Master's Programme in Finance Launches Double Degree Track with ESSCA

HSE University St. Petersburg and ESSCA (Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commercials d'Angers), one of the top business school in France, have signed an agreement to launch a Double Degree track as а part of the Master's programme in Finance.

Elena Rogova, the Dean of the St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management, spoke about the opportunities that the programme provides to students who enroll at the university this year. 

HSE University St. Petersburg and ESSCA have been working together for a long time, and the Double Degree programme was conceived in 2012. The core features of the programme were adjusted, however, due to some legal restrictions, the implementation of the programme was postponed. In 2017, universities cotinued with negotiations around the Double Degree programme and officially opened it up to students for the 2018-2019 academic year.

ESSCA has 10 campuses in 4 countries. The business school is among the top 5% of schools in the world and boasts important international accreditations such as AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. Literally, ESSCA is a part of the top league of business schools, not only in France but in the world.

The Master's programme 'Finance' already has a Double Degree track with University College London (UCL), but under the terms of the programme, students have to enter UCL first and then come to St. Petersburg to complete their studies.

As for the Double Degree programme with ESSCA, Russian students can go to France for the second semester of the first year and for the first semester of the second year.  Therefore, they have an opportunity to spend a whole year on the foreign campus. During summer vacation, students can carry out an internship, and ESSCA provides a list of companies who accept trainees from HSE University St. Petersburg. Students also have the opportunity to return home for summer vacation and to carry out an internship in St. Petersburg.

Students from France come here for their second year. This means that Russian and French students participating in the programme will get to know each other very well by the end of their studies.

It is important to note that our students can choose one of two programmes at ESSCA. The first is 'Banks and financial engineering' that is taught in Paris. The second one is 'Corporate Finance' and is taught in Anji, the historic homeland of ESSCA. This city is located in the North-West of France, relatively close to Paris in the Loire valley. It is a very beautiful and comfortable place to stay.

The curriculum of both programmes includes a lot of group work and courses, which are taught by experts. This means that students who participate in the programme will become acquainted with the most modern European practices in the field of Finance.

Students also have the opportunity to study a second foreign language. In addition to the French language, ESSCA offers courses in German and Spanish.

After returning to their home universities, participants in the Double Degree programme will write their theses under the supervision of two scholars- one from HSE University St. Petersburg and one from ESSCA. Specialists from ESSCA will also be invited to HSE University St. Petersburg for theses defense.

Currently, up to 3 people can apply for the Double Degree track. The first selection round is scheduled for this year. The selection criteria include the applicant’s scores obtained during admissions.

Tuition at ESSCA on the Double Degree programme is free, however, students have to cover transport costs, accommodation and other expenses incurred during the mobility period.