Master in Strategy & Management of International Business (SMIB)

The admission jury pays close and intensive attention to your profile as a whole, and not just a score. Therefore, there is no official minimum score required: a medium-level GMAT score is not necessarily without chance, and a higher GMAT score is not necessarily immediately admitted.

The general rule is, the higher the better: try your best to achieve a good GMAT score, and if you feel you could have done better, try and retake the test.

Finally, we do not communicate the average GMAT/GRE score of students accepted, because this often leads to applicants focusing far too much on the score itself. Remember, the profile as a whole is what counts, not just the GMAT or any other individual score.

However, if you intend to go for an exchange or a double degree, please take note of the following additional requirements:

If you apply for the SMIB, your chances of getting accepted into the program are based upon the quality of your entire profile, and not on the application round you pick. In other words, picking a later or earlier round will not affect your chances of being accepted in any way.

However, some tracks have a maximum capacity of enrolled students, thus we highly recommend applying early.

If you are not French speaking and want to remain in France for your internship or job in the future, learning French is fundamental. We offer French courses on campus for those who want to learn the language, at several levels. However, if your objective is not to remain in France, you do not need to speak French to take full advantage of our program as it is taught 100% in English.

The SMIB program also has a specific partnership with the CAVILAM – Alliance française in Vichy, where you will be invited to attend blocked seminars at a discounted price.

Once you confirm your seat in the program, the Office of the Registrar will take over and provide you with the necessary information to complete your administrative enrolment.
You will then have an Induction Week on the Singapore & Cergy campuses.
The first few days include a formal presentation and then a help desk to sort out all the administrative processes (student card, library, etc.).
These will then be followed by 2 days of team-building exercises and you will also have the opportunity to network with students from last year's SMIB class.

Courses take place from Monday to Friday, with a couple of Saturdays as well. Depending on the schedule, up to three classes can be organized in a day during the following time slots: 9 am – 12 pm, 1.15pm – 4.15 pm, 4.30 pm – 7.30 pm

You can read any book dealing with the political economy. In addition, if you do not have a scientific background, it is recommended that you go back to some mathematical books or something similar. Our professors might send you some preparatory homework during the holidays.

Your Academic Director, Prof. Maman, will also share some recommended readings with you.

For students completing the program in 1 year, you decide on your track when you apply for the program.

For students completing the program in 2 years, you decide on your track at the end of Year 1 (Master 1;M1).

Students in the Corporate Strategy track will also have the option to go on exchange or double degree programs. For these options, you indicate your choice during your application and confirm it when you start the program.

The company mission in Year 1 (Master 1; M1) lasts for a minimum of 3 months. You can start right after the end of your courses.

You have to write a report after completing the company mission.

The company mission in Year 2 (Master 2; M2) takes place after your courses. It lasts for 6 months and you can do it anywhere around the world. Depending on your track, this mission may not be compulsory.

Yes, indeed. ESSEC works with all major consulting firms and there are lots of internships available. Students doing the tracks at our Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore will be able to do the Asian Strategy Challenge, where you will work on a real case with companies to get first-hand experience. As a group of consultants, you will be faced with real strategy problems and will have to work on them to provide solutions. ESSEC also has a specific partnership with Capgemini.

The Career Services at our Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore is very active and well connected. They organize many events and tend to have a smaller more responsive network of partner companies. ESSEC is well-known in the region and has a good reputation with the companies who know and work with us. The school is constantly working to establish more partnerships and networks. Past students have worked in a huge variety of sectors and tend to be based in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, etc.

This is very different from year to year. It depends a lot on students’ backgrounds and years of previous working experience.

Yes, subject to having obtained a first student residence permit 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, whether they complete the program in one year (Doing one of the tracks in Cergy, France) or two years.

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.

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 the end of their studies to look for employment opportunities, whether they complete the program in one year (Doing a track at ESSEC Asia-Pacific in Singapore) or two years (Doing the M2 at ESSEC Asia-Pacific in Singapore). 

For more information regarding the application process, please visit this page.