What is a business school Bachelor?
Inspired by Anglo-Saxon BBA programmes, the business school Bachelor is a Bac+3 level qualification, equivalent to a licence.
Open directly after the baccalaureate, this programme allows students to earn 180 ECTS credits and offers training that is particularly geared towards entering the workforce. Increasingly widespread in business schools, it is often a first step before moving on to a Master in Management.
A career-oriented, internationally minded programme
The Bachelor is offered by many post-baccalaureate business schools and generally lasts three or four years.
Depending on the institution, it may be:
general, with comprehensive training in management
specialised, in fields such as marketing, finance, events, sport or entrepreneurship
A teaching approach focused on practice
The first two years of the Bachelor are devoted to learning the fundamentals of management: marketing, management, finance and corporate strategy.
Classes are often taught by:
academic researchers
industry professionals (executives, entrepreneurs, consultants)
Companies also contribute to the programme through:
practical workshops
collaborative projects
student competitions
This active teaching approach helps students build a strong professional network and prepares them for the realities of the business world.
Internships and work-study
Periods spent in companies play a central role in the Bachelor.
Students generally complete:
several compulsory internships
or a work-study placement, often offered in the third year
This professional experience allows students to quickly acquire operational skills and improve their employability when they graduate.
A strong international dimension
The international dimension is another pillar of the Bachelor.
Students can:
spend a semester or a year at a partner university
prepare for an international double degree
follow a programme taught 100% in English
Some programmes take the form of a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration), which is particularly well suited to students who wish to work in an international environment.
Specialisation in the third year
Specialisation generally takes place in the final year of the Bachelor.
Students then choose a specific field, for example:
marketing
finance
international business
digital
entrepreneurship
This final year combines theoretical classes, professional experience and talks by experts, in order to develop the practical skills that companies are looking for.
A degree recognised by the State
Today, many business schools offer a Bachelor, but not all programmes are recognised by the State.
The main official recognition is the visa from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
This visa is awarded following an assessment by the Commission for the Evaluation of Management Programmes and Degrees (CEFDG).
The visa may be granted for a period of two to six years and assesses several criteria:
the teaching quality of the programme
the degree to which the programme is career-oriented
the admissions process
the school's governance
A visa-approved Bachelor is automatically registered in the RNCP (the French national register of professional qualifications) and generally corresponds to an RNCP level 6 qualification.
International accreditations for business schools
Beyond national recognition, some schools also hold prestigious international accreditations.
Among the most important:
AACSB: an international accreditation that recognises academic excellence and programme quality
EQUIS: a label awarded to schools offering a high standard of teaching and a strong international dimension
AMBA: an accreditation dedicated to master's and MBA level programmes
EPAS: a label assessing the teaching quality and reputation of a specific programme
These accreditations are a guarantee of quality and international recognition.
What can you do after a Bachelor?
After a business school Bachelor, graduates have several options.
Entering the job market directly
Thanks to their career-oriented training, graduates can go into operational roles, notably in:
marketing
sales
communications
project management
customer relations
Continuing your studies on the Master in Management
The majority of students nevertheless choose to continue their studies in order to obtain a Bac+5 degree.
This progression is generally made through parallel admissions, which allow students to enter directly into the fourth year of the Master in Management.
These schools are accessible through the EDC Paris Business School entrance competition and offer State-approved programmes conferring the grade of master.
Students can then specialise in different fields:
finance
marketing
digital
human resources
international business
accounting
The programme can be followed on the standard schedule, on a work-study basis or entirely in English.