17/12/2008 | France, Management

Top-ranking French business schools

By: Ann Graham

Six of the top 10 Masters in Management programs come from French business schools, according to Financial Times rankings. Why is France so far out in front of the rest of the Eurozone, asks Ann Graham.

HEC School of Management, ESCP-EAP European School of Management, Grenoble Graduate School of Business, Essec Business School, EM LYON, EDHEC – much like the French rugby team, it’s a formidable line-up. And as the Financial Times rankings show, these heavy weights of Europe’s business schools continue to top league tables for their Masters in Management programs.

The Financial Times rankings assess Masters in Management degrees, which differ from MBA programs in that most students join the courses directly after their undergraduate degree; more often than not an MBA requires several years of work experience. One of the main criteria of the ranking is an evaluation of the careers that alumni enjoy three years after graduating from the programs, which includes a survey of salaries. So, just who are these top players and what unique attributes do they possess that are putting them so far out in front of the rest of their academic competitors?

Three years after graduation, alumni are earning in excess of US$70,000.

HEC School of Management
Based in Paris, the HEC School of Management has topped the Financial Times ranking for the last four years. With a faculty of over 100 full-time professors, the school caters for a wide range of interests from the 20-year-old student to the international senior executive. HEC holds the triple crown accreditation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the European accreditation EQUIS from EFMD, and the American accreditation AACSB. The school offers an 18-month Masters of Science (MSc) in Management designed for candidates with no background in management and a 12-month MSc in different disciplines such as international business, finance, economics, and sustainable development. Three years after graduation, alumni are earning in excess of US$70,000.

Students enrolled in the masters can study in two or three of the five locations ESCP-EAP operates in.

ESCP-EAP School of Management
Made up of five campuses in London, Madrid, Paris, Torino and Berlin, ESCP-EAP has gained two positions in the latest Financial Times Masters in Management ranking, and now places second behind its compatriot HEC. Founded in Paris in 1819, ESCP-EAP now has 3,500 students representing 90 different nationalities currently studying at the school, which boasts accreditations from AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. The Masters in Management program consists of core and elective courses, a specialization, language course, research project and internship. Students enrolled in the masters can study in two or three of the five locations ESCP-EAP operates in. Three years after graduation, alumni are earning more than US$66,000.

Grenoble offers students a range of qualifications taught in both French and English.

Grenoble Graduate School of Business
Grenoble Graduate School of Business has also moved two places since last year’s Financial Times Masters in Management rankings and now places at number seven. The school which has over 4,000 students studying either on campus or via the school’s distance learning programs boasts the triple crown accreditation – AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. It has 159 partner institutions, and 10 sites outside of France, allowing students to experience an international element during their time studying at the school. With masters programs in finance, marketing, and innovation and technology management, Grenoble offers students a range of qualifications taught in both French and English. Three years after graduation, alumni are earning more than US$64,000.

Number six in the Financial Times Masters in Management ranking, Essec has 3,700 full-time students studying across 35 programs at campuses in Paris and Singapore.

Essec Business School
Number six in the Financial Times Masters in Management ranking, Essec has 3,700 full-time students studying across 35 programs at campuses in Paris and Singapore. Students interested in Essec’s Masters in Management can choose from a range of specializations including: marketing management, financial techniques, and international supply management. All masters programs are taught in French although there is one program taught in English – the Masters in Management with a specialization in strategy and management of international business. Essec’s specialized masters degrees are accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. Three years after graduation, alumni are earning around US$60,000.