My Master’s Journey: ESCP Master In Management

Multi-accredited ESCP Business School offers one of the world’s best Master in Management programs—ranked fifth in 2022 according to the Financial Times Master in Management ranking.

Rooted in European values and identity, ESCP has six campuses across Europe—in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin, and Warsaw. This allows students to attend semesters abroad and gain the skills required to launch an international career.

The ESCP MiM is a two-to-three-year customizable program designed for students with little to no work experience who wish to develop their managerial and leadership skills.

The program often sees grads working for a variety of top-ranked firms, including Amazon, Chanel, Deloitte, EY, or HSBC. 

BusinessBecause spoke with Noé De Paëpe and Arianna de la Cruz Lara, two students currently enrolled in the ESCP MiM, to hear about their journey onto the program, and how it has boosted their career prospects. 

Why the ESCP MiM?

Since the age of four, Arianna (pictured), born and raised in Costa Rica, has played the Violin. She studied Violin Performance at NYU whilst working at the Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts as an artistic and administrative assistant.

It was during this experience, behind the scenes of the music industry, that Arianna decided to enroll in a Master’s in Management.

“I was burnt out from playing so much and I really fell in love with the work I was doing at Lincoln Centre,” Arianna adds, “It was more behind the scenes, more curatorial production work.”

Arianna chose the ESCP MiM because of the school’s multiple European campuses and its international focus. Since she didn’t have a previous business degree, she was looking for a program that had several specializations—ESCP offers 63 specializations and 40 dual degree partners.

Noé discovered his interest in management after an internship at Gobi—a French firm that sells sustainable water bottles—during his two-years of preparatory classes in the French Grandes Ecoles system.

He chose to study a Master’s in Management because of the breadth of career opportunities MiM students have upon graduating—88% of corporate recruiters plan to hire MiM graduates in 2022—and the high salaries they typically earn. 

ESCP students graduating © ESCP Business School via Facebook

ESCP MiM | What to expect

Master in Management students at ESCP begin the program with core modules teaching the fundamentals of intercultural management. These help to hone your collaborative and leadership skills while working in multicultural teams. 

Core modules include Corporate Finance, Business Law, International Marketing Decisions, Management Control, or Sustainability. MiM students also dive into two or three specializations in subjects like Business Development, Consulting, Digital, Entrepreneurship, and Finance. 

Arianna found the specialization in Digital particularly interesting. “It was like technology meets HR, where we talked about how work has evolved in the last few years, especially with the pandemic and what the future holds.”

ESCP MiM students learn through a variety of case studies, lectures, group projects, and instructions by executives from ESCP’s corporate partners. Students can also study across the different ESCP campuses each semester to develop their multicultural and international management skills.

“Six campuses are a lot and it’s a way to move around Europe, something teachers encourage as you’re able to see how other students live and learn, which forms part of your personal development,” says Noé. 

Arianna decided to do her first two semesters in Berlin, a hub for classical music, to secure an internship in the many orchestras present in the city before moving to Madrid next.

There are also various extra-curricular activities and different associations available to help you hone your personal development and soft skills. Noé joined an environmental and LGBTQ+ association which aims to educate on key topics and organize events and activities.

“The different associations I joined were a great way to meet people and to learn how to be responsible leaders in our society,” Noé adds, “it was an incredible opportunity.”

ESCP MiM | Careers 

All students on the ESCP MiM are required to undertake a minimum of two work placements each lasting at least two months during their MiM program. This opportunity helps you clarify your career goals and gain experience in top firms before graduation. 

Before starting the second year of her Master’s Arianna is taking a year out to work as a project manager for Pierre Boulez Saal, a performing arts international concert hall in Berlin. 

“We do a lot of Arabic music, jazz, and classical music,” she says, “I’m really passionate about their missions and the people there are great, I feel like I'm doing something that I love whilst still being challenging.”

The work experience opportunities available on the ESCP MiM tend to pay off, as 99% of grads are employed within three months of graduation. They earn an average salary of €55k, with most students entering consulting (32%), finance (19%), or tech (16%). 

With top companies like Accenture, BCG, EY, KPMG, or L’Oreal hiring from the cohort, the program offers a great opportunity for ambitious students to launch top careers.

Next Read: What Can You Do With A Master In Management?