Strategic Management
The Master’s in Strategic Management is a generalist Master's degree in management sciences which brings together all the training and research skills of the institutions which make up the Université Paris Saclay (Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris Saclay, Université de Versailles St Quentin, Université d’Evry Val d'Essonne) in the field of management and strategy. It focuses on strategic management issues (international management, organisational behaviour, change management and entrepreneurship, etc.). A specialist course deals more directly with the specific area of the strategic management of leisure and sports events. Finally, as this Master's degree has a dual professional and research element, it also aims to prepare students in the best possible manner at the end of two years of study for enrolment in a Doctorate in Management Sciences.
The Master’s in Strategic Management is based on the strengths and specialist areas of the research units in the field of Management Sciences at the Université Paris-Saclay. Links with businesses and public administrations are strong, as is the relationship with other departments at the Université Paris-Saclay (economics, law, social sciences as well as physical activity and sports sciences).
The strength of the research units which support the degree guarantee the overall quality of the educational courses. One of the key characteristics of the Strategic Management course at the Université Paris-Saclay is the very strong link between training and research. Students benefit from it on all courses, whether they are predominantly professional or teaching/research oriented.
The school aims to train students to eventually become senior executives leading the processes of organisational learning and strategic transformation, at the epicentre of the largest companies and in senior administration posts. Study paths oriented towards the international world or towards entrepreneurship allow more specific careers paths to be laid out. There are also considerable opportunities in the sports industry, given the international scale of this industry. Lastly, the Master in Management (research) course aims to keep supplying a steady stream of teachers and university lecturers in the field of management sciences, in line with the unique status and missions of universities such as the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay.
Broadly speaking, the skills and knowledge developed by students over the course of their training are defined according to the study path they wish to follow and/or the careers they are aiming for. Familiarity with the knowledge base, alertness to developments in the world and awareness of citizenship, and the ability to communicate are all skills to which all the courses attach the greatest value.
The learning process is to be perfected throughout an entire career: it is a lifelong process. To prepare students for this journey, the Master's degree therefore aims to give them a solid set of capacities: objectivity; competence in research and investigation; critical analysis of information; personal and intellectual autonomy; ethical, social and professional commitment.
Transfer paths are open both at the end of the first M1 semester and upon entry into M2. In principle, there is no difficulty in transferring from the SMI study path to the MSC route.
To be accepted for the Master in Management course, which is oriented towards research or preparation for teaching at tertiary level (FESUP), applicants must demonstrate a high level of achievement and a proven appetite for research and/or teaching. In principle, this course is open to all, but applicants will be selected on a case-by-case basis following a thorough examination of their applications.
To join the Financial Engineering Strategy course, candidates who have not followed the Financial Engineering Strategy M1 programme must fulfil a set of prerequisites (refresher course at the end of M1 or upon entry into M2).
The SLEM course offers a clearly defined opening into the field and is carried out entirely in English. This means applicants are required to have perfect command of the English language and a particularly definite career plan.
In principle, the MiB course is reserved to non-French speaking international students. As this is a very specialised continuous education course, it is difficult to transfer to other study paths.
The Entrepreneurship and Management of Innovative Projects M2 will be accessible to students who have not done the M1:
- For students coming from the IES M1, by replacing the "Introduction to entrepreneurship" module with the "Strategic management of innovation" module;
- Subject to approval, before EU training or introductory teaching units on business management, entrepreneurship or innovation for students from other M1s, M2s (to acquire a second skill) or engineering courses.
The Master's in Strategic Management is open to applicants holding a university degree in management and/or economics-management or an equivalent degree from the Grandes Écoles, endorsed by the French government.
The prerequisites and the student profile that qualify for entry into the various study paths of the Master are typically as follows:
- Undergraduate degree in Business or Management, primarily;
- Undergraduate degree in Economics-Management or AES;
- Undergraduate degree in Social Sciences or LEA with a study path is oriented towards the world of organisations;
- Any other equivalent qualification whose main focus is Management.
In addition, most of the study paths require a minimum level of B1 in English.
Demonstrate a capacity for strategic thinking and action
Interpret facts and data within the context of an organisational and strategic assessment
Motivate teams as drivers of organisational change
Identify, specify and use communication tools in the context of digital transformation
Predict in a future-oriented way using knowledge in strategic management
Apply a scientific, reflective and analytical approach, generate knowledge within an organisation