MBA Program in Paris, France

INSEAD, Paris:
INSEAD - The Business School for the World. As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and transform organisations. Located in Fountainebleu, Île-de-France, 65 km south of Paris, France, with a second campus in Asia (Singapore) our renowned faculty members from 32 countries inspire more than 1,000 degree participants in MBA, Executive MBA and PhD programmes and more than 9,500 executives from the world’s leading companies. Across this comprehensive range of programmes, our participants are drawn from more than 100 countries and represent all continents. Today’s organisations need leaders with the knowledge and sensitivity to operate anywhere in the world. This is why business turns to INSEAD – to develop the next generation of transcultural leaders. The INSEAD MBA will provide you with a solid foundation for your future as a truly global business leader.

Everyone here is justifiably proud of our programme’s international reputation and the opportunities we offer future business leaders. Along with the quality of our teaching, the intensity of our programme is a key attraction of INSEAD.

Participants relish the challenge of our one-year accelerated programme and the resulting faster return on investment. Tomorrow’s leaders (and today’s recruiters) also value INSEAD’s diversity.

Representing over 70 nationalities, we create a challenging multicultural environment in which different perspectives thrive. There is no dominant culture, just a passion for open-minded debate and an eagerness to engage with new, unexpected ideas.

Thanks to our unique learning environment, INSEAD opens doors to top-tier career opportunities. Recruiters from all continents tell us that INSEAD graduates have the leadership skills and cultural sensitivity needed in today’s increasingly connected business world.

As an educational institution, our mission is to promote a non-dogmatic learning environment that brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world, changing lives, and helping transform organisations through management education.

Through teaching, we develop responsible, thoughtful leaders and entrepreneurs who create value for their organisations and their communities.

Through research, we expand the frontiers of academic thought and influence business practice.

* Diversity as a source of learning and enrichment
We are free from any dominant culture or prevalent dogma; we are open to, and respectful of, other views; we learn through the exchange of ideas and experiences.

* Independence as a governance principle
We believe in intellectual freedom and are autonomous in our financial, institutional and academic planning and decision-making process.

* Rigour and relevance in teaching and research
We encourage diversity in research and teaching methods with no single school of thought or methodology predominating; what matters is rigour and impact on management as an academic discipline, on business practice and in the classroom.

* Closeness to the international business community
We partner with the international business community to explore and disseminate management knowledge; we believe in the role of business as a force for improving people’s lives.

* Entrepreneurial spirit
We are willing to experiment and innovate; we are ready to take risks and manage the results of our actions.

No other business school offers such a multicultural experience, with over 70 nationalities represented among our MBA participants. The mix of cultures and personalities is matched by an equally diverse mix of educational and professional backgrounds.

This diversity has long-term benefits. In a typical year, our MBA graduates are recruited to join organisations in over 60 countries - unmatched by any other business school. Consequently, our alumni network has unlimited international reach and global perspective.

Recruiters tell us that our diverse learning environment creates open-minded, culturally aware graduates who feel at home in any location worldwide. It also creates a vibrant setting for participants' partners and families to spend an eventful year.

We were also the first school in which the term 'international' took on a true meaning with our unique multicultural learning environment. With our 'one school, two campus' structure, INSEAD became the first premier business school to offer a full-time MBA programme simultaneously on both sides of the globe.

We are unique in offering the opportunity to study across three continents, through our two campuses - in Singapore and France - and through our exchange with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. More than 70% of our participants study on two or more campus during their year at INSEAD.

INSEAD, recognised worldwide as a top-tier business school, brings together leading academic thinkers, highly successful business leaders and aspiring, talented young managers and entrepreneurs, in order to change lives and transform organisations. Our MBA participants are drawn to the school by their desire to learn from and alongside the best and the brightest.

INSEAD is a hub for a diverse learning community which is united in its intellectual curiosity, international awareness and belief in the role of business as a force for improving people’s lives. The worldly perspective and cultural diversity of this community are reflected in all aspects of our research and teaching. Today’s multinational, multicultural, multi-connected business world needs leaders with the knowledge and sensitivity to operate anywhere in the world. This is why business and aspiring young business leaders turn to INSEAD – to train the next generation of transcultural leaders.

INSEAD’s research has long been recognised as the intellectual energy that powers our programmes. Our teaching and research staff are world experts both in their fields and in disseminating their knowledge - at INSEAD, our faculty's inspirational talent in the classroom is as important as their leading-edge research.

MBA - Master of Business Administration. Our 10 month INSEAD MBA curriculum is designed to quickly and thoroughly prepare you for a career in international business. This aim is reflected in the compressed timeframe, reliance on group work and clear focus on international markets and settings. We also offer Executive MBA and PhD programmes.

The INSEAD MBA will provide you with a solid foundation for your future as a truly global business leader.

The INSEAD MBA curriculum is designed to quickly and thoroughly prepare you for a career in international business. This aim is reflected in the compressed timeframe, reliance on group work and clear focus on international markets and settings.

The first few study periods are based on a structured series of 13 core courses. These courses cover all of the key management disciplines as well as focusing on the environment in which business takes place. Subjects such as 'Macroeconomics in the Global Economy' and 'International Political Analysis' will enable you to understand the drivers of change that will affect your future career.

The second half of the programme is customisable. Choosing 11 electives from a portfolio of more than 80, you will create a unique mix of topics that will support your individual educational and professional goals. You can pursue a generalist path towards management or concentrate on a specific area, such as finance or entrepreneurship.

During your core curriculum, you will work in study groups of five to six, where no more than two people of the same nationality will be represented. When you begin your elective courses, your groups will no longer be pre-determined, but INSEAD's focus on group work and peer-to-peer learning will continue. Drawing from INSEAD's unparalleled diversity, you will develop the communication and leadership skills necessary to apply your world-class business education anywhere in the world.

Life at INSEAD, whether inside or outside of the classroom, is stimulating and intense. The pace of the programme is fast and participants have a schedule that is full with classes, group work and personal study time. But life doesn’t stop when study is done for the day. Both campuses have a strong “work hard, play hard” ethic and participants indulge in a wide variety of extra-curricular and social activities.

Life on campus is rich and varied. You could join one of the several career-oriented clubs and network in a sector or industry in which you plan to pursue your career. If you have a talent for sports, perhaps you will represent INSEAD in inter-school matches. If you like event organization, you might coordinate INSEAD’s famous speaker events, the “Global Leader Series”. Or perhaps you will show off your stage talents at the “Cabaret” show.

MBA participants also pursue an intense programme of social and leisure activities off-campus: some Fontainebleau participants host large dinner parties in country mansions and may travel to the Alps for a weekend of skiing; the Singapore social scene includes get-togethers for an evening barbecue by the pool and group trips to one of the many nearby scuba-diving resorts.

However you decide to spend your time, most likely, you will look back on your year at INSEAD as the best year of your life.

Fontainebleau, the home of INSEAD's Europe campus, is spread across eight hectares. Nestled in the vast forest of Fontainebleau, the modern architecture of the campus blends harmoniously with the green and leafy surroundings. Facilities are of the highest standard and include 28 lecture theatres, two restaurants, a bar, a bookshop, extensive library resources and a fully equipped gym.

Most MBA participants live in Fontainebleau itself or in the many surrounding villages within easy commuting distance of the campus, which is about 10 minutes walk from the centre of Fontainebleau.

While INSEAD does not provide on-campus accommodation, there is a wide variety of reasonably priced housing in the area, including studios, flats and houses. A popular and surprisingly affordable option is to rent a large country house or chateau and share it with fellow classmates. Two housing agencies provide details of available local property, with lists of accomodation rented directly by landlords to INSEAD.

In addition, there are numerous locally based agencies that have suitable properties to rent to MBA students, their partners and families.

Discover life in Fontainebleau:
The town itself is a lively centre for shopping, culture, eating and drinking. On Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays the "place du marché" is host to a large open air market, with an abundance of local fresh produce and regional specialities.

At the heart of the town is the world-famous Chateau de Fontainebleau which was built by the kings of France and then later used as a residence by Napoleon. The Chateau is now open to the public for tours of both the sumptuous interior and the elegant surrounding gardens.

The magnificent forest of Fontainebleau is a beautiful setting with extensive trails for walks, running, biking and rock climbing. It is home to a large population of wild boar and deer, which can often be seen especially when driving through the forest after dark.

Discover Paris and travel:
Paris is 65 km north of Fontaineableau and can be reached by road in less than an hour. Fontainebleau is about 100 kms south of Paris-CDG airport and the connection is well served by public transport. By car, you can reach the Loire Valley in an hour, the rolling hills of Burgundy in two hours and the ski slopes of the Alps in four hours.

France also offers the world's most developed high-speed train network. From Paris, London is a three hour ride and the Mediterranean coast is a three and a half hour ride.