The core MBA syllabus, taught during the first half of your degree, gives you a fundamental understanding of business, with modules covering topics from marketing to finance
Among the many benefits of an MBA, arguably the most important is the well-rounded understanding of the fundamentals of business that you gain. While different programs offer different variations of electives that allow you to specialize, the core MBA syllabus remains the same.
MBA programs cover subjects including marketing, finance, accounting, and human resources (HR), helping you develop a strong business acumen.
If you’re enrolled in a two-year MBA, you’ll likely spend your first year covering core modules before moving into an elective period, while an accelerated one-year MBA will cover this over half of the year.
Here’s a breakdown of the core MBA syllabus.
MBA Finance Syllabus
The finance portion of the MBA syllabus gives you an introduction to financial theories and analysis.
You’ll learn useful information detailing the everyday financial operations of a business. This includes asset valuation, investment risk dynamics, and capital budgeting. You’ll also become capable of reading a company’s profit and loss statement (P&L).
An MBA finance syllabus will also give you the ability to look at issues in a wider financial context. You’ll learn about capital markets and funding sources, as well as develop an understanding of the key financial concepts and terms used in everyday business management.
“This knowledge equips managers with the same language of their peers and helps them understand their views and challenges,” says Sofia Ramos, academic director of the ESSEC Business School MBA.
MBA HR Syllabus
MBA HR subjects—often referred to under the term organizational behavior—teach you to maximize the potential of a company’s most valuable asset: its people.
Classes teach you how to direct, manage, and motivate employees, while also supporting their skill and leadership development. This is done using social science tools, including reward system design, negotiation, and team building.
The MBA HR syllabus will develop your understanding of how to best lead an organization using academic theories and practical tools. It’ll also prime you to successfully execute strategic changes across a business while at the same time getting the most out of a company’s human capital.
MBA Marketing Syllabus
As one of your core, first-year MBA subjects, the marketing syllabus helps you identify and resolve marketing problems across a range of different organization types.
Lessons teach you how to lead marketing strategies while incorporating various issues into your decision making. This includes external factors like marketplace analysis and the marketing environment, and internal elements such as the Four P’s of Marketing—product, price, place, and promotion.
With a focus on influencing consumer decisions, by the end of the MBA marketing syllabus you’ll be able to align a marketing strategy with a business’s overall strategic goals.
MBA Operations Management Syllabus
Another core course that teaches you to make key business decisions, your MBA operations management syllabus will prepare you to run the daily operations and processes of a business.
This includes management of areas such as quality, capacity, and supply chain and logistics. You’ll learn how to maximize a company’s resources across each business unit to gain a competitive advantage, using theories, strategies, skills, and practical tools.
“It’s key that managers grasp the decision-making in different areas of the firm,” says Sofia, “and more importantly, what their role and contribution to firm performance is.”
MBA Strategy Syllabus
The core MBA syllabus also includes a focus on strategy, where you’re taught how to effectively take decisions based on an organization’s resources and objectives, while directing it towards its goals. Becoming a strategy expert can be a good way to launch a career in consulting.
Classes teach the fundamentals involved in a strategic plan, including the economics of an industry, a company’s strategic placement in relation to its competitors, and the capabilities of its resources.
By the end of the MBA strategy syllabus, you’ll know how to evaluate the strategy of a business, and how to formulate your own to gain a competitive market advantage.
MBA IT Syllabus
A section of the MBA syllabus which grows ever more important each year, Information Technology (IT) covers the various technologies organizations use in daily operations. Tech companies are also hiring more MBAs, so tech skills are becoming a vital part of an MBA grad's acumen.
Lessons teach you things like product and change management, as well as product innovation. You’re given an understanding of how technology can be managed to lead business decisions and gain an advantage over competitors.
The MBA IT syllabus also touches on data analytics, something future business managers need to be able to grasp.
Taken as a whole, the core MBA syllabus provides you with a holistic view of a business, giving you the fundamental knowledge to progress through the remainder of an MBA program.
“The core curriculum provides a foundation to understand how organizations work and to manage within them,” explains Xavier Duran, director of the MBA program at University of Manchester Alliance Business School.
“It provides a general view of business, upon which students build as they customize and specialize their MBA journeys through electives.”
Your general business understanding also means that, whichever industry you choose to work in after graduation, you’re equipped with the skills and the knowledge to hit the ground running.
Next Read:
How The MBA Syllabus Is Changing For The Future
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There are more than 50 nationality in the grade, so there are opportunities to interact with people from all around the world. In terms of academics, the BBA course offers diverse courses for the 1st
Creativity, adaptability and entrepreneurship
The Master in Management program at the ESSEC Business School allows the students to choose their courses accordingly to their preferences and their professional targets. We can also go through international exchange and take part in internships with companies that are also partners with the school. The school is also next to the city of Paris.
Top business school in France
Doing PhD in essec took some time, to be precise about five years. But the experience was very good and cost effective too. There are opportunities for the student for teaching assistantship and that helps both financially and in career. In the final year I could manage to teach marketing to M1 students and this helped shape my career
Great college
The program is well suited for early professionals with an engineering degree preferably or a degree in economics. I would suggest taking the ceasure irrespective of the experience level as it helps you take your time to adjust to the job market.
Good school in France
I am currently enrolled in M2 in Essec business school. I am specialising in marketing management. The Grande Ecole programme is valued in France and my school ranks very high up. There are a lot of opportunities for internships and CDD.
The program curriculum
BBA program. The program is really practical and useful, provide us many international opportunities. Like internship and humanitarian experience, and the flexibility is also really cool, we can choose different campus and tracks as we want.
International Course
This school is very international and business oriented. Highly recognized by the companies The campus has been renovated and is very functional and modern from now on. Excellent atmosphere. Reputation of essec is a plus
Friends, Career opportunities.
The program I did gave me the opportunity to start in Singapore. I got the chance to know all the students that started there and we bonded and made some friends for life. The career opportunities that ESSEC also gave me were unbelievable.
Practical and useful
I think the best thing about Essec is that it's not focusing on academics rather it emphasizes on future job mindset and professional experiences..
The classes are interesting and we have plenty of workshops attributing to different sectors..
The campus is very nice with a good cafe and wonderful library.
The only problem is the location of the campus. It's quite far from Paris.
Amazing experience! Must try
I think its a very amazing school with great and experienced faculty. Also the alumni network is very solid and useful. The school has a great balance of studies and work experience which is really essential for a student.
GBBA: Diverse, Enriching, and Career-Boosting
My experience at ESSEC Business School has been outstanding. The Global BBA program offers a rich academic curriculum and diverse learning opportunities. I appreciated the chance to study on different campuses, including an international exchange, which broadened my perspective. The social environment is culturally diverse and vibrant, enhancing both my personal and professional growth. The administration is attentive, constantly offering new academic and student life opportunities. The campus facilities and classrooms are excellent. I highly recommend ESSEC for its excellence, global exposure, and career opportunities.
ESSEC BS BBA REVIEW
The English track BBA program at ESSEC is simply exceptional. Courses are taught by internationally renowned professors who are experts in their field. The subjects taught cover a wide range of disciplines from marketing to finance, strategy and entrepreneurship. The English track is a major asset because it allows you to develop perfect mastery of professional English, essential in today's globalized business world. Some students love student life at Essec, which is one of the best in France, but it all depends on taste.
Great program, incredible school
I love almost everything about this school, from the student life to the academic program and the opportunities it provides.
I'm currently at the Paris campus, in Cergy, and I'm really enjoying it.
The BBA program is very rich and diversified, you can start with geopolitics and then finance, what I mean is that there's a great balance between the subjects in this program.
I was also lucky enough to spend a semester at the Singapore campus, and I loved that experience on the other side of the world.
ESSEC is also known for its dynamic and rich student life, with access to several parties a week and the various associations within the school.
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Great experience
First of all, what I appreciate the most is the academic environment. The courses are extremely stimulating and are taught by high-level professors, often experts in their field. The diversity of subjects offered, ranging from marketing to finance, including entrepreneurship, allows you to acquire a complete and versatile education. The group projects, although sometimes stressful, are also an opportunity to learn to work in a team, which is essential in the professional world. One area that I feel could be improved is the management of student events. Although many activities are organized, I have noticed that some events can lack organization or communication, which can frustrate those who want to get involved. Better coordination between the different student associations and the administration could really improve the overall experience.
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