The course also emphasizes responsible and ethical data practices, preparing students to draw reliable insights and support evidence-based decision-making.

This course conveys the main logics and methodologies of the key HRM tools in an international context: planning, recruitment and selection, training, appraisal systems, and compensation. Organizational development policies and practices are explained and discussed transversally, in relation to the development of each HRM tool.

In every session, critical issues and problems arising from the practical application of HR operational systems in an international context are identified and examined, in order to foster a pragmatic approach.

This course presents an introduction to global marketing. The topics covered include the international marketing context, the process of selecting potential international markets and alternative market entry strategies, the development of the international marketing strategy, and the standardization vs. adaptation debate when designing the international marketing mix.

In addition to lectures, the course includes (video) case studies, in which students critically apply the concepts discussed in class and propose their own solutions to various real-life problems or situations. Finally, students work on a group project applying the concepts learned in class to a global company of their choice. An active, interactive, and critical approach is fundamental to this course.

It is often said that “accounting is the language of business”. This course familiarizes students with this global language, enabling them to read financial statements, make decisions based on these statements, and understand business conversations and documents that use key accounting concepts.

This course provides students with the knowledge and critical perspectives needed to address the sustainability and ethical challenges facing organizations in a rapidly changing global environment.

The first part of the course introduces major sustainability issues affecting businesses, including:

Climate change

Biodiversity loss

Social justice

Labor conditions

Global supply chains

Students explore key concepts, frameworks, tools, and standards for assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts, and how organizations can rethink their strategies and redesign their business models to support sustainability transitions. Throughout the course, they reflect critically on ecological limits, stakeholder responsibilities, and the ethical role of business in advancing sustainable development.

The second part of the course is devoted to program-specific applications tailored to the needs of each master’s program.

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically evaluate sustainability and ethical challenges, apply relevant ESG frameworks and ethical reasoning to organizational decision-making, and propose practical solutions that contribute to sustainable business practices.

Credited language courses for all levels are included in the program. French is mandatory for all non-French-speaking students.

Native French-speaking students can choose another language (Chinese, Spanish, German; list subject to change).

This course aims to provide a solid understanding of the structures, interconnections, concepts, challenges, and opportunities of international supply chains and logistics, as well as of the dynamics of their environment and their management.

Students analyze supply chains, learn about the elements of supply chain networks and logistics, and become familiar with the parameters that affect an organization’s supply chain management. They learn to evaluate different supply chain designs and to plan organization-specific supply chain concepts, from procurement to distribution.

Students also learn to evaluate the potential for further improving the sustainability, agility, and resilience of organizations’ supply chain management while meeting profitability requirements. Finally, they understand the impact of digitalization on supply chain management and logistics and can assess the opportunities it offers to optimize efficiency and sustainability within an organization.

This course is based on a business management simulation that integrates different functional areas of business, such as production, marketing, logistics, finance, and strategy. It increases participants’ awareness of operating a company from a general management perspective, in a dynamic and global environment.

To stimulate reflection and practice, the simulation may be combined with a company visit.

This course helps students understand the link between corporate strategy and financial analysis. They decode financial statements to address the informational concerns of internal and external decision-makers regarding a company’s future performance and related risks, by:

Analyzing the informational content of the balance sheet, notably by constructing and interpreting the statement of financial structure (working capital, working capital requirement, and net cash)

Analyzing and interpreting the structure of the income statement (and the statement of intermediate balances)

Analyzing and interpreting the statement of cash flows, notably by calculating and interpreting excess cash flow, available cash flow, and free cash flow, as well as the cash conversion cycle

Calculating, analyzing (through decomposition), and interpreting financial ratios

Meaningfully comparing financial statements and ratios over time and with those of other firms, to help detect, for example, changes in strategy, differences in market approach or differences in financial health, and to generate advice for decision-making

The objectives of this course are to allow participants to:

Understand the role of new technologies in companies

Describe the latest trends in ICT

Understand the Gartner Hype Cycle

Determine, by applying appropriate theoretical lenses, when investing in an information system is a good or a bad idea

Appreciate the importance of technologies for companies in specific industries

Gain greater awareness of ESRS topics such as planned obsolescence and website visitor tracking practices

The objective of the course is to introduce advanced methods of project management. It covers the following topics:

Basics of project management: precedence relationships, representations, critical path

Resource leveling: priority lists, schedule generation

Microsoft Project (computer session): project management in practice

Stochastic durations: simulation, PERT method, critical chain method

Risk management: identifying and planning for risks

Agile project management

Students develop intercultural competence through self-reflection and collaboration in culturally diverse teams, strengthening their ability to communicate and work effectively across cultures. The course combines intercultural management frameworks with practical exercises such as cognitive frame-shifting to foster inclusive leadership and the creation of stable, efficient, and harmonious organizational environments.

Students choose three electives from our course catalogue. Electives cover a broad range of topics, such as legal aspects, multi-channel marketing, customer experience management, blockchain for business, and entrepreneurial finance.

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills required to investigate complex organizational challenges through rigorous research methods. Students learn to identify and analyze business problems, select and apply appropriate research methodologies, and critically engage with academic and professional sources to build robust, evidence-based knowledge.

Emphasis is placed on developing creative solutions to organizational issues and communicating research findings effectively through clear, persuasive, and professional presentation techniques. The course combines a common foundation in research methods with program-specific applications that reflect the research needs and practices of each master’s program.

By the end of the course, students will be able to design and conduct methodologically sound research that supports informed decision-making in organizational and business contexts.

The Career Program aims to help IÉSEG students build and implement their career plan in line with their aspirations, skills and the socio-economic reality of the market.

The objective is to facilitate their integration into the job market, in an environment that allows them to develop personally and professionally.

All students benefit from a credited program tailored to their track or major, taught by a dedicated team of experienced professionals. The Career Program includes collective credited courses, digital resources, and on-demand coaching provided by the Career team for those who need additional support.

A cycle of thematic events fosters connections with companies and helps students build their professional networks. Our teaching approach blends various methods, including digital modules, interactive and blended learning, coaching, peer-to-peer learning, learning by doing, live scenarios, debriefing, and reflection, in line with IÉSEG’s teaching and learning strategy.

Credited language courses for all levels are included in the program. French is mandatory for all non-French-speaking students.

Native French-speaking students can choose another language (Chinese, Spanish, German; list subject to change).

This course guides students into the new era of professional selling and helps them identify and create value for their future customers, because in the end, everything is about selling.

By the end of the course, students will understand customer value and be able to sell a product or service to a buyer using the SPIN technique. They will also have a helicopter view of the features of good sales managers and of how they differ from good salespeople.

This course equips students with the skills needed to establish and sustain successful international business relationships through effective negotiation. Students learn to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes by exploring key topics such as distributive and integrative negotiation tactics, negotiation planning, and the role of culture in shaping negotiation strategies. The course also covers conflict management in international settings.

The aim of this course is to develop leadership potential. Through a series of lectures and exercises, it builds leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes in four important domains: task-oriented, relation-oriented, change-oriented, and ethics-oriented leadership.

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills required to investigate complex organizational challenges through rigorous research methods. Students learn to identify and analyze business problems, select and apply appropriate research methodologies, and critically engage with academic and professional sources to build robust, evidence-based knowledge.

Emphasis is placed on developing creative solutions to organizational issues and communicating research findings effectively through clear, persuasive, and professional presentation techniques. The course combines a common foundation in research methods with program-specific applications that reflect the research needs and practices of each master’s program.

By the end of the course, students will be able to design and conduct methodologically sound research that supports informed decision-making in organizational and business contexts.

This course gives participants an in-depth understanding of entrepreneurship, new business development, and business plan writing.

Through lectures, testimonials, fieldwork, and group assignments, participants are confronted with the how, where, when, with whom, and why of starting and developing new business activities.

As part of an international and multicultural team, participants work on an operational business plan with one of two aims:

The creation of a new venture (NVC track)

The acceleration of new business for an already established SME (NBD track)

The course thus goes beyond theory: hands-on experience is gained through out-of-class fieldwork covering all steps of the entrepreneurial decision-making process, for example idea generation, feasibility analysis, industry study, market analysis, marketing plan, production plan, product development, and financial statements.

In doing so, participants acquire entrepreneurial knowledge and behaviors that support innovative solutions and new value creation.

This course equips students with the analytical tools and strategic perspective to understand how geopolitical dynamics impact global business environments. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students explore the influence of political risk, international relations, and global power shifts on trade, investment, supply chains, and corporate strategy.

Emphasis is placed on real-world cases and interactive discussions to help students assess geopolitical risk and adapt business decisions accordingly. By the end of the course, participants will be able to integrate geopolitical thinking into strategic planning, enabling responsible and resilient decision-making in complex international contexts.

Particular attention is given to the social impact of geopolitical shifts, encouraging students to consider how business decisions can promote inclusive growth, ethical practices, and long-term societal resilience.

This is a modular, asynchronous course designed to give participants a comprehensive and integrated understanding of AI and its transformative impact on business strategy. Bridging technical knowledge and strategic insight, the course guides learners through a rich curriculum that explores how AI drives innovation, enhances operational efficiency, and creates sustainable competitive advantages.

The learning journey culminates in real-world case studies that demonstrate how leading organizations have successfully integrated AI into their strategies, operations, and innovation processes. These examples provide actionable insights and help bridge theory and practice.

Crucially, the course also addresses the broader societal and environmental impacts of AI, placing ethical, ecological, and workforce considerations at the heart of strategic decision-making. By the end of the course, participants will understand not only how AI works, but also how to deploy it responsibly and strategically for long-term business success in complex, dynamic environments.

Creativity is one of the critical components of an organization’s ability to survive and thrive in today’s competitive and dynamic markets. This course gives participants a rich understanding of how creativity can be fostered and managed in a work setting.

They will acquire knowledge of the various theoretical conceptualizations of creativity (how to define it), its antecedents (what makes you and others more creative) and its outcomes (what impact it has), as well as of design thinking techniques and tools to lead teams through the creative journey.

Here are some of the questions we will address:

How do creative ideas happen?

How can we foster our creativity and the creativity of those around us?

What are the paths of creative development of individuals who succeed in their creative endeavors?

What are the implications for fostering and managing creativity in the workplace?

What are the obstacles to creativity?

What is the nature of creativity in teams and organizations?

During the course, a variety of teaching and learning techniques (including design thinking) will be used to help participants think critically and imaginatively about different perspectives on creativity.

To make learning a shared experience between participants and the instructor, the course integrates real challenges and practical experiences of creativity: projects, presentations, experiential exercises, and critical reflection on the course materials.

This advanced course offers a comprehensive exploration of how organizations can effectively manage, measure, and align performance at individual, team, and organizational levels. It begins by clarifying the concept of performance management: what it is, what it is not, and what characterizes effective strategic performance practices.

Students will examine the challenges of defining and measuring performance accurately, and how to align performance indicators with broader strategic goals such as employee engagement, retention, and organizational growth. Throughout the course, they will work with a range of human resource management tools applicable at the various stages of the performance management cycle. Legal, ethical, and reporting considerations, as well as software solutions, are also addressed to provide a holistic understanding of modern performance systems.

A key focus of the course is the social dimension of performance management. Students will explore how to design systems that are valid, reliable, and fair for all employees, with a strong emphasis on eliminating bias and supporting diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

The course encourages critical assessment of whether performance systems genuinely enable all individuals, regardless of background, to demonstrate their full potential. This includes addressing how organizational culture, leadership behaviors, and system design can unintentionally disadvantage certain groups, and how such challenges can be effectively mitigated in practice.

Credited language courses for all levels are included in the program. French is mandatory for all non-French-speaking students.

Native French-speaking students can choose another language (Chinese, Spanish, German; list subject to change).

4- to 6-month internship or work experience anywhere in the world. Alternatively, students can opt for a consulting project or a thesis.