Master in Management Program: Complete Guide 2026

Guides

Published in 2 December 2025

A Master in Management (MiM) is a graduate level degree designed to develop advanced knowledge and leadership skills in business and organizational management. Unlike an MBA, which typically requires prior work experience, MiM programs are aimed at recent graduates or early career professionals seeking a strong foundation in management principles. The curriculum usually covers finance, marketing, strategy, operations, and leadership, often integrating practical projects, case studies, and internships. MiM degrees are offered globally and can enhance career prospects in consulting, finance, entrepreneurship, and corporate management. They are valued for their combination of theoretical knowledge and real-world application, preparing graduates to manage teams, make strategic decisions, and drive business growth.

What is a master's in management (MiM)?

A Master’s in Management (MiM) is a flagship postgraduate degree offered by leading business schools. It is a Bac+5 program that awards a Master’s degree (Grade de Master) and is recognized for its academic excellence, strong professional focus, and international exposure. The MiM is especially designed for students and early-career professionals seeking a solid foundation in management, business strategy, and leadership.

Definition of master's in management
A Master’s in Management is a generalist business degree that covers core disciplines such as finance, marketing, strategy, economics, and organizational management, while also emphasizing internships, international experiences, and practical projects.

Duration of a Master’s in Management Program
The length of a MiM program varies depending on the student’s entry level and the business school:

Post-baccalaureate entry: 5 years
(Note: This track is not available at emlyon business school)
After CPGE (Classes Préparatoires / preparatory classes): 3 years
Direct admission:
- 3 years for students entering after Bac+2
- 2 years for students entering after Bac+3, Bac+4, or Bac+5

Key points

Degree level: Master’s (Bac+5)
Target audience: Students and early-career professionals
Focus: Management fundamentals, professional experience, and international exposure

A Structured and Professionally-Oriented Path
The MiM is based on a balance between theoretical instruction, practical projects, and corporate experiences. The program generally follows these stages:

Pre-Master (L3): Acquisition of fundamentals in management, finance, marketing, as well as a mandatory 6-month international internship
Master 1: Deepening knowledge and progressive specialization
Master 2: Advanced specialization through tracks, dual degrees, elective courses, or apprenticeship year

A gap year between Master 1 and Master 2 is often possible, allowing students to enrich their path through corporate internships, international experiences, and academic mobility.

How long does a master's in management take?

A Master’s in Management (MiM) typically takes 5 years after the baccalaureate (bac+5) to complete. It is a state-recognized master’s degree and is generally structured in two main academic cycles: a general cycle followed by a master’s cycle.

Duration of master's in management
General Cycle (2–3 years)

The general cycle is usually accessible after the baccalaureate or through preparatory classes. It provides fundamental training in management, economics, law, and quantitative methods, ensuring a strong academic and analytical foundation.

Master’s Cycle (2 years)

The master’s cycle focuses on specialization, international exposure, and professional integration. This phase often includes internships, study abroad programs, international exchanges, or dual degrees, preparing students for global careers.

Can the Duration of a Master’s in Management Vary?

Yes, the duration of a Master’s in Management can vary depending on the chosen pathway, including:

Direct admissions (after bac+2, bac+3, or bac+4)
A gap year
Dual degree programs
International exchanges

Regardless of the pathway, the time to complete master's in management remains aligned with international academic standards and delivers career-oriented, state-recognized training.

How to join a Master in Management Program?

Admission to the MiM occurs through several pathways: post-baccalaureate entrance exams, preparatory class entrance exams, or direct admissions based on application file and written and oral exams (motivation interview, language test). Joining a Master in Management Program means entering a renowned management school, like emlyon business school, and benefiting from an international network of students, graduates, and academic partners. It's a gateway to ambitious career opportunities in France and internationally.

Professional Experience in the MiM

There are different ways to acquire professional experience in the Master in Management Program: internship, work-study, fixed-term contract, permanent contract. Each top business school requires different prerequisites for obtaining its degree. emlyon business school requires a minimum of 12 months of professional experience.

Thus, in the Pre-Master year (admission after preparatory class) at emlyon business school, you're invited to complete a 6-month internship abroad. In most top business schools, you can then complete another internship in the Master's or take a gap year, meaning two additional 6-month internships. You can also complete your Master's years through work-study and thus acquire more significant professional experience while obtaining the same degree and not having to finance your final year tuition fees during your work-study year (12 months at emlyon business school).

The advantage that a MiM offers is to strengthen your employability through experiences, courses, meetings with professionals, but also to help you acquire this experience. The first difficulty for a student is succeeding in joining a company for an internship, for example, when they haven't had professional experience yet by definition. This is the role of career centers.

Admission Pathways to the MiM

MiM after preparatory class (CPGE economic, literary, or scientific pathways)
MiM through competitive admissions (French AST)
MiM through international admissions (international AST)

Joining a Master in Management Program After Preparatory Class

To pursue a Master in Management Program, the traditional route is through preparatory class. Prep class is intensive two-year training after the baccalaureate, offered in over 200 institutions in France, overseas territories, and Morocco. There are 4 types of preparatory classes allowing entry to a business school MiM:

MiM Brochure After Preparatory Class

Economic and Business Preparatory Class
The ECG CPGE, offered at about a hundred high schools, is the most popular prep type for students targeting business school. These students must choose the type of mathematics (applied or advanced) and an option between Economics, Sociology and Contemporary World History and History, Geography and Geopolitics. This excellence track allows students to take the BCE and ECRICOME entrance exams to enter one of the 23 state-recognized post-prep business and management schools awarding the master's degree grade.

Technological Preparatory Class
This prep class is intended for students who completed a STMG Baccalaureate. For two years, students will deepen their knowledge in general areas (general culture, languages, mathematics and IT) and technological areas (management, management, economics and law). After 2 years of courses and oral examinations, students take the BCE and ECRICOME entrance exams to join one of 24 French post-prep business schools.

Literary Preparatory Class
In the literary track, there are several types of CPGE, two of which allow students to take literary exams for the BCE entrance exam:

Modern khâgne A/L prepares for the ENS Lyon entrance exam, but also for BCE entrance exam tests, to enter business schools.
Khâgne B/L allows students to prepare for the entrance exams of ENS Paris-Ulm Economics and Social Sciences section, ENS Paris-Saclay Social Sciences section, ENS Lyon Economics and Social Sciences section, as well as business schools through the BCE entrance exam.

Scientific Preparatory ClassAlthough not the traditional route, students from scientific prep classes can also aspire to enter top management schools.

Joining a MiM Through AST Entrance Exams
It's possible to enter a business school's Master in Management Program without going through preparatory class, which we call AST entrance exams for Competitive Admissions. These entrance exams - also called lateral admissions - allow students who have obtained a bac+2 (AST1 entrance exam) or bac+3 (AST2 entrance exam) to join a business school at the undergraduate (Bachelor's) level or master's cycle.

AST entrance exams like emlyon business school's include an eligibility phase and an admission phase. The first often consists of an application file including grades, diplomas, CV, and a motivation letter. Finally, some schools may require one or two letters of recommendation.

MiM Brochure AST Pathway

In addition to elements specific to the candidate's background, the student is required to provide a score on an English test (TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge) and a management aptitude test (TAGE 2, TAGE MAGE, or GMAT).

Master in Management Program: International Competitive Admission

This pathway allows students who have obtained a degree outside France to apply to a Master in Management Program. The tests are specific to this admission pathway. For example, at emlyon business school, the procedure includes an evaluation of degrees, an online test with a case study, video interview, and cognitive tests. This type of admission enriches the profiles within a Master in Management Program.

MiM Brochure After International Degree

Tuition Fees in Master in Management Program

On average, tuition fees for a 3-year Master in Management Program range between €20,000 and €70,000. Costs vary based on the school, potential grade repetitions, and gap years. Work-study programs can significantly reduce these costs as the host company finances the apprenticeship years. It is also possible to finance MiM tuition through student loans with preferential rates.

The Importance of International Experience in MiM

The strength of a Master in Management Program also lies in enabling students to acquire international experience through 6-month internships abroad (as in the Pre-Master year of emlyon's MiM) or academic exchanges at partner universities. Internationality is omnipresent in the MiM, both in the curriculum (courses in English) and the diverse student community.

Specializing in Master in Management Program

The first two years of a MiM help you acquire fundamental knowledge across all business areas (finance, marketing, strategy, etc.). In the Master 2 year, you can choose to specialize through specific tracks or dual degrees.

For example, emlyon business school offers:

Manager-Engineer dual degree with École Centrale Lyon
Manager-Lawyer dual degree with Lyon 2 and Lyon 3 Universities
Dual degree in Political Science with IEP Lyon

What Careers After a Master in Management Program?

Master's in management skills are many. Future managers can access positions such as:

The MiM Network and Associations
A Master in Management Program like emlyon business school's represents 48,000 graduates worldwide, constituting a powerful professional network.

Why Choose a Master in Management Program?

Choosing a Master in Management Program is a strategic choice for students seeking academic excellence and strong professional integration. These programs provide rigorous instruction combining theory, practice, and innovation.

In summary, choosing a MiM means investing in excellence training, recognized by recruiters, and opening the way to sustainable and international professional opportunities

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