Thriving in today’s global business environments requires a unique set of skills. One must be able to navigate through volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) contexts with strategic thinking, critical reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and strong communication skills.
ESSEC Business School’s Master in Strategy and Management of International Business (SMIB) program is ranked 2nd worldwide in 2023 by QS among Masters in Management programs and 1st in Asia. The program offers customized tracks and specializations that equip participants with solid analytical, digital, strategic, innovation, and entrepreneurial skill sets that are highly sought after in a competitive job market.
As a student of SMIB, you will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on assignments and company projects, benefit from an outstanding learning experience, and learn from a world-class faculty. You will also join a global community of 71,000 ESSEC alumni, including more than 3,000 former SMIB participants.
The Master in Strategy and Management of International Business (SMIB) program is authorized by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research to award a recognised BAC+5 degree, Master’s Grade, to its students. Upon completion of the program, students would have accumulated a total of 300 ECTS to obtain a Master’s degree.
Triple Crown Accreditation
The academic excellence of ESSEC’s programs is recognized through its international standards in management training, and it holds the prestigious ”Triple Crown'' of accreditations: EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.
“Welcome to France”- Campus France
ESSEC Business School has been recognized by Campus France and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research for the quality of its international students’ welcome.
The school received the highest level that can be obtained from the "Bienvenue en France" certification, which is the third level.
This certification recognizes the quality of ESSEC's reception in all the criteria provided:
Choice of a specialized track in France or in Asia, each with a specific career goal in mind.
The chance to mix with a highly diverse class and teaching faculty.
A professional business mindset in all aspects of the program.
Integrated professional experiences.
Exchange and double degree opportunities with leading academic partners.
An international business study trip.
Please note that the duration of the Master in SMIB is 2 years (Master 1 + Master 2) or 1 year (Master 2 only), depending on your background and latest degree.
MASTER 1 (M1)
A year to grasp the prerequisites of strategy and decide where to specialize during the M2
In FRANCE
Academic Courses - Professional Workshops - Case Studies - Company Missions - Languages
MASTER 2 (M2)
A year to choose your track and gain specialized knowledge and experience, integrating critical thinking about sustainability and responsible leadership
CORPORATE
CONSULTING
Focus on Western Countries IN FRANCE
Focus on Asian Countries IN SINGAPORE
Focus on Western Countries IN FRANCE
Focus on Asian Countries IN SINGAPORE
Option to do an Exchange/Double Degree
Academic Courses - Professional Workshops - Business Simulation - Case Studies - Company Missions - Soft Skills
Year 1 - Master 1 (M1) - ESSEC Cergy Campus (France)
You will build your foundations in strategy and understand how international complexity impacts business conduct. Through this first year, you will also discover your professional interests, to help you decide on which specialized track to choose in Year 2 (M2).
Some courses: Strategic Tools for Strategy Building, Introduction to Data, Business Conduct - An International Perspective, Sustainable Development and Managerial Challenges, Geopolitics
The M1 will be conclude by a 3-month (minimum) Company Mission.
Year 2 - Master 2 (M2) - ESSEC Cergy Campus (France)
In collaboration with
This track is designed for students who want to work in developed Western countries, as a “full-member” of a traditional company, and eventually a family business as well. They aim at various positions with a strategic strandpoint and an international flavor. Students in this track may also go for a double degree or exchange program.
Some courses: SIMTRADE - Financial Markets Simulation, Western Geopolitics, Value Creation and Performance Management, Responsible Leadership and Sustainable Business Practices, Structuring a Leveraged Transaction (LBO), M&A
This track will be conclude by a 4 to 6-month Company Mission
In collaboration with and
This track is designed for students who want to work as a consultant in developed western countries. They may work in strategy consulting, management consulting, marketing and communications consulting, etc.
Some courses: Intercultural Communication, Western Geopolitics, Strategic Consulting, Valuation and M&A, Law for Business Leaders
This track will be conclude by a 4 to 6-month Company Mission
Year 2 - Master 2 (M2) - ESSEC Asia-Pacific Campus (Singapore)
This track is designed for students who want to work in developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as a “full-member” of a traditional company, and eventually a family business as well. They aim at various positions with a strategic strandpoint and an international flavor. Students in this track may also go for a double degree or exchange program.
Some courses: Innovation Management, Digital Transformation and Analytics, Financial Markets in Asia (Mega Trends, Strategies and Impacts), Negotiating Business Deals in Asia, ASC: The Consultant Toolkit Mastering, C-centric Strategy
This track will be conclude by a 6-month Company Mission or 7-month Asian Strategy Challenge
This track is designed for students who want to work as a consultant in developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region. They may work in strategy consulting, management consulting, marketing and communications consulting, etc.
Some courses: Strategic Consulting in Asia: Tools and Issues, Creating and Capturing Value from Innovation, International Human Resources Management, Financial Markets (with Asian focus), ASC: The Consultant Toolkit Mastering
This track will be conclude by a 7-month Asian Strategy Challenge
More about the courses offered by the SMIB program by downloading the brochure
In France and in Singapore
ONE-WEEK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SEMINAR
Whether you study in France or in Singapore, you will have the option of going for a one-week international business seminar that provides opportunities to meet local professionals and business leaders. Topics explored during the business seminar focus on entering the domestic market and local opportunities, threats and risks.
CAREER DAY
Whichever campus you study at, you will get the chance to meet professionals, mostly SMIB alumni, at different stages of their career and in different industries. They will share insights about the reality behind their job title and how they reached that position along with the necessary skills etc. This day is SMIB-exclusive and aims to make you better informed about what you are actually applying for when you embark on your job search.
SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
Balancing growth and sustainability has become key for businesses across all industries. Through the Sustainability Workshops and Seminars, students will be immersed in sustainability topics to strengthen their awareness and sensitivity towards related issues in seminar and workshops like Business and Society Seminar, Social and Sustainable Innovation Workshop, Responsible Innovation Bootcamp.
DIGITAL WEEK COMPETITION (DWC)
A vast student agency competition on real and current business cases where ESSEC students are considered as young digital consultants. Partner companies propose their digital transformation issues to 3 groups of students. Students then have 1 week to work in multi-specialty groups supervised by a coach, analyze, design, and present high-quality solutions on Friday, which are recognized and often actually adopted by the partners.
A competition to meet the needs:
Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Toronto, Canada
ESSEC Africa campus, Rabat, Morocco | Focus on the track Global Manager in Africa
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong
Darla Moore School of Business - University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States - Master in International Business
EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico - MBA | Focus on Entrepreneurship
YEAR 1 (MASTER 1, M1)
3-MONTH COMPANY MISSION
If you start the program in M1 (according to your background and degree), you will have the opportunity to start building your professional experience through the 3-month company mission, which takes place at the end of the year. This experience allows you to discover your professional interests to help you choose the specialized track that is most adapted to your goals during the M2. You will also be able to put the knowledge and skills you have learned to practice in a real-life context.
YEAR 2 (MASTER 2, M2)
4-6-MONTH COMPANY MISSION
The 4-6-month company mission enables you to apply your newly acquired skills and knowledge through hands-on experience in an organization anywhere around the globe.
7-MONTH ASIAN STRATEGY CHALLENGE
This 7-month consulting mission is the perfect opportunity for you to experience the consulting industry in Asia, allowing you to put in practice all the hard and soft skills needed to become a qualified consultant in the region. During the mission, you will work with your classmates as part of a real consulting team on a mission proposed by a company or an economic cluster located in APAC, under the supervision of an ESSEC coach.
YEAR-LONG DIGITAL AND INNOVATION MISSION with Kxiop
For students based at ESSEC Cergy campus (France)
This year long consulting mission in partnership with Kxiop is open to the students from both tracks 'Corporate' and 'Consulting'. Students work under the guidance of a team of consultants at Kxiop on a real client case throughtout the academic year.
Prof. Liem NGUYEN
Academic Director, Cergy campus (France)
Prof. Srividya JANDHYALA
Academic Director, ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus (Singapore)Over the years, successive classes of students at ESSEC Business School have founded and managed more than 100 clubs and organizations, with a wide variety of themes: sports, cultural, humanitarian, international or civic, there is something for everyone!
These organizations, often founded and managed by the students themselves, aim to foster student life, promote the school's values, develop students' professional skills, and contribute to the social and cultural life of the campus.
SMIB for Smiles
SMIB for Smiles is a charity association of the ESSEC Business School's Master in Strategy & Management of International Business (SMIB). Be it making a contribution towards the education of underprivileged children or charity activities to uplift the living conditions of the homeless, we help NGOs and humanitarian organisations in the planning and execution of their goodwill missions. It reflects our commitment to the values of ESSEC Business School and enables our team to enhance their skill sets related to community development and mutual collaboration.
Created in 2015, Stratngo Consulting is the ESSEC Business School pro bono strategy association providing consulting services to NGOs. Driven by ESSEC Master in Strategy & Management of International Business (SMIB) students, Stratngo Consulting is willing to have a positive impact worldwide. Through the various backgrounds of our international team, we help NGOs by providing them pro bono services such as strategy consulting, marketing strategy and financial consulting in the fields of health, environment, education, human rights and culture.
ESSEC Paris-Cergy Campus
ESSEC's historic campus is located in the city of Cergy, about 30 km northwest of Paris. The campus covers more than seven hectares and offers modern and spacious facilities. It includes several buildings, a library, a gymnasium inaugurated in 2023, as well as areas for relaxing between classes.
ESSEC Asia-Pacific Campus, Singapore
ESSEC's Asia-Pacific Campus, which was inaugurated in 2015, is located in Singapore, Asia, a dynamic city-state known for its thriving business environment and multicultural population. The campus is located in the heart of the city, close to major business centers and commercial areas.
(RE)SET, 24S (LVMH), Autoteile, AB Science, Abbott, AbbVie, Accenture, Adyen, AEC Partners, AfriDoctor, Agorapulse, Air France, Air Liquide, Alcimed, Allianz, Alpha Financial, Markets Consulting, Alstom, Amazon, Amundi, Agrimeat, APACMed, April, AramisAuto, Arbiom, Assemblée Nationale, AstraZeneca, Aurexia, Axa Investment Managers, Back Market, Baobab+, Baxter International, Bayer, BCG, BearingPoint, BLACAZ., BNP Paribas, Bpifrance, British American Tobacco, Broychim, Buy2sell, CAD.42, Capgemini Invent, Carbo, Cardionovum, Carrefour, CBRE, Cider, CMA-CGM, CMI strategies, CNH Industrial, Coca-Cola, Compagnie de Phalsbourg, Crédit Agricole CIB, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, Dalberg Global Development Advisors, Dassault Systèmes, Decathlon, Deloitte, DHL, Disneyland Paris, DriveQuant, Ecolab, EcoTree, Edenred, EHG Evolution Health Group, EKLR, Elsan, Engie, ERC Executive Agency, Eurogroup Consulting, EverWatt, Exton Consulting, EY, EY-Parthenon, Fast Retailing, Financière First National, Finexsi, Foodpanda, FRED, FutureBrand, Generali, GENYZ, GNT Capital, Gold Nest Capital, Grab, Grant Thornton International, Group CVA, Groupe Henner, Groupe ING, Groupe Renault, GSK, Guinot-Mary Cohr, HappyVore, Hermès, HIKVISION, Hilti, Holcim, HTX, Huawei, iGraal, Imerys, Innate Pharma, Ipsen Pharma, IQVIA, iXblue, J.P.Morgan, Janssen Cilag, Jicap Performance, Johnson & Johnson, Julhiet Sterwen, KPMG, KRDS Paris, Kxiop, L.E.K. Consulting, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, Laboratoires Urgo, LaMarne Management, Left Bank Asset Management, LEK Consulting, LifeScan, Lingang Group, Liveo, Louis Vuitton Malletier, LVMH, Maestis, Mangopay, ManoMano, Marpico, Mars&Co, Massena Partners, McKinsey&Company, Ministère des Armées, Monitor Deloitte, MSD France, Murex, My Mother Agency, MyTrooperS, NEOEN, Network Rail, Niji, Nissan, Novagen Conseil, Novartis, NovaSource Power Services, Novocure, ObvioHealth, Odigo, Orange, Orphoz, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Philips, Porsche Consulting, Procter&Gamble, Proofpoint, Publicis Groupe, PwC, REI Habitat, Reitzel Groupe, Rexel, Roche, Roland Berger, Salsify, Sanofi, Schneider Electric, Sea Shepherd Global, Shopee, Sia Partners, Simple and New, Singapore Airlines, Snowflake, Société Générale, Sofrecom, Soitec, Solution BI France, Sopra Steria Next, SPREAD, Stanwell Consulting, Starburst, STEP Consulting, SumUp, Sunday, Tempow,Tereos, Thales, The Export-Import Bank of China, Thi Factory, TotalEnergies, Triago, Tuya Smart, Uber, Ubisoft, UCB Pharma, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Vaisala, Vertone, Vinci Airports, Wavestone, WeWard, Wizzin, Yext, Yves Saint Laurent
This recruitment fair brings together around hundred companies. You will establish contacts with companies from all sectors of activity, such as: Air Liquide, Amazon, Bouygues, Carrefour, Ekimetrics, Groupe Casino, Henkel, L’Oréal, LVMH, Metro, Orange, Saint-Gobain, Groupe TF1, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Unilever, Vinci, etc.
Start-up & Innovative Companies Fair
This fair brings together start-ups for a pitch and speed recruiting day.
During this recruitment fair you will establish exceptional contacts with consulting firms such as: Accenture, Accuracy, Bain & Company, BearingPoint, BCG, Capgemini Invent, KPMG, Mazars, McKinsey & Company, Roland Berger, Wavestone, etc.
During this recruitment fair you will establish exceptional contacts with financial institutions such as: Ardian, AXA, BNP Paribas, Bpifrance, Candriam, Centerview Partners, Crédit Agricole CIB, Hines, Moody’s, ODDO BHF, Qonto, Rothschild & co, Société Générale, UBS, etc.
ESSEC Career Services
Career guidance and advice
ESSEC Career Services provides orientation and support to help students find suitable positions upon graduating. These services include personal development coaching which has been designed to help students capitalize on their skills and experience, so they become conscious of their assets.
By defining a personal strategy to market their skills, students optimize their chances of succeeding on their chosen career path.
The Career Services also organize individual counseling, workshops, mock interviews, conferences and opportunities to meet with executive search consultants, industry leaders/CEOs and HR Directors.
25,000 exclusive job postings: internships, apprenticeships, graduate programs, V.I.E and jobs.
450+ meetings with recruiters based in France and all around the world: job fairs, company presentations and case studies.
Nearly 4,000 individual appointments with career consultants.
An access to 3 learning platforms and 50+ articles, training and self-teaching modules.
200+ career-related workshops.
ESSEC Alumni: A network For Life
When you join ESSEC Business School, you join a community and will discover the power of the ESSEC network.
ESSEC Alumni already has 71,000 graduates with diverse profiles dispersed in all corners of the world. With unique personalities, they share a common goal: to achieve their career objectives. As you enter ESSEC, you become a member of ESSEC Alumni and you remain one forever. This is the lifetime membership, that ESSEC has been the first French Business School with a global reach to put in place.
ESSEC Alumni is by your side at every stage of your career:
When you are a student, to guide you in finding professional opportunities through the network, exchanging with graduates, benefiting from various services to launch your start-up, and staying up to date with the latest news from the ESSEC community.
When you are a graduate, to support you throughout your professional life, help you develop your network and exchange with your peers, guide you in benefiting from services for your start-up, and allow you to rediscover the atmosphere of your ESSEC years.
Since its creation, ESSEC has always cultivated a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, which lies at the very core of its educational approach, research, and managerial practices.
