ESSEC’S IMHI Program: The Best of Both Worlds, in 6 Unique Ways

ESSEC’s world-class MSc in Hospitality program (also known as IMHI, for Institut de Management Hôtelier International) prepares students for a broad range of international careers in the hospitality industry. This program was launched in 1981 in partnership with Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and ESSEC Business School. It has since continued to evolve as a leading hospitality management program with a competitive and rewarding offer.

Through a diverse learning experience based on lectures, case studies, simulations, seminars and projects, participants gain during two years real exposure to and experience in the field. The internship or apprenticeship tracks the program offers give these participants the possibility to apply in the business world the knowledge they have accumulated in the classroom. One unique feature of the program is its flexibility. Students acquire advanced knowledge in all the areas of management, ranging from human resources management to corporate finance, but they are also able to design their own journey by choosing from among 6 concentrations, each of them with a distinct focus that embraces abest of both worlds” approach — academic and professional. By selecting a concentration, explains IMHI Program Academic Director Carlos Ramirez,

students show potential employers their interests and expertise and will therefore have access to more job opportunities after graduating.

Developed for the global hospitality professionals of today and tomorrow, these six concentrations reflect the sector’s evolving landscape and key strategic developments. With a high content in specialized knowledge and practical skills, these concentrations help students develop their entrepreneurial and innovative mindset. Each concentration is managed by an expert in the field and students are invited to choose 3 out of the 4 courses that constitute its academic backbone. The concentrations include: E-Commerce; Real Estate & Development; Luxury Services Management; Food & Beverage; Entrepreneurship; and Sustainability. As Johanna Wagner, Head of the Sustainability Concentration explains:

Concentrations don’t limit students in any way but rather open up new global perspectives, and lay the foundations for them to take action in key situations, like the launch of a new business unit.

The concentration in Digital Leadership, for example, focuses on the growing digitization of travel and hospitality sales with courses like digital marketing and e-business strategy. Students who choose Real Estate & Development dive into the increasingly financial nature of the industry and the growing relevance of asset management in corporate strategy through courses such as hotel asset management and sustainable finance for hotel managers.

WIth a focus on luxury hotel operations, the Luxury Services Management concentration instructs students in the fundamentals of luxury as well as luxury brand development and management. For those participants interested in food and beverage services, the Food & Beverage focus provides students with training in the core concepts required for the planning and management of food service operations, whether for restaurants, catering or hotels.

Taught in collaboration with ESSEC Ventures, the cutting-edge Entrepreneurship focus provides the tools, knowledge and support for students interested in starting their own hospitality project or company through relevant, practical instruction. Courses of this concentration encompass for instance broader legal aspects of entrepreneurship but also teach everything one needs to know to launch a sustainable startup. Sustainability is a concentration in its own right, being obviously a topic which will be at the centre of the business activity for the decades to come. Enrolling on this concentration will equip participants with the perspective and practical insights needed to manage sustainable projects in tourism, travel and hospitality.

For more information about the concentrations, click here, or download the brochure here.