Three Reasons why the the French Riviera is the Best Place in Europe to get an MBA

Top Reasons Why the French Riviera is the Best Place to Get an MBA in Europe

1. It’s a great environment to develop innovation and start-up strategies.

The opportunities available in France and specifically around the French Riviera are plentiful — making it an ideal place for students looking to make new international connections and be exposed to multinational companies with reach and influence around the globe. France boasts Europe’s third largest economy, and is the home of many industry giants such as Carrefour, L’Oreal, AXA, BNP Paribas, and Christian Dior, just to name a few.

Europe’s equivalent to Silicon Valley, Sophia Antipolis — a technology park including over 2,200 companies and employing more than 36,000 people — is located just outside the central Riviera city of Nice.

Nice itself, home to the beautiful EDHEC Global MBA campus, was named as one of the world’s top smart cities in 2016 by the Ministry of the Environment.

The entire Côte d'Azur has over 600 companies and dedicated research organizations working to deliver smarter, cleaner solutions for lasting development.

2. French life with an international twist

A huge international influx and a large tourist population make the French Riviera a very accessible place for people with little knowledge of French language or culture. To help you learn the local language, we offer optional free French courses during your MBA plus you can choose to do an intensive French course with the Alliance Francaise before you begin your programme. As a result, the French Riviera is one of the most accessible places to study your MBA in Europe.

Cities like Nice and Cannes offer many services for English speakers, while the myriad smaller villages dotted along the coastlines provide great opportunities for those looking for a slice of true French culture.

Developed infrastructure, a regional airport, and high speed TGV trains will give you access not only to the thousands of historical monuments and sites throughout France, but also to the countries and cultures surrounding it. 300 days of sunshine a year, the Alps, and the international Cannes film festival are just some of the benefits an expat can enjoy while living on the French Riviera.

Studying in France is also easy compared to other countries abroad. For European citizens, all that is needed to study in France is a travel document and valid ID. If you’re a non-EU citizen and you’ve been accepted into an MBA programme, the process for an extension after your studies is much easier, allowing you to work on a longer MBA internship or look for your next career move.     

At EDHEC, our International Students Office helps with many of the logistics when moving to our campus in Nice. This includes things such as help with visa arrangements, and free French lessons for both students and partners who are moving with them.

3. It’s an outstanding (and affordable) place to live and study.

Despite its stunning scenery, the average cost of living on the French Riviera is surprisingly affordable. Central tourist areas can get quite expensive, particularly during peak season, but overall the cost of living is about half that of Paris.

Whether you’re an international expert who has been around the world and is looking for new networking opportunities, or a business professional looking to delve into the international market for the first time, the French Riviera is the optimal place to develop your career goals.   

Obtaining an MBA in this beautiful section of the Mediterranean will not only provide an immersive cultural experience nestled between the seaside and mountaintops of southern France, but will expose you to industry innovators key to your success in the field, and provide you with the education and connections needed to build flourishing, long-term development. French MBA degrees overall cost significantly less than their UK and US counterparts. Most MBA programmes in the United States are stretched over two years, which means a longer amount of time to account for living expenses and lack of income.

Because the EDHEC MBA is only 10-months long and due to the programme having a dedicated Careers Service, the return on investment of the Global MBA consistently ranks as one of the best in the world. So as well as being able to live in an amazing place while you study, you also benefit from being able to continue your career after earning your MBA in Europe in under a year. This all leads to less expenses, less opportunity cost and a much better R.O.I than many schools.

Plus we offer a generous and totally transparent scholarship scheme. We automatically award scholarships to eligible applicants. For instance, our Diversity scholarship awards 20% off tuition fees as a way to encourage gender and cultural diversity.