For those looking to gain a career advantage in the global workplace, a master’s degree offers a solution.

Particularly attractive to fresh graduates and early-career professionals is the Master in Management (MiM), which, compared to the pricier Master in Business Administration (MBA) qualification, requires zero to a few years of experience.

Business schools across the world offer MiM programs. Still, with French business schools occupying almost half of the top 10 positions on the Financial Times list for best Master’s in Management and the rise of the Asian century, there is reason to believe there is no better place for a MiM than in a French school—and in Singapore.

The Impact of Heritage on Curriculum

The MiM program was developed in France back in the 19th century. As pioneers of the degree, French business schools have had years to refine the curriculum, resulting in the unique offerings one can find today.

Take, for instance, the ESSEC Business School MiM. The program offers over 200 electives and 50 specializations, covering everything from consulting to sustainability, sport and health.

Over the years, the school has built partnerships across the globe, so students enjoy global study options at over 105 partner universities and through 19 double degree programs—in addition to ESSEC’s three campuses in France, Singapore, and Africa.

ESSEC’s long-standing heritage has also cemented its reputation with industry partners. This has led to professional tracks for MiM students sponsored and co-designed by industry leaders like L’Oreal, BNP Paribas Accenture, and more.

For Wenwen Zhu from the MiM class 2018, being part of the Digital Disruption Chair by BNP Paribas was an “eye-opening” experience.

“We learned how the AirBnB founders started their company, how the Guardian newspaper adapted to the digital world, and how Tesco reacted to e-commerce disruptors,” she recalls.

Harshit Agrawal, the Strategic Business Analytics Chair by Accenture, shares these sentiments.

“It was crucial for me that we were able to use our classroom knowledge in an actual, real-world project for Accenture and be guided by Accenture coaches,” the 2022 alumni says, noting that this gave him insights he would not have gained from simply being in a classroom.

The Practicality of a French-styled Education

These chairs are just one of many examples of how a French-styled education emphasizes applying knowledge.

Others include how MiM students at ESSEC have the flexibility to choose from apprenticeships, internships, or even starting their own company to gain industry exposure.

Upon graduation, they will have accumulated at least 12 months of professional experience, helping them overcome the biggest obstacle that fresh graduates face—the lack of knowledge.

In fact, practice for the real world starts from day one at ESSEC through group projects and presentations that train students to apply their knowledge in real-world cases.

This process hones their analytical capabilities and teaches them valuable soft skills like collaboration and communication.

The results for this speak for themselves: Pandemic notwithstanding, 54 percent of ESSEC MiM graduates secured employment before graduation, making the MiM program well deserving of its ranking of sixth best master’s degree in management in the world and top in Asia in the Financial Times Masters in Management ranking in 2022.

The Advantages of ESSEC Asia-Pacific

Which brings us to the final point: Why Singapore? Because the country is a financial and business hub at the heart of Asia.

It is home to over 7,000 multinational companies and 80 of the world’s top 100 tech firms. Simply put, it is a place where opportunities abound.

Furthermore, as Asia rises in influence in the global economy, knowledge of the region is in arguably high demand, no matter the industry or role one eventually takes.

MiM students at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific in Singapore will have an advantage.

Besides the experience of living in a multicultural society, they also gain insights into Asian business through the MiM program’s specialized tracks—Business Management in Asia, Corporate Finance, Fintech in Asia, and Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability—all of which are focused on the region.

In addition, students can choose between the Asian Strategy Consulting Project (ASCP) and Junior Consultant Experience (JCE), both of which are opportunities to work directly with businesses in Asia on challenges revolving around pertinent trends like digitalization and sustainability.

This is particularly important because “people are beginning to understand how issues like sustainability are central to how business is conducted,” Arijit Chatterjee, Academic Director of the ESSEC Master in Management program, declares.

“It is something that executives all over the world, from big companies to small ones, Asian companies, European companies, and American companies, will need to think about. We want our students to be prepared for this!”

At the ESSEC Asia-Pacific MiM, one can trust that they will be—and that the experience of being at a French school in Asia will undoubtedly be an asset to their futures.