International Business Development – (M.Sc.)

The interest of a programme such as the MSc International Business Development is immediately apparent. To start with, there are structural weaknesses in many French companies that hamper their ability to export, yet there are many tools and mechanisms available today to help them develop in the international arena.

So, for students fully committed to a career in the challenging arena of the world economy, the MSc IBD provides a great opportunity to acquire the expertise necessary to conduct business on behalf of companies seeking to set up abroad. We provide multi-dimensional support, both academic and professional, in order to ensure that our students have the best possible chance of success as they start their career in international markets with exporting companies in Burgundy and France as a whole.

Since a manager/developer’s value is built up “on site”, this programme is the ideal springboard for all those wishing to become key operators in tomorrow’s globalised economy.

According to the European university degree framework (3/5/8), the MSc in International Business Development is considered as a European Masters 2.

Objectives of the MSc International Business Development Programme

The programme covers the skills linked to the development of the export business, namely:

• A sound economic culture, good knowledge of business law, a good financial culture, the practice of at least two foreign languages, a good knowledge of regulatory restrictions concerning the exchange of goods and services (transport, customs tariffs, taxes, etc.) as well as export markets;
• An excellent knowledge of the sector of activity corresponding to the context of the International In-Company Voluntary Service (Volontariat International en Entreprise – VIE), the product and the technologies used by the host company;
• A good strategic vision: coordination and negotiating expertise in a multi-cultural context, the ability to mobilise a team around a project, plus what might be termed “operational intelligence”;
• Relational skills and competence in handling internal and external negotiations;
• Other key success factors: good physical condition (extensive travelling) and the ability to handle stress.

Career opportunities

Graduates will be able to hold a large variety of middle management positions within international business organisations, including:

• International Business Manager
• Imports-Exports Manager
• Sales Executive
• International Purchaser

Examples of positions

• Development manager: responsible for steering and detecting opportunities for growth for the company and for advancing new projects/markets/clients/partners.
• Export Manager: designs, coordinates and supervises the employer’s development strategy on the “export” market(s).