MASTER OF SCIENCEEntrepreneurship & Innovation

Class of 2019

“I’ve appreciated the quality of attention given to each student and how the MSc leads you to what fits you best.

There are lots of practical learning opportunities in the form of real business cases and projects where students work closely with existing companies.

The cultural diversity among students brings out unique ideas and knowledge we previously were unaware of, and gives us hands-on experience in multi-national teamwork.

We’ve made lifelong friends, received an excellent education and have become functional professionals.

Today, I am working as an innovation manager in European Computer Telecoms AG, Munich, Germany.

I am working in exactly what I studied and this is what realising a dream is all about.”

Class of 2019

"Right after the MSc EI, I started Devalaya, a hospitality business that provides food and beverage services along with corporate hospitality solutions in Nepal. The company raised 90 000 euros from three different partners and investors that have confidently supported my vision and long-term plan.

We already have lots of people who are keen and the venture will soon be featured in national business magazines and digital platforms.

The MSc Entrepreneurship & Innovation played a vital role for my confidence in executing my new business in less than a year since I left the campus. It's been an exceptional experience that has led me to the path where I always believed I belong: pure entrepreneurship."

Class of 2019

"I have been amazed by the entrepreneurial spirit at SKEMA: students are always involved in project work, there are frequent professional workshops, career events, start-up workshops.

On this MSc there are splendid opportunities to develop your innovative idea and bring it to market with the help of SKEMA professors as well as entrepreneurs who work closely with the school.

Everybody is willing to give professional advice, to support, to share knowledge and expertise. The only thing needed from you is a desire to create, to collaborate, to innovate, and to be passionate about what you do.

Thanks to SKEMA, I gained loads of practical knowledge and skills. It’s allowed me to unleash my potential.

SKEMA is an endless variety of opportunities that are now open to me and, most importantly, it is people. The international SKEMA environment allowed me to make friends from different parts of the world, to exchange experiences with them and to explore different cultures.

In one year I fell in love with the school, with the region, with the people. I am incredibly grateful to everybody who gave me this chance to be a SKEMA student."

Class of 2014-15

"This master course was very attractive especially because of the learning experience with international students; the work in multicultural teams added a lot of value. The networking opportunities during the year were tremendous, including entrepreneurial meetings, alumni meetings and the start up contest.

The programme is built in such a way that you can work on different aspects of particular projects or business studies throughout the year. The understanding of this is made better by working on various case studies and real company projects. The availability and involvement of teachers is highly appreciated.

Presently, I am launching my own business called Optical Coating Technologies based on thin film coatings for lenses used in defence, electronics or optical equipment. So far, we have finalised the location, I'm now dealing with suppliers for machinery."

“Studying the MSc Entrepreneurship & Innovation was one of the best professional choices I have ever made. This master provided us with the right tools and skills required to be more confident and to become entrepreneurs.

The international cultural mix in the classroom was also a plus that gave us a global business mind-set.

At the end of my studies, I was offered an internship for an enterprise located in Silicon Valley dealing with entrepreneurial ventures. However, I turned this opportunity down for an even more exciting career path: two of my colleagues, one from Norway and another from France, and myself are setting up our own startup company in ecological products in France. Right away we are going from theory into an exciting business venture of our own.”

“Before starting the master, I had 13 months’ professional experience in the world of start-ups and I had huge expectations for this last year of study.

The MSc has more than fulfilled my expectations, it has empowered me so much that now I feel confident in building new innovative concepts in business and implementing them in my professional life.

This programme excels for a lot of reasons. Firstly, for the quality of the professors: they are closely linked to the reality of the actual work.

The teachers have such understanding and experience in the application of theoretical concepts that they can teach you in a way you can’t find anywhere else. Secondly, the MSc gives you the means to create your own projects and understand the key challenges of launching new opportunities. Thirdly, the master attracts a lot of international students. And don’t forget: the MSc also takes place in Suzhou, China. This cultural openness, with tons of great and interesting people, has had an amazing effect on my personal experience.

I’m now leading the EuropeSense Tour, created by MakeSense. This project is a three-month trip to more than 20 countries in Europe to meet social entrepreneurs and kick start the movement of helping entrepreneurs there.”

“This MSc provides all the academic and practical content for those who want to create innovative and efficient solutions that can transform society and improve quality of life for all.

I entered this MSc to better perform in my current position as project manager at the World Trade Center in Mexico, to contribute with knowledge sharing and a deeper insight into innovation. This master provided me not only with the right tools to start a sustainable business but also with a lot of experience that made me understand the challenge of being a change-maker. This was due to the richness of its programmes, the know-how gained, as well as the global perspective given to implement strategic change at a local level in a business environment.

I really appreciated the professors’ support throughout the year and the strong professional network provided. The widespread international environment in SKEMA makes this experience interesting and unique. Entrepreneurship is the future!

In parallel with my work at the World Trade Center, I will start a business for sustainable SMEs: a technological platform for collaborative consumption for SMEs in Mexico, drawing on the expertise of all the contacts we have in the WTC."

Thanks to having the status “student-entrepreneur”, I can dedicate 100% of my time to my project and draw on a powerful network of alumni and professionals.”

“When I began this MSc I had an idea for launching my own business. Equally, I considered returning to my domain of experience – flavour commercialisation. The course is a great balance between theory and practice, from classical scholarly studies to face-to-face meetings and working projects with entrepreneurs in Sophia Antipolis, world renowned as an area of innovation.

Students from our year were provided with the requisite tools to start our own firms and it is evident that this year's alumni will go on to achieve international success.

I was able to enhance my sales skills with certain modules, such as Solution Selling and Entrepreneurial Finance as well as my soft skills particularly communication.

As the axiom "it's not what you know, but who you know" suggests, networking is vital in business. Our MSc put us in touch with entrepreneurs, who had already founded their own ventures, and business coaches.

Within weeks of completing my studies I took on a job in a senior commercial role as area manager for Middle East & Africa at Rudolf Wild, a German firm in the food industry. I was able to utilise my new and augmented skills – intrapreneurship, negotiation, strategy, etc. immediately. Although the course can be used to help start your own enterprise, I found it really good for my career path choice of working in a huge company with a 1bn$ turnover.”

“This has been the most exciting year of my studies. I got exactly what I was looking for: a perfect mix of theory and pragmatism. We had the opportunity to work on our personal project and to develop it all year long.

The team of experienced teachers was highly available to help us with any concerns we might have.

It was also an incredible international experience. I did the first semester in Sophia Antipolis in France, where half of the class was made of non-French students. I then went on the Chinese campus in Suzhou, China, where most teachers were Chinese. This dynamic environment helped me to adopt the right behaviour while dealing with various cultures. Adaptation and comprehensive observation are key competences for any entrepreneur who wants to understand market needs!

This programme helped me to reach a certain level of self-confidence. As a result, my team and I got selected to go to the semi-final of the Bangkok Business Game in Thailand. We had to defend our project in front of potential investors. We won prizes in two categories. It was an amazing and enriching experience!

I’ve already got a permanent job. It's in Hong Kong, I’ll be working as a business development manager for a company called Dining Concepts Ltd.”

"Before coming to SKEMA I graduated from the Norwegian School of Management, with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. During that time I also studied Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of California Berkeley and it was there that I developed an interest for this field.

SKEMA’s MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation is very diverse and you learn about innovation and entrepreneurship from different perspectives and domains. Ecosystem of Innovation and New Ventures and Business Plan are courses I found particularly useful.

The professors are experts in their fields and really challenge every student. There was also a variety of other professors each with their own field of expertise, as well as the guest lecturers from companies that offered different perspectives on topics. There was a good group of students in the class as well, making a good atmosphere for learning. Besides classes, SKEMA has a lot of student societies and clubs that organise a wide range of activities and social gatherings, I myself joined the Extrem club, and we had a lot of fun.

The location of the school is perfect; you can be at the beach and in the mountains on the same day!"

“On the MSc Entrepreneurship & Innovation I became responsible for the school’s start-up incubator that is available for students who are starting their own businesses. Looking after the incubator was a rich and unique experience that gave me the opportunity to follow innovative projects initiated by SKEMA students and to be in contact with SKEMA alumni entrepreneurs who had already launched their own businesses.

I was also part of the Esperanza society (one of SKEMA’s 65 student societies), in which I contributed to a project in Cameroon: a humanitarian project whose purpose is to improve a primary school located in the centre of the country. My Esperanza membership allowed me to quickly settle in to SKEMA and to make friends.

At the end of my time at SKEMA, I had many opportunities to choose from.

In the end, I decided to join Microsoft Services in France, where I began as an intern before being employed under a fixed term contract. I’ve been working as a project management officer (PMO) on Microsoft Services' most important project at the Banque de France. My responsibilities were quickly broadened to include the management of the Microsoft Services' PMO unit."