MBA Specialization

How can you implement a business plan to open the doors to new and fast-growing international markets?

This specialization provides an applied learning experience during which participants will create their own unique path to reach a target market. You will learn how to understand the challenges of a particular international business and develop concrete skills to create and execute a business plan for international development. Throughout the course, your instructors and peers will support you to develop a market-ready presentation of your business plan.

This specialization will enable you to acquire general knowledge and operational tools to overcome the challenges of international business development. From strategy to implementation and evaluation, participants will learn how to analyze, create and execute a business plan to enter a new market.

Create a comprehensive business plan for international development and learn how to present your case to potential investors.
Pilot the various phases of your international development with a focus on risk evaluation, mitigation and other key indicators.
Acquire operational skills to manage your project as well as evaluate and communicate on its strengths and weakness.

Key Strengths:
- Learn by doing: Develop your own international business plan as you apply newly acquired skills and concepts.
- Test your business plan by analyzing all management factors that will determine its success.
- Interact with academic and professional experts in the field of international business development.
- Open the door to career advancement thanks to recognized, concrete skills.
- Develop intercultural skills while studying with faculty and peers from around the world.

Entrepreneurship & Business Opportunities 

Core concepts:
- Understand the fundamentals of entrepreneurship
- Identify, analyze and implement new opportunities

In this module, you will learn how to:
- Define entrepreneurship and its relevance for the economy
​- Understand the characteristics of entrepreneurs and the founders’ dilemma
​- Identify & exploit entrepreneurial opportunities
​- Work in teams to implement a real startup project using the lean startup method

New Venture Business Planning

Core concepts: 
- Effectively overcome challenges in planning, pitching and funding

In this module, you will learn how to:
- Explore funding options
- Develop business plans and pitches for strategic investors
- Overcome the challenges of scaling a venture

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Core concepts:
- Identify and capitalize on innovation opportunities
- Build a collaborative vision to foster innovation

In this module, you will learn how to:
- Identify and understand emerging technology
- Plan and implement effective innovation strategies
- Connect innovation, intrapreneurship and corporate venturing
- Implement collaboration, alliances and partnerships for innovation
- Understand the power of open innovation
- Analyze innovation funding and investment opportunities

Evaluation
Participants will be evaluated on how they apply course concepts to their specific new venture project as well as case studies. Evaluation will include a startup project pitch and a business plan.

Educational approach
This certificate builds on a ‘learn by doing’ approach. Participants will explore key theoretical concepts before applying this knowledge to their own new venture projects.

For modules one & two: Flipped classrooms and experiential learning will be used with participants working in teams of 4 to develop a lean startup project.

For module three: A focus on knowledge acquisition through readings, case studies, simulations and guest speakers.

Are you a manager or consultant aiming at fostering the sustainability transition in your organization and beyond?

The specialization in Smart & Sustainable Business is designed to train managers, consultants, and entrepreneurs to approach the transition to a sustainable business with sound knowledge and smart technologies. The program has a global orientation though remaining very practical and concrete for executives and professionals of every industry and function.

The specialization in Smart & Sustainable Business will provide you with essential competencies to lead the transition to sustainability. No matter the organization, it will be imperative for all managers to act upon social, environmental issues that stakeholders will increasingly raise. The course content covers all steps from macro trends analysis to real-life project implementation,

We go beyond the dichotomy between technological advance and sustainability in business and communities by proposing an emergent framework where new technologies can be applied to address climate and environmental degradation and economic inequalities.

Whether managers, entrepreneurs, or consultants, the participants to this program will be able to develop more sustainable products and services, business models, and communities.

Key strengths:
- Acquire professional skills and tools for any management consulting activity.
- Join a high-caliber business network made up of MBA students from several GEM campuses.
- Take advantage of an intensive program structure that allows you to quickly learn and apply new skills.
- Analyse recent trends in business and society / Refresh and complete their competencies to lead the sustainability transition of their organizations and their value network
- Develop intercultural skills while studying with faculty and peers from around the world.

Content

The 3 modules are delivered by an international team of 6 experienced consultants, including British, American, Italian and Dutch nationals. 

The key professional skills needed for any consultancy activity, including pitching for contracts, calculating the cost of a consultancy service and assessing client needs are the focus.  The consulting environment, creativity for consultants, and internal consultancy projects carried out internally by members of the organisation are also part of the input.

Target

This choice is primarily for MBAs who have an area of expertise through previous study and professional activity that they can harness for the benefit of clients through a consultancy service. 

It is also of value to those who plan to develop their own entrepreneurial activity as many of the consultancy skills are also applicable to service provision by independent operators.

In today’s complex and globalized business world, finance skills are a vital part of any executive’s management tool kit. The Certificate in Finance & Digital Banking offers you the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required to understand your organization’s financial issues and achieve optimum performance thanks to effective financial management. Course content focuses on essential topics such as international finance, investment or valuation in order to provide you with a global perspective on current financial topics as well as insights and tools to enhance your organization’s performance.

This specialization will enable you to expand your understanding of finance, acquire technical and analytical skills, and overcome the challenges of modern financial management. Participants will explore essential knowledge tied to international finance, financial management, investment and valuation.

- Analyze the impact of diversification, economies of scale and cost-effective financial resources in terms of multinational companies.
- Evaluate risks such as political instability, exchange rate fluctuations and complex fiscal regulations.
- Develop essential skills for financial managers and controllers.
- Examine the risks and benefits of uncertain investments.
- Understand and explore valuation and its applications such as mergers, takeovers or spinoff operations.

Key strengths:
- Acquire strong technical and analytical skills for financial management.
- Interact with academic and professional experts in the field of finance.
- Open the door to career advancement thanks to recognized, concrete skills.
- Develop intercultural skills while studying with faculty and peers from around the world.

​In fast-paced international environments, the ability to implement a digital transformation of management processes is a key strength to drive competitive advantage. How can you effectively integrate a digital marketing approach to everyday business practices? How should you manage the necessary resources in a digital marketing context?

This specialization provides professionals from diverse backgrounds with concrete knowledge to build on digital technology. Develop your ability to select and use the right technology to meet your needs in terms of marketing strategy and project management. Through three in-depth modules, you will develop the skills required to master new technology and attract customers. In addition, this understanding will facilitate your capacity to build long-term customer relationships.

During the program, you will acquire knowledge and skills related to digital technology, digital marketing strategy and project management. Throughout the course, you will focus on understanding the fundamentals, challenges and opportunities of digital technology, digital management and digital marketing.

- Identify technical challenges and build on new opportunities for digital marketing.
- Apply the “golden rules” of web design and their associated KPIs.
- Implement web-analytics in digital content and design.
- Integrate the customer’s experience as part of your offer thanks to innovative approaches to marketing.
- Manage web application projects to overcome technical and organizational challenges.
- Analyze the business impact of our rapidly changing digital media environment.
- Apply fundamental techniques for website communications, online consumer behavior, e-retailing and customer relationship management.

Key strengths:
- Acquire operational tools for the effective implementation of digital marketing projects.
- Develop your ability to see the 'big picture' in a fast paced marketing environment.
- Open the door to career advancement thanks to recognized, concrete skills.
- Share experiences with international experts, professionals and peers.

The specialization in Luxury Brand Management offers you the opportunity to understand essential principles and practices for the strategic management of luxury sector businesses. Participants will explore the nature of managerial work in the luxury sector in order to understand strategy, operations and project management. You will develop skills to implement this knowledge to increase individual and team performance. The course will enable you to apply the acquired knowledge to business cases within the luxury goods and services sector.

This specialization will give you the general knowledge and operational skills to successfully implement strategic management in the luxury sector. By understanding evolutions and trends within the sector as well as marketing and communications concepts, you will be well prepared to lead strategic management for luxury brand projects.

- Create strategies to take advantage of major evolutions and trends in the luxury sector.
- Explore the “dream factor” as it relates to luxury brands.
- Analyze market position and consumer behavior.
- Improve performance by taking into account the specificities of the luxury industry and various categories of products.
- Evaluate and select appropriate management tools and processes for luxury brands.

Key strengths:
- Acquire essential knowledge of management, communications and marketing trends in the luxury sector
- Apply concrete skills to luxury brand organizations.
- Interact with academic and professional experts in the field of international business development.
- Open the door to career advancement thanks to recognized, concrete skills.
- Develop intercultural skills while studying with faculty and peers from around the world.

This option takes a very practical, applied approach to the challenges of successful project management.

Content
The essentials cover the following:  structuring projects to set realistic goals and identify milestones; using effective tools for scheduling and be able to run single or parallel projects; identify project risks ; manage time, cost and quality; implement control systems to keep on top of the project. 

The course includes a project simulation.

Target
The project management option has a wide range of possible applications for any initiative whose completion is fixed within specific time limits.

This can include private as well as public sector organisations, NGOs, etc.