Recommendations letters are very important. The admissions committee is used to looking at these and the ones that make the difference outline concrete examples of how the student lives up to the praise/recommendations given. You should therefore select references who know you best and have experience of working with you either academically or professionally. It is much better to have a reference from someone who knows you than from someone you have selected due to their position.
Frequently asked questions
Check out our FAQs below to find what you are looking for
We provide here help regarding the most common questions about the program, and we hope it will be effective!
Find here answers regarding the Master in Management (MIM)
You've got a Question? We've got the Answer!
Admissions
How important are the recommendation letters?
What is the interview like?
The interview is going to be unlike any other B-School interview. We don't grill you here; in stead we have a discussion in which we try to find a fit between you and the school. Basically, your motivation to come to France and ESSEC will be assessed, your future plans, your past experiences, and how it all fits with your life goals. You should be as genuine and honest as possible, it is the best for you and for the school.
Is prior professional experience required?
No, prior professional experience is not required. Work experience does help you with your application to get into the program, as it improves your application. To graduate you need to have a total of 12 months of experience, which you can gain during your studies through internships or an apprenticeship.
How important is the GMAT score?
The GMAT is part of your application, however ESSEC takes your whole profile into consideration. If you are very good in one area it might compensate for a weakness in another area. Therefore, a good GMAT Score might be an advantage but no guarantee to get into the program as well as a less-than-perfect GMAT score is no knock-out criterium. In any case you should aim for as high a GMAT score as you can possibly achieve.
Is a certain level of French required for the program?
The Master in Management Grande Ecole does not require a certain French level. Courses can be chosen so that the whole program is taught in English and all of the staff members at ESSEC do speak English. You have the chance to learn French during your program and also during an intensive course before the beginning of your program.
We do however strongly recommend you try and learn French when you are here. As you live in France and many of your fellow students and friends wil be French-speaking, acquiring the language does help you during your time at ESSEC and in France.
How do I choose the campus?
You can start either in France or Singapore and the decision is yours to make! When you start your online application, you will be asked which campus you wish to start the programme on. It is not possible to switch campuses after you have submitted your application except in exceptional circumstances.
How will my application be evaluated?
Every application is thoroughly reviewed by the admissions board which is comprised of both academic and professional staff, with consideration given to all elements including hard and soft skills.
What financing options are there?
In general, next to paying the tuition fee yourself, there are three different ways to finance your degree:
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Scholarship: Several exist, governmental as well as corporate. Some scholarship opportunities such as the EIFFEL Excellence Scholarship are listed on the Financing Tab of the Master in Management (MIM) program page. Have a look here.
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Credit: You can take a student loan to finance your studies.
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Apprenticeship: If you are an apprentice, your company will pay all your tuition fees plus a monthly salary.
Is the ESSEC Master in Management (MIM) a recognized Grande Ecole Program?
Yes. The ESSEC Grande Ecole/Master in Management program is authorised by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation to award a recognized BAC+5 degree, Master’s Grade, to its students. This is valid whether you start your program at the France campus or at the Singapore campus.
Is the ESSEC Master in Management (MIM) an RNCP Certified Program?
Yes.
Academics
Can each student really design his/her programme? Are there prerequisites/mandatory courses?
Each student has to pass 9 mandatory courses covering the fundamentals of management. You can however choose to take these all together in an intensive time period or spread these out over the duration of the programme. Note however that core courses are sometimes mandatory to do certain advanced classes. Then you must complete a minimum 16 other courses from a choice of 200 electives (8 departments, 20 specialised tracks, 20 Chairs, etc.). It really is flexible; no 2 trimesters are the same! You now also have the opportunity to “build your own course BYOC” where professors working on certain research areas will ask students to participate in co-creating a new course.
Is it possible to do one semester in Singapore at ESSEC and also one semester at another university elsewhere?
It is not only possible but recommended and to a certain extent required. As part of the graduation requirements, each student has to complete 6 months of international experience, that can be either via an academic exchange or by professional experience (internship, humanitarian mission, etc.). You can go to the Singapore campus of ESSEC and/or one of our partner universities. In the Grande Ecole programme, you have a choice of 90 prestigious universities all over the world.
What is the time schedule of classes?
You will have classes in three different slots, depending on the courses you choose, from Monday to Friday. The slots are: 9-12; 13.15-16.15; 16.30-19.30.
Student Life
What student clubs exist at ESSEC? What if I want to start a new club?
Over 80 cultural, professional, community, and athletic student associations exist at ESSEC. ESSEC is open to new ideas for clubs if the existing groups do not fit your needs or interests.
Where do most ESSEC students live?
Most ESSEC students choose to live in the school’s residence halls, some located within walking distance of the school with sufficient public transportation available. Students are also free to find their own housing near campus or in Paris, or to make arrangements with a roommate.
What are my transportation options?
If you choose to live in Cergy, walking and shuttle services are an easy solution for getting to campus. If you have a car, parking spaces are available in the residence halls and at the school. Cergy is well-served by public buses and also has a public bike rental program. In terms of transport to and from Paris, there is a train (Transilien line L) that runs in the mornings and evenings that goes to Saint-Lazare. The RER A runs all day and serves several locations throughout central Paris, including La Défense, which houses ESSEC’s second campus. ESSEC is located at the RER Station Cergy-Préfecture in zone 5. The commute to most areas in Paris takes approximately 45mins.
How can I find a room in Singapore? Does ESSEC Asia Pacific offer accommodation?
At the moment, ESSEC Asia Pacific does not offer accomodation. However, finding a room in Singapore is not as difficult as it might seem. Students of the Master in Management have created a “Flat-hunting guide” on our blog to help you in your search, and you might want to have a look at it.
Part 1: http://blog-msc-management.essec.edu/2016/06/flat-hunting-in-singapore.html
Part 2: http://blog-msc-management.essec.edu/2016/06/flat-hunting-in-singapore-2-student.html
Exchanges and Double Degrees
How do I apply for a Double Degree or Exchange?
The application process for the Double Degree programs is the same as for the exchange programs. We may take into account your GPA and your GMAT score. However there is a requirement of professional experience as well. For some Double Degrees you need a certain amount of prior work experience, especially for the MBA programs. (For some exchange universities you might have the same requirements). The number of students accepted for each program varies, some of the programs are more competitive.
Career Guidance and Prospects
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a work-study program where you study at ESSEC as well as work at a company at the same time. It is done in different 'rhythms' - some people do it on a weekly basis - work for 3 days and study at ESSEC for 2 days per week, some do it on a quarterly basis - work-study for 3 months, some do it in 6 month cycles etc.
The company you work for pays off your tuition fee (except a small portion, association fees, social security, enrolment fee, etc.) irrespective of when you get it. If you get it even after you have paid your full fee, it will be reimbursed as mentioned above. The company also pays you a salary each month for 24 months, irrespective of if you are at ESSEC or at the company.
What are the requirements to apply for an apprenticeship?
Regarding the apprenticeships, there are a few criteria to be ticked off in order to be eligible :
- be under 30 years old
- have validated at least 3 courses (and a maximum of 12 courses)
- start your apprenticeship contract at the start of each trimester (october, january or april) or during the summer
Does ESSEC offer Internships/Apprenticeships for non-French speaking students?
Yes, ESSEC does offer many career opportunities in English.
Can I get a Temporary Resident Permit, or APS (for "Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour") in France at the end of the program?
Yes, subject to having obtained a first student residence permit in France, for example by doing a part of the program in France or beginning the program at the Cergy campus in France.
The Temporary Resident Permit, or APS (for "Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour"), allows foreign students to remain in France for one year after the end of their studies.
During this period, they may look for a job (without restriction) or prepare for the creation of a company in a field corresponding to their training. Until a work contract has been signed, for a fixed period of time (CDD) or indefinite (CDI), foreign graduates with an APS are authorized to work under the same conditions as if they were students, meaning to a maximum of 964 hours per year, or approximately 20 hours per week.
Please refer to the Campus France website for more information.
Can I get a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) in Singapore at the end of the program?
Yes, subject to having already obtained a Student's Pass in Singapore, which comes with a FIN number that is used to apply for the Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) in Singapore. The student must also be in Singapore with a valid pass (Student's Pass or Visit Pass with at least 10 days remaining) when they submit the application.
The LTVP allows foreign students to remain in Singapore for one year after finishing their studies in Singapore to look for employment opportunities (This applies even if the student has done only a trimester at the end of his/her program in Singapore).
For more information regarding the application process, please visit this page.
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Abhimanyu, Benedikt, Kody, Jixin, Anastasiia, Melchior, Maria, Justina, Yuchen and Abhiraj,
current students, will be more than happy to answer your questions.
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