Master in Business Analysis and Consulting Program

This course introduces students to consulting tools and methods, presenting consulting project activities and real-life examples using business cases.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Assess the values of the organization in which they work.

Breakdown complex organizational problems using the appropriate methodology.

Propose creative solutions within an organization.

Organize change management processes.

Employ state-of-the-art management techniques.

Be a reference point for expertise-related questions and ambiguities.

Understand the nature and rigour of management consulting.

Manage the client relationships and effectively address problem situations with diverse executive types.

Demonstrate effective knowledge of the code of ethics in management consulting.

The objective of this course is to make students knowledgeable about issues and opportunities in change management, and to give them instruments to analyze the obstacles, and how to overcome them, in order to act as change agents in their future company.The first part of the course is focused on understanding where resistance to change might come from, and how to diagnose problems that organizations might face when implementing new technologies or other type of change interventions. The second part of the course focuses on solution and best practices in change interventions.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Identify the need for change and to implement the change

Lead a project successfully

Understand differences in communication based on MBTI – and ability to adapt communication accordingly

To have built a toolkit of phrases in communicating:
– in a meeting
– negotiating
-managing conflict
– legal terminology relating to contracts

Understand not only the language but the importance of using the correct form i.e. ‘diplomatic’ language

Learn how to express themselves and how to interact in a meeting

See personal progress

Understand the global context of business, key issues for business activity, as well as business’ social and environmental impact;

Develop a strategic, proactive vision that reflects social and environmental concerns while emphasizing competitive advantage, corporate value creation, innovation, and leadership;

Apply theory to practice by emphasizing how global businesses can potentially contribute to the creation of positive social change and to the development of a sustainable future.

In this perspective, the course could be structured around the following sequences:

Defining CSR and stakeholder management;

Designing and implementing a CSR strategy;

Communicating CSR through reporting and advertising;

Implementing CSR through responsible leadership;

Coping with ethical dilemmas in CSR.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Communicate effectively in English to explain a business model

Breakdown complex organizational problems using the appropriate methodology; specifically, use BPMN and UML to model business processes

Use metaphors to describe creative approaches to business problems

Convey powerful messages using contemporary presentation techniques; specifically, present, explain, and discuss a business model

Determine problem areas in a process and design solutions for those problem areas

Employ state-of-the-art management techniques (BPMN and UML)

Demonstrate an expertise on key concepts, techniques and trends in their professional field ;Specifically modelling, troubleshooting, improving, and redesigning business processes

Be a reference point for expertise-related questions and ambiguities about business processes.

At the end of the course, the student should have a critical understanding of the most important business drivers in a knowledge based organisation:

understanding the underlying economics and building the right profitability metrics and key performance indicators;

finding the appropriate leverage model;

building, nurturing and overcoming challenges of managing multi-disciplinary expert teams;

understanding the complexities of managing individual technical experts towards a common goal, and successfully collaborate within a intercultural team, including the impact of constructive personal feedback and guidance;

defining the best remuneration and incentive models for private partnerships (lock-step, merit based, adhoc or sustained performance, etc.), and how to appraise the performance of a team;

assess the values of the organization in which they work;

measuring the importance of building trust with clients and understand that a quality product does not automatically equate with a quality service;

applying these concepts to professional services firms (audit, consulting, financial advisors, M&A firms, law, tax, architects, etc.) by breaking down complex organizational problems through the appropriate methodology;

proposing creative solutions within an organization;

organizing change management processes.

In this course, students will be actively learning by dealing with data themselves, involving data manipulation, data cleaning, analyzing and visualization.
Considering the various background of students, contextually if some of them have previous experience with statistics or data analytics, this course is designed to be covering various projects for students to choose which is most in line with their background with individual instructions on project sessions.
This course is essential to all future careers involving with data. Specifically, the knowledge gained in this course will be beneficial to finance or management context.
The project will be based on real world data which allows students to develop relevant competences.

This course is intended provide students with practical skills to understand, evaluate, create, and ultimately manage an effective innovation process within an organisation. The students will have the opportunity to appreciate the relevant skills to manage innovation using examples of main leading international firms. We will make use of several materials such as books, case studies, simulations, articles and other sources in the public domain.

The sessions are structured in the following way:
1. Understand the different typologies of innovation as well as industry dynamics
2. Analyse the main innovation and collaboration strategies
3. Critically evaluate innovative business models
4. Assess different forms of organization for firms and teams
5. Create a viable innovation

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Breakdown a complex problem into smaller parts, especially when the problem is non trivial.

Formulate appropriate solution to solve each part of the conmplex problem: being able to select the relevant tools, select the right data, avoid mispresentation…

Cross check data, identify outliers and solve missing data problems.

Collect relevant data using surveys and sampling methods.

Understand the importance of wording and variable description.

Propose creative solutions given the understanding of the data.

Master basic tools: correlation, box plot, distributions, payoff tables…

Select the relevant method: Baye’s analysis, confidence intervals, parametric and non parametric tests… and be able to check assumptions (normality…).

Master expect knowledge tools and understand the new trends in analysis.

Analyze numerical and especially categorical data.

Demonstrate expertise in advanced tools and methods: SPC/SQC, Acceptance Sampling, Capability, Control charts, Decision Rules.

Link statistics with management methods and quality tools such as the six-Sigma.

Formulate, model and solve optimization problems.

Be open to new developments in their field of competence and be a reference point for those developments.

Master a professional software.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Measure and explain producer performances.

Define and measure efficiency and productivity.

Apply microeconomic analysis to decision methods of businesses or other management units.

Bridge economic theory and management in practice.

Use quantitative techniques such as index numbers, productivity accounting, price recoveries.

Apply benchmarking and performance analysis to real managerial data.

Develop a research project within a multi-cultural student group.

Present results orally to a committee composed of academic and professional members.

This course is based on a business management simulation game that integrates the functional areas of production, marketing, logistics, finance and strategy. It increases participants’ awareness of operating a company from a general management perspective. At the end of the course, the student should be able to understand how to design and implement a strategy for different kinds of markets; interpret and forecast market situations and financial results and translate them into goal-oriented decisions; analyse problems, find solutions and take decisions in a context characterised by changes; recognize the interactions among the various companies and external stakeholders in a complex and interrelated environment.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Outline the interactions between human capital management and organizational performance in a multicultural environment;

Understand the key differences between satisfaction, motivation and employee engagement;

Demonstrate basic knowledge on what is driving team performance and behaviour, and what characterizes an engaging leader;

Discuss how HR and CSR can monitor organizational engagement and improve the employee experience at work.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to :

Exploit the basic tools of microeconomic analysis (concepts, models, decision making,?) in order to better understand decision making managers face;

Understand and predict how the evolution of the economic environment may lead to changes in strategic decision making;

Prescribe efficient solutions to problems related to economic uncertainty;

Elaborate innovative solutions to issues related to markets’ evolutions and innovations .

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Breakdown complex organizational problems using the appropriate methodology.

Organize change management processes. Appraise the performance of a team.

Demonstrate an expertise on key concepts, techniques and trends in their professional field.

Formulate strategically-appropriate solutions to complex and unfamiliar challenges in their professional field.

Effectively apply in-depth specialized knowledge to take advantage of contemporary opportunities in their professional field.

Understand the key performance indicators for measuring project progress.

Utilize basic tools and commercial packages in project management.

Identify and manage the resources, risks, and uncertainties in projects.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

understand the general principles of strategy formulation understand the general principles of strategy formulation and international business strategy;

develop the competences to apply the basic frameworks to make effectual business decisions – understand how to integrate in an intercultural environment;

leverage international business information to formulate solutions in complex and unfamiliar situations;

develop sustainable strategic solutions for companies;

apply in-depth knwoledge to leverage opportunities in the professional field – define failure and success factors of international business strategy;

understand the role of different stakeholders for strategic challenges;

understand different internationalization strategies – understand how the environment affects strategy.

The course objective is to cover the supply chain strategy and concepts and to give students a solid understanding of the analytical tools necessary to solve the supply chain problems. As a result, the goals and objectives are as follows:

Describe how a company achieves strategic fit between its supply chain strategy and its competitive strategy

Identify the major drivers of supply chain performance, understand how they are related

Understand the trade-offs between different SC network

Apply the concepts to improve supply chain performance

Analyze a supply chain network, identify the problems and suggest improvement solutions focusing on the key drivers of the supply chain

Model a simple supply chain network as a Mixed integer programming problem and solve it.

Use efficiently decision trees to compute the NPV of different supply chain network alternatives

Analyze global supply chain network design decisions in an uncertain environment

To present and demonstrate their understanding of the material, students will have to present their work effectively in English. Students will also have to demonstrate their capability in composing constructive feedback.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Identify, measure, and evaluate a company’s digital strategy as it relates to the relationships between value drivers, value levers, and digital technologies.

Develop hands-on experience with understanding and using key digital technologies that drive digital strategy.

Demonstrate effective visualization and data analytics skills.

Analyze and solve business case situations related to digital technology problems.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

acquire an advanced knowledge of how to interpret and analyze financial statement;

demonstrate an expertise on key concepts, techniques and trends in their professional field;

understand the application of this expertise for making effectual decisions as accountants, equity analysts, lenders, investment bankers, boards of directors, or external consultants charged with monitoring or advising on corporate performance and the behavior of management;

deliver an effective oral presentation of important course concepts applied to a real life company;

succesfully collaborate within an intercultural team on any professional project involving technical skills acquired during the course;

communicate effectively in English any aspect of the expertise thus acquired.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Identify the purpose of a business (its missions) and discuss the issues to be considered when setting the financial aims and objectives of a business.

Explain the role of management accounting within a business and describe the key qualities that management accounting information should possess.

Explain the changes that have occurred over time in both the role of the management accountant and the type of information provided by management accounting systems

Define and distinguish between relevant costs, outlay costs and opportunity costs.

Identify and quantify the costs that are relevant to a particular decision.

Use relevant costs to make decisions.

Set out relevant cost analysis in a logical form so that the conclusion may be communicated to managers.

Deduce the full (absorption) cost of a cost unit

Discuss the problems and the usefulness of full (absorption) cost information to managers.

Describe the nature of the modern product costing and pricing environment.

Discuss the principles and practicalities of activity-based costing.

Explain how new developments such as total life cycle costing and target costing can be used to manage product costs.

Explain the theoretical underpinning of pricing decisions and discuss the issues involved in reaching a pricing decision in real-world situations.

Discuss the nature and role of strategic management accounting.

Explain how management accounting information can help a business gain a better understanding of its competitors and customers.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Communicate effectively in English: Be able to debate and present an informed argumentation about the pros and cons of various management control systems.

Organize change management processes: Understand how management control systems impact decisions and practices, and how they participate in change processes, and put this understanding in practice.

Appraise the performance of a team: Evaluate the performance of a business unit in its various aspects (variance analysis, financial indicators, multi-dimensional performance…)

Make effectual organizational decisions: Know how to use management control systems in making efficient decisions.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to

Breakdown complex organizational problems using the appropriate methodology.

Construct expert knowledge from cutting-edge information.

Demonstrate an expertise on key concepts, techniques and trends in their professional field.

Apply their fundamental theoretical knowledge of an ERP system and particularly the SAP ERP software.

Describe process components and their integration in the SAP ERP system.

Learn about the structure of data in SAP software.

Develop skills concerning the implementation of SAP ERP system.

Demonstrate knowledge of SAP modules.

Work within a HCM module of SAP ERP environment.

This course reviews some advanced Excel functionalities and basic VBA programming structures.

At the end of the course the student should be able to :

Collect, synthesize, and analyze data to support decision making.

Understand and apply foundational knowledge in data visualization.

Critique other visualizations to identify where design and analysis improvements could be made to better their form and function.

Use data visualization software to create informative, efficient, and effective data visualizations within a storyboard format with a continuous narrative.

Synthesize conclusions from data supported through an effective data narrative and visualizations.

Create a storyboard/narrative that efficiently and effectively “tells the story of their data and analysis” to a general audience to support decision making.

Determine the conclusions and recommendations for action from their data analysis and efficiently and effectively convey these through their storyboard and visualizations.

Orally convey (i.e., present) the analysis, conclusions, and recommendations to a professional audience.

This course introduces students to the basics of programming with python and its application in data analytics.

The course is designed to immerse students into the daily life of business consultants working for an ERP implementation company. Through interactive lectures, group assignments, and the intervention of four expert professionals, this course confronts students with the diverse expectations, tasks, and challenges functional consultants need to tackle. Combining theoretical concepts with hands-on exercises on a hypothetical business case, participants are expected to acquire knowledge on and experience with ERP deliverables and domains (i.e., Microsoft Dynamics 365), workflow design for top-level business processes (i.e.., Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash), project management activities, and functional consulting analysis tools (e.g., XMind, Bizagi).

*(2 courses to be chosen among “Business Consultancy in a Digital Environment”, “Leading for Creativity and Design Thinking” or “Strategic People Management”)

Creativity is one of the critical components of an organization’s ability to survive and thrive in today’s competitive and dynamic markets. This course will provide participants with a rich understanding of how creativity can be facilitated and managed in a work setting. They will acquire knowledge regarding various theoretical conceptualizations (i.e., how do you define creativity), antecedents (i.e., what makes you and others more creative) and outcomes (i.e., what is the impact) of creativity as well as knowledge on design thinking techniques and tools to lead teams in the creative journey.  How do creative ideas happen? How can we foster our creativity and the creativity of those around us? What are the paths of creative development of individuals who are successful in their creative endeavours? What are the implications for fostering and managing creativity in the workplace? What are the obstacles to creativity? What is the nature of creativity in teams and organizations? These are some of the questions we will address. During the course, a variety of teaching and learning techniques (including design thinking) will be used to enable participants to think critically and imaginatively about various perspectives of creativity. To realize the goal of a shared learning experience between participants and the instructor, the course is aimed at integrating real challenges and practical experiences of creativity, projects, presentations, experiential exercises, and critical reflection on the various course materials. 

*(2 courses to be chosen among “Business Consultancy in a Digital Environment”, “Leading for Creativity and Design Thinking” or “Strategic People Management”)

Description to come.

*(2 courses to be chosen among “Business Consultancy in a Digital Environment”, “Leading for Creativity and Design Thinking” or “Strategic People Management”)

Our Career Program helps participants to establish their professional career plan by working on their skills, personal strengths, and using networking tools to be prepared to meet recruiters’ expectations internationally.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Build a professional career plan;

Identify personal skills and accumulated experiences (e.g., Master experience);

Adapt professional tools (e.g., CV, LinkedIn) to the local market;

Develop an accurate representation of their professional profile;

Use personal networking to better identify professional opportunities;

Gain insight into techniques and tools to find a job or an internship in France or abroad;

Build self-awareness of personal vocations and interests.

Learn more about the Career Program

This course provides participants with a profound understanding on entrepreneurship, new business development, and business plan writing. Through lectures, testimonials, field-work, and group assignments, participants are confronted with the how, where, when, whom, and why of starting and developing new business activities. As part of an international and multicultural team, participants are invited to work on an operational business plan aimed at either the creation of a new venture (NVC-track) or the acceleration of new business for an already established SME (NBD-track). This course’s ambitions thus go beyond providing theoretical insights. Hands-on experience is gained through out-of-class field work covering all steps of the entrepreneurial decision-making process (e.g., idea generation, feasibility analysis, industry study, market analysis, marketing plan, production plan, product development, and financial statements). In doing so, participants accumulate entrepreneurial knowledge and behaviours that support innovative solutions and new value development.

French language lessons for all levels are included in the program for international students. French is the mandatory choice for all non-French speaking students.
For French speaking students, other languages will be offered, and credited as well (Chinese, Spanish, German – list subject to change).

Capstone Project: 4-to 6-month internship or work experience anywhere in the world. Alternatively, students can opt for a consulting project or a thesis.