All you need to know about emlyon business school's new programs

Every educational program needs to be firmly anchored in providing the skills for a job. With this is mind, emlyon business school has added four new professional courses for the coming academic year, some of them designed for post-grads. The aim is not only to take account of companies’ changing needs, but also to reflect the strong demand from students for the skills of the future in various areas, such as the energy transition, how to develop a comprehensive corporate strategy, optimizing the logistics chain, and innovation in entrepreneurship. Here’s a look at the four courses:

Mastère Spécialisé Management de la Transition énergétique
Created in partnership with ECAM Lyon, a prestigious engineering school, the program starts with the standard modules of a Specialized Masters at emlyon business school. The aim is to teach students the early makers approach to managing innovation, with a view to becoming a project manager for energy efficiency or renewable energy within a business or an energy supplier, for example, or working as an energy management consultant or a business developer in renewable energy, etc. … Clearly, “the MS® Management de la Transition Energetique" prepares facilitators, the people who have to deal with the complex questions involved in the energy transition,” explains Olivier Cateura, a professor of strategy and the school’s Director of MS and MSc programs. To be fully immersed in the typical kinds of problems being faced, students will be sent on a learning trip to Senegal, which will include a development mission, and will also spend four to six months as company interns.

MSc in Strategy and Consulting: Consultancy applied to major groups and medium-sized firms
Corporate strategy is a subject that attracts a lot of students, particularly with a view to joining a management consultancy. “The aim of the program is to help students in a limited jobs market by providing them with a real competitive advantage, by offering them professional opportunities at an international level,” says Olivier Cateura. The course is taught entirely in English, between the campuses in Paris and Shanghai. For Philippe Rivet, a consultant in strategy and consultancy issues, who has developed the program: “We are training our students to carry out a root-and-branch transformation of a company. To do that, it's essential for the overall strategy to be aligned with the operational objectives that follow on from that. The two key focus areas, which represent the DNA of the course, are the creation of responsible governance, including all CSR issues, and the integration of digital tools in people’s daily work. Students also complete a learning trip to Boston, a major global center for international consultancy, along with an internship lasting four to six months with a company. Another special feature of the program is that it focuses on the strategies and development of medium-sized businesses, which are a key part of the French economy, as well major multinational corporations. Such a structure is unusual for a course dedicated to gaining strategic skills for internal positions within companies, or as external consultants. Program partners: Accenture, Katalyse, a consultancy specializing in corporate strategy and development.

MSc in Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship training for post-grads
Entrepreneurship is in the DNA of emlyon business school. “The school has capitalized on its experience in this field as a way of doing more for students who are internationally-minded,” says Rickie Moore, a professor at emlyon business school and course leader of the program. The aim is to help students who are interested in entrepreneurship to bring their business ideas to fruition. As with the other MSc courses, it is taught entirely in English. What’s new is that if their business plan looks solid, their projects could be brought into a start-up incubator at the end of the program. The course is taught on three continents, between the campuses of Lyon (Europe), Casablanca (Africa) and Shanghai (Asia). The learning trip will be to San Francisco, enabling students to discover its innovation ecosystem, while an internship lasting four to six months with a company will complete the course. This program has the largest proportion of international travel among all the "MSc in" at emlyon business school. Program partners: TBC

MSc in Supply Chain & Purchasing Management: Understanding logistics in a digital age
Managing a production process, harnessing the power of disruptive technology, optimizing the use of robotics… the MSc in Supply Chain & Purchasing Management prepares students for Industry 4.0. “The program meets the expectations of students who have either an engineering or a business school background, as both types are looking for skills in these two areas,” says Eric David, course leader of the new MSc. The idea is to give students an understanding of the international issues involved in building a value chain, from start to finish. Philippe Rivet, who is also involved in designing the program, highlights that: “It offers an overall vision of the supply chain. It’s a real advantage for our students. They can gain transversal skills during the first two quarters of the program, and then specialize in the third quarter, which is spent in Shanghai. Students will initially be based at the Écully campus in France, and subsequently in China. Digitalization will clearly play a key role in the jobs of tomorrow. What kinds of jobs could they apply for at the end of the course? International buyer, a supply chain consultant or a project manager within a company are the kinds of profiles currently being sought by recruitment companies. The destination of the learning trip has yet to be finalized, but an internship lasting four to six months with a company will be included in the course.