HEC Masters Programmes

Question

I wanted to ask about the Masters programmes offered by HEC-Paris.

Such masters programmes as:

1. MSc Management Grande Ecole - 2 years
2. MSc in International Management CEMS
3. MSc in Finance - Business Track
4. MFE

1.Which of these courses are the best after Grande Ecole, which is the flagship program I guess ?
2. Is the MSc in Internatinal Management a renowned course?
3. What careers will MFE prepare me for?
4. Do I stand a chance to get into any of these with an undergrad of top 1% in class and a GMAT 670 ?

BM · Answer

You're right about the Grand Ecole program. It's the school's main strength and probably the premier business degree in France. The CEMS program is a bit different from the others; students here enroll in different schools, so it's an international program. I don't have too much knowledge about the MSc International Management program, but it has a reputation in Europe. Look into the other business schools associated with the CEMS program. I think one of the top Spanish schools participates, so having both of those on the resume would be impressive in Europe.

The MSc Finance degree has an excellent reputation in Europe. The MMFE degree is also good, but it's still new and small. The Finance program is probably the better bet since it has more students (network), courses, professors, and so forth compared to MMFE. Overall, I also rank the finance route the best choice, after the Grand Ecole.

So all of these programs are good, but you would have to work in Europe to get the maximum benefit out of an HEC education. Many of the students found jobs or internships in the very top firms and institutions in Europe.

A 670 is still good, so you have a chance. But the competition depends on which program you apply to.

akhileshgupta05 · Answer

Okay thanks.

1. I felt that the Grande Ecole program has been beautifully structured and the employment reports also look good. But the major concern is learning the French Language and also the total cost since the course is for 2 years. Do I need to be very fluent in French ? in the light of life after the program ?

2. Secondly, as an international, will I find it difficult to get jobs in the Eurozone, since the economic condition out there isn't too great either ??

3. Also, for the MSc in Finance Business Track, does the program need a very quantitative background, since I am from a business/management background and will need to redo such topics as statistics, calculus, etc.

4. and do you know anything about the St. Gallen Masters in Strategy and International Management - HSG. MA.SIM , other than its rankings ?

One more thing, the placement report is 2 years old. Why is that?

BM · Answer

I don't think that you have to become fluent for the Grand Ecole program. Some level of French would be a plus, though. In terms of living or getting around, everything was fine for me. I know basically nothing when it comes to French. I wanted to learn, but had no free time.

For working in France, though, you would need a very high level of French language skills. And to be honest, nobody in this situation could learn the necessary amount in two years. Fortunately, a number of internships don't require French.

The job market is bad everywhere in the West, so you will face some challenges there. HEC has a pretty good placement record, which is a plus.

Having a quantitative background, or at least the ability to think in those terms, is definitely a plus for finance. It's even more so for the MMFE.

I don't know too much about the above-mentioned St. Gallen degree (I applied to the MIF, though). This school's strength is felt mostly in the Germanic areas (Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein).

I have no idea why the placement report is two years old.

akhileshgupta05 · Answer

1. I meant for the Finance Course would I  NEED  to be strong quantitatively ? Since you've done the MMFE, what quant topics are you expected to be proficient in ? Some examples?

2. If I cannot reach the level of french required, how do internationals work in France? As you mentioned that we will have to work in France to get the maximum benefit ?

3. Which one is the better school ? HEC, ESCP, EDHEC, EM Lyon or ESSEC ?
Can you rank them? if possible.

BM · Answer

1.  You need some level of math for finance, but probably nothing more than calculus. It might help to have some background in basic linear algebra. A big, big help comes from Microsoft Excel. The stronger you are in Excel's applications for finance, the easier your life will be.

2.  If you don't have a high level of French, then the job market in France becomes very limited. The HEC brand is recognized all over Western Europe, so you have opportunities in Switzerland and the UK.

3.  HEC ranks first, but I'm not sure about the others.

akhileshgupta05 · Answer

1. Well then, as you say that you're not proficient in French and you are pursuing MMFE, what do you plan to do ? Will you still work in France ?

2. Is it possible to get a job in an office in France that operates in English ? I've been to Paris, it will be very very difficult to survive there without knowledge of the French Language. IMHO

BM · Answer

First, sorry for the late reply. When your post appeared, I thought it was from a different thread - one that died over two years ago. That' why I didn't respond. Again, my apologies.

1.  I never actually planned to live and work in France. Although I'm in Asia at the moment, the UK or Switzerland (specifically Geneva or Zurich) are realistic options for me.

2.  They probably exist, but it will be difficult to secure a placement (beyond an internship) in such cases due to their limited availability and stiff competition from all the other foreign business students. You really need French proficiency to live and work in France; I don't think that there's a way around this. In fact, I recently received an email from HEC staff about this issue. A number of companies simply won't even consider applicants who lack a certain level of French competency. Perhaps these companies have branches in the UK. That would be a more realistic option.

akhileshgupta05 · Answer

okay, thanks for the info.

Now that would be a stretch! So, I guess HEC programmes need to take a back seat on my list now.

Dlejt · Answer

Hi akhileshgupta05

I am actually also considering HEC as I am very keen on living in a non english speaking country. And as I also currently doing an exchange semester here in France, I also hope the good grades I get here will make up for the average grades I have gotten in Copenhagen Business School. I just started preparing for my GMAT which I will be doing intensively for the next foreseeable future. So it all depends on how I manage that.

About your concern about learning french I think bmillan01 is right, it will be very difficult to learn sufficient french for a professional career. But I think learning learning french on a just to get around basis is very much obtainable. I took a one month intensive language course in french this summer in Paris, and considering I started from absolutely scratch I am very impressed of my ability my abilty to communicate in french today. If you furthermore try to find a room mate who speaks french or do a little study on the side, I think you would be able to make substantial progress over such a "long" stay. Especially considering you already are used to communicating in two (maybe even more) different languages. A privilege a lot of French, German and English people don't have.

language course . net - is a good website if you should consider doing something similar:

Do you know when the next round of application will be?

Best
Dlejt

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