I Have A Low GPA—Will I Still Be Accepted Into The MBA At HEC Paris?
Director of MBA admissions at HEC Paris, Benoit Banchereau, answers your Applicant Question of the Week
16 October 2025
HEC Paris
One of the world's best business schools, a leader in research and education in management sciences.
Programs
HEC Paris MBA
The HEC Paris MBA, one of the top ranking MBA programs in the world, provides the ideal environment for students to realize their full potential and become tomorrow’s business leaders.
Located only 17 kilometers from the center of Paris, a major economic epicenter in Europe, HEC Paris MBA is situated in the Paris-Saclay Innovation Cluster. Designed to unite France’s best research institutions, hi-tech businesses, startups and universities, the cluster enables our students to draw upon the expertise of other participants and team up with scientists to bring their technological inventions to market.
Our 16-month program gives students the ideal amount of time to learn new information and build their skillsets and their CVs through internships and specialized courses without keeping them out of the workforce for too long. The size of our cohort – limited to 300 students – guarantees a personalized learning experience that prioritizes our students and their goals.
The HEC Paris MBA is divided into two complementary counterparts: the Fundamental Phase and the Customized Phase. The Fundamental Phase uses a rigorous combination of academic training and hands-on learning to teach core management skills. After eight months, students have developed the exact skills needed to transform business performance.
With the Customized Phase, students hone their abilities in a specific sector and gain the experience that makes their CV stand out. Students choose a specialization, and spend eight months developing their expertise through a range of electives, double-degree options, international-exchange programs and real-world work experiences.
At HEC Paris MBA, participants are immersed in a hands-on, learning-by- doing, entrepreneurial environment. Our on-campus eLab, an exclusive laboratory equipped with state-of- the-art interactive technologies, is designed to stimulate creativity and communication. In addition, we have joined Station F, the world’s largest startup campus, giving our students unprecedented access to top international players in the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
HEC Paris Executive MBA
The Executive MBA program at HEC Paris is among the most international EMBA programs globally, with participants from over 60 nationalities represented in each class. Programs are held in Paris, Jouy-en-Josas, Doha, and Riyadh, offering multiple flexible formats and four part-time intakes throughout the year.
The 18-month program includes four key components: Core Courses, Leadership Development, Specializations, and a Capstone Project. This structure allows students to generalize, specialize, and customize the program to fit their individual needs.
Whether your goal is to join the C-suite, change sectors, or launch your own business, the program empowers you to analyze company dynamics, put corporate functions into context, and explore decision-making and change management through case studies and strategic audits.
The January and September intakes take place on the lush Jouy-en-Josas campus, located just 17 km from downtown Paris near a charming French village. These intakes provide students with a distinctive, immersive campus-based academic experience. The March intake is hosted in the heart of Paris, with classes held twice a month on Fridays and Saturdays. In the Middle East, intakes in Doha or Riyadh are delivered through weeklong modules, offering flexibility for regional participants.
A defining feature of the HEC Paris Executive MBA is the international mobility option, which allows students to complete part of the program in industry hubs around the world. This opportunity offers exposure to global markets and cross-cultural business environments, enriching your learning experience.
The HEC Paris Executive MBA ranks 3rd globally in the QS Executive MBA Rankings 2024, and approximately 35% of EMBA participants launch startups or new business ventures during or shortly after completing the program.
Careers, Salaries, Employability
Our Career Center ensures that our students’ career goals align with the needs of the global job market. We encourage students to explore a variety of industries and functions, fueling career transformation. The majority of our students succeed in changing their career paths, whether it is a sector, function or geography change. Around 79 percent of our 2021 graduates changed sector, 67% changed function, and 62% changed geography, while 40 percent changed all three aspects of their career.
HEC Paris MBA students graduate armed with a global mindset, the latest knowledge of today and access to a network of over 68,000 alumni in 152 countries. Within three months of graduation, 93 percent of graduates accept job offers that, on average, doubled their pre-MBA salaries.
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Frequently Asked Questions
All MBA programs are taught in English. The majority of Masters programs are taught in English but there are two taught in French.
No, while speaking French when applying is not mandatory, once admitted students are invited to register for a French language course.