About ESC Rouen Management School

Offering high-quality management programs since its creation in 1871, ESC Rouen has the mission of providing organizations with immediately operational graduates who are international in outlook. Benefiting from the largest international network of quality business schools in France and over 700 corporate partners, Rouen is accredited by EQUIS.

Could you give our readers some information about your MBA program?

Participants are expected to join the program with a fundamental desire for self-improvement. Our focus is on transforming the participants as effectively as we can in twelve months, to answer the question: how canwe help them be become more effective global managers? First at all we begin with a management audit of each participant so they know where they start, and acknowledge the steps necessary to achieve their personal objectives before the end of the program. 

The program is centred on learning, and one of the very first seminars is rather provocatively entitled ‘learning to learn'. It is concerned with providing participants with more effective problem-solving and decision-making skills at the kick-off of the program. 

We then put them through a series of grinding inter-disciplinary modules, which revolve around an entrepreneurial project, as action learning is the key here. We put an emphasis on different learning approaches throughout the program. By working through real-life business problems, participants cover the fundamental management functions of marketing, accounting, finance, human resources, strategy, organization and so forth.

How is the program structured?

This 12-month intensive program is divided into three distinct segments: 

  • 1-month pre-course in October gives participants an opportunity to perfect their knowledge in business English or (for the non-French speaking participants) get a head start on their French. The core program-- running from November to July--is comprised of a progressive series of 11 interdisciplinary modules. The core program also includes a field seminar on decision making in a world of uncertainty, a 3-day seminar in Brussels and a 1-week field seminar in an Eastern European emerging market. The final segment gives participants the choice. 
  • Returning to their organization and completing a consulting project (tutored by a Rouen faculty member); doing a one-semester educational exchange with one of Rouen's top quality MBA partner institutions (particularly for those wishing to add a further international dimension to the program, or those choosing a number of elective courses in order to specialize in a particular management function); creating a new company (in case the program has awoken the entrepreneur in them); or doing an internship with a pre-defined project tutored by a Rouen faculty member (ideal for those changing career paths or for international participants wanting to work in a French environment).

What is the profile of your participants?

The MBA 2003 participants are 50% French and 50% non-French (USA, Mexico, Colombia, China and Morocco). The average age is 31, with 6 years experience. The background is 40% Engineers, 30% Business and Economics, 10% Corporate Law, 20% other.

What types of firms employ your graduates?

The school has a Career Centre, which is pleased to provide a high level of personalized services to our students and employers. The firms are mainly organizations with the international scope.

Do you have any advice for students looking to get an MBA?

Participants should look at the added value of a program, such as: 

  • Getting a fresh perspective on the issues facing organizations 
  • Developing interpersonal and teamwork skills 
  • Gaining access to an extensive alumni network consisting of high-level professionals who participate in the school as advisors, student mentors and special event participants
  • Benefiting from an international component that's integrated not only through classroom curriculum, but also through business trips where participants visit international offices and plants, talk with international business personnel and government officials and participate in cultural activities to gain real-world knowledge of the international business arena.