What do you study in business school?

Generalist studies

Part of the studies in business school, generally at least the first or the first two years of studies, consist of a common core of general studies. These include languages, accounting, management control, corporate finance, marketing, economics, human resources and management. The aim of these study modules, during the first semesters, is to give all students a base of common knowledge and skills necessary for all, whatever the path and the specialty they choose to follow. These courses often take up the bases and the main organizational principles in all of these disciplines, so that the students can benefit from sufficient knowledge in the subject, as a general culture.

After these first generalist semesters, students are often required to complete a gap year. Most of the time, it consists of one or two long internships (6 months) in a company or abroad. The purpose of these internships is to allow students to put into practice the teachings they have received, to see a company from the inside, to discover the professional environment. Apart from these internships, students can also choose to volunteer for one or more semesters, for example, in a humanitarian association. They can also carry out one or more semesters of study abroad, in a school or a university partner of their school, during their gap or at another time of their course. This allows them to improve their linguistic level, to discover other cultures, other schools, to establish an international network.

Specialized studies

After completing the general core curriculum, business school students are often required to specialize during their final years of studying. They then choose a themed course oriented towards one of the sectors that interest them. It could be a specialization in human resources, marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship, corporate finance or market finance. The level of teaching then improves, courses become more specialized and more detailed. If the students studied market finance as a whole in a general way during the first semesters, they will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge during their specialization, with many courses oriented around market finance. For example, they may be offered a course on derivatives, other financial instruments, hedging transactions, etc. It is no longer an option of remaining generalist and superficial, on the contrary, it is then essential to deepen your knowledge and expertise in a more specific subject matter. The goal is to train the professionals of tomorrow, for example, trading floor traders, banking operators, economists, etc. This applies to all specialty disciplines, each in their field. In the vast expanse of business schools, all offer more or fewer generalist programs and specialty programs. According to the schools, the reputation of the specialties is not the same, and the level of education isn’t either. EDHEC in France, for example, is well known for its teaching in the field of finance, with several high-level specialties. Several schools have also chosen to develop specialties linked to their geographical position, for particular fields. This is the case, for example, of the ESC Dijon school which has created a specialty "School of wine & spirits business", or of the ESC La Rochelle which offers a specialty in tourism economics. The objective of these specialties is to optimize the professional integration of students, once their course is over. It is in fact the professional success of students, their integration into the labor market, their salary on leaving school, which contribute most to the reputation of the school and its attractiveness to teachers, partner schools and future students.

Tailor-made courses, seminars, opening lessons

In addition to first generalist studies, then specialized studies, business schools offer a wide range of peripheral education. For example, these can be seminars on specific themes, opening lessons such as sport or art history, career days allowing students to meet professionals from different sectors and working in various trades, so as to know their trades and improve their knowledge and perception of the professional environment.

Studies in business schools are generalized and allow students to benefit from a multi-domain approach, allowing them to work in very different fields, in all types of structures and companies. This undoubtedly explains the growing enthusiasm of students and future students for these schools.

Sources : L'Etudiant, Ecoles2commerce, CCI