Groupe ESC Clermont - Clermont Graduate School of Management

Clermont-Ferrand, France

Institution Info

The Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Clermont-Ferrand was founded in 1919 by the Auvergne Regional Chamber of Commerce. The school is part of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles which comprises the top Graduate Schools of Management and Engineering in France. The main degree program – Master in Management – has been accredited by the French Ministry of Education since 1951. In 1979 the name of the school was officially changed to Groupe ESC Clermont to include the various educational and training activities organized by the school. In 1985 the school was admitted to the select inner circle of Schools of Management the Chapitre des Ecoles de Management de la Conférence des Grandes Ecoles.

Groupe ESC Clermont is part of the French higher education system which is comprised of universities and other institutions called the Grandes Ecoles. The system also includes the “classes préparatoires” which are specific two-year undergraduate programs preparing students for the competitive national entrance examination to the Grandes Ecoles. The need to create more specialized institutions outside the university system became particularly strong in the 18th century, when new techniques appeared. The first Grandes Ecoles in engineering were set up at that time and the trend continued throughout the 19th century. The first Grandes Ecoles of management appeared at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, more than 60 % of the managing directors and the chief executives in France"s 100 largest firms are graduates of the Grandes Ecoles. Broad courses of study enable these graduates to assume top positions and offer them a wide variety of different career possibilities.

Groupe ESC Clermont is a well-established and highly recognized institution within the French higher education system. The school has constantly strived to innovate and improve the service it provides to the business community by educating young managers and providing high quality training to experienced professionals. The last 25 years have been particularly creative in terms of the school"s development, with a considerable expansion of student numbers and program diversity. These efforts to maintain an excellent standard of academic and professional education were recognized in 2009 by the French Ministry of Education which, after a detailed audit, renewed the accreditation or visa for the school"s main degree - Master in Management - for six years, the maximum period allowed. This accreditation has traditionally been the highest accreditation possible for French institutions of higher education. In addition, this program has also been recognized as an official Master within the French higher education system with the label grade Master.

A special commission of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles has the authority to accredit degree programs offered by its members either as MSc or as Mastère Spécialisé. All the MSc and Specialized Masters programs are accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. In addition, the MSc in International Business Development and the MSc in International Project Management have been recognized as outstanding programs as Responsible Export (Export Manager). This is an official label at Master"s level and provides a guarantee of quality for professional programs.

The Project Management program – Chef de Projet Commercial - is officially accredited by the French Ministry of Industry as a fully recognized professional qualification.

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France

Clermont-Ferrand

Groupe ESC Clermont - Clermont Graduate School of Management