What is truly specific to the Programme Grande Ecole and represents its originality is the international immersion, a part of everyday life at The EM Strasbourg Business School. Indeed, 35% of graduates take a first job outside France, earning the School one of the leading rankings among French Business Schools.

The study period spent outside France lasts at least two consecutive semesters and is mandatory for all students except those in the second year parallel admissions stream. This enriching experience in another country ensures that every student will truly gain access to a second culture thanks to the multicultural aspects of sandwich training, stressing each individual's capacity to adapt and real life use of the local language.

The School also strongly encourages students to complete a work placement period abroad (in a country other than the one where they completed their required academic stay period) to gain a feel for the culture of another part of the world.

Lastly, in addition to the two languages other than French that are required, students are strongly advised to learn a third one.
Consequently, at Strasbourg being international is a reality: Many exchange or double diploma students from outside France are present every year along with some twenty guest lecturers. The EM Strasbourg Business School also regularly welcomes delegations from around the world with a view to expanding the network of partner universities.

Internationalization is central to the values of the EM Strasbourg Business School which is to train managers for an international career. The Department of Language and Culture of the school therefore offers its students an intercultural environment in which they can develop their language skills.

The School requires that students master at least two languages other than French, with English a compulsory language for all students. For the second language students have the choice between German, Arabic, Spanish, Italian and Russian.

Although optional, taking a third non-French language is strongly recommended to prepare students for the world of globalization. For their third foreign language students can choose between German, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian.

We also offer the possibility to students visiting from abroad or who are preparing a dual-degree, to follow courses in general or specialized French.

From their entry in the 1st year, students from different nationalities work together in classes given by teachers and professors invited from other countries to prepare them for their exchange year or internship abroad. All the teaching staff of the Department of Language and Culture aim to facilitate this step linguistically culturally and managerially.

To take full advantage of and reinforce the curriculum offered to the students of the EM Business School the Language Department offers its students a multilingual and multicultural innovative system to develop the language skills of its graduates. This is essentially characterized by the following:

• The use of a Language Resource Centre, offering rich, varied, and regularly updated resources (on paper or through the multimedia), that students can choose at will, conversation workshops to discuss current affairs, themes related to specialized language, simulations of meeting and interviews, presentations etc.
• Taking into account the profile of each student, developing their skills, and defining their needs, based on their personal projects.
• Taking into account differences in language levels, learning rhythms and centres of interest
• Preparing a Portfolio of Languages skills, and foreign cultures, including the use of the Language Portfolio, and the European Language Passport.

The 1st year students have oral and written communication academic and professional courses. While 2nd and 3rd year students have courses in language for business.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in cultural and intercultural conferences throughout the year given both by teachers of the Language Department, or by visiting foreign teachers.

In addition, the Department of Foreign Language and Culture offers students wanting to strengthen their language skills, additional possibilities through tutorials in different languages (English, German, and Spanish), offered by tutors in the Language Resource Centre. These tutorials help students to prepare effectively for the various language certifications, which are internationally recognized.

As part of their diploma course the school organises a TOEIC session for the Grande Ecole Masters and the PGE in the 2nd and 3rd years.

Students also have the possibility to register for different linguistic-cultural activities in the form of tandems and e-tandems.

The Department of Foreign Language and Culture of the Strasbourg School of Management is proud of its teaching-staff, which consists of about fifty language teachers, mostly native speakers.

A true specificity and originality offered by The EM Strasbourg Business School Programme Grande Ecole is the study period andting for at least two consecutive semesters and a requirement for all students (except for students in the second year parallel admissions stream).

This enriching experience in another country lets everyone truly access a "second culture" by learning multicultural living, highlighting their capacity to adapt and effectively use the local language.

In the conventional syllabus, students travel to another country for the second year. In the international double-diploma syllabus, the year away must be the third year. The stay which must last at least one school year may extend to three or even four semesters for programmes included in the double-diploma course.

Links to the websites belonging to all of our partner universitiesare available so that students can access the most complete information available. Furthermore, the International Relations Department is available to answer specific questions and advise students when choosing their destination.

Before leaving for another country, information and preparation meetings are held with representatives from partner universities, non-French students attending The EM Strasbourg Business School and French students who studied at the relevant universities during previous years.