• Opportunities to work for over 7,000 MNCs and gain expertise in Asian business practices.
• The Asian Strategy Challenge and annual study trip give students valuable industry experience.
• Unique ESSEC Asia-Pacific career support helps with job searching.

Just like a Master in Business Administration (MBA), the ESSEC Master in Strategy & Management of International Business (SMIB) program provides graduates with the opportunity to learn new skills, move up the corporate ladder, or pivot into new industries.

However, it has a different work experience requirement and a hefty price tag.

What it does come with is a record of success: The Financial Times ranked it as the sixth best Master in Management in the world, and many of its graduates have also gone on to work in top companies such as McKinsey & Company, Google, Deloitte, and others.

No doubt, ESSEC’s learning by doing pedagogy and career-oriented curriculum play a part. Still, as some students have found, it is also because of the additional benefits of studying at the Asia-Pacific campus.

1 | The Chance to Be in a Growing Business Hub

“Southeast Asia is an extremely fast-paced market with so much potential. Singapore’s importance as a business hub in this region made this the perfect place to start my career,” alumnus Alexis Maissant, who comes from France, explains his choice.

Many others share his opinion and are drawn to Singapore because of its role as Asia’s most significant financial hub, it’s home to over 7,000 multinational companies (MNC), and its proximity to other growing Asian economies.

These all translate to more internships and job opportunities in a growing economic power.

The fact that all courses at the Asia-Pacific campus are taught with the Asian context in mind ensures that SMIB students are well-positioned to take these opportunities.

And given how Asia’s growing influence means that more international companies are now recruiting individuals with knowledge and expertise in Asian business practices, it is likely that even those who wish to start careers elsewhere in the world can benefit.

2 | Opportunities Unique to ESSEC Asia-Pacific

A second reason is the opportunities exclusive to SMIB students at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus, such as the Asian Strategy Challenge (ASC).

This allows students to work as consultants for actual companies—offering the dual benefit of giving students experience in a strategy-related position as they learn about Asia.

“The ASC project I worked on allowed me to gain new skills and explore a sustainability-related topic. As sustainability becomes a bigger challenge in the coming decades, this experience will give me a competitive edge,” Emilie Henon, who comes from France, testifies.

Besides this, students also have the opportunity for a one-week study trip to another Asian country to network with industry professionals and deepen their understanding of business in Asia.

For example, Faith Melgar, from the Philippines, visited Bangkok, where she met public and private sector firms contributing to the country’s economic growth.

“The study trip was a good introduction to what it would be like as an international businessperson,” she says, adding: “I enjoyed meeting representatives from different companies to ask questions and learn more about the industries I’m interested in.”

3 | Personalized Career Services Support

Faith adds that a particular benefit she has found from being at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus is that the more intimate size allows for more personalized career support.

“Theresa Chew, our career services advisor, advised me on career prospects and internships. She really helped me make sense of my different aspirations,” she explains.

In addition, students in Singapore can tap into a mentorship program for career support. For aspiring consultant Madeleine Guo, for example, being paired with a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) mentor was pivotal to her decision to join the firm.

Besides recommending resources to prepare her for consulting interviews, he gave her insights into life as a consultant. He enabled her to “envision what life at BCG would be like.”

As Faith aptly puts it, “ESSEC Asia-Pacific offers students the best of both worlds”—European-styled education set at the heart of one of Asia’s most prosperous economies, complete with the support one needs to take on the global world.