By the time Meriem Djehiche began the first year of her Master in Management (Grande Ecole Programme), she had already learned something many students discover much later: careers rarely unfold in straight lines.
Born and raised in Algeria, Meriem moved to France seven years ago with a growing interest in how economies function across borders. She had studied economics and social sciences in high school and became drawn to the systems behind them. When she began considering business schools, Clermont School of Business (SB) — then known as ESC Clermont — offered a three-year, EFMD-accredited Bachelor in International Management that aligned with her curiosity. It became a clear option.
Founded in 1919, Clermont SB sits within the French tradition of management education while operating at an international scale. The school owns 3 international accreditations (AACSB, AMBA, EFMD Bachelor) and is ranked among the Financial Times Top 100 European Business Schools, with a student body of around 2,000, roughly one-third of whom are international.
“So I decided to shoot my shot,” says Meriem. “And here I am today.”
Now 21, Meriem is completing the first year of her master’s journey, having progressed directly from the bachelor’s programme into the AMBA-accredited Master in Management (Grande Ecole Programme). Looking back, what stands out is the gradual accumulation of perspective — one experience building on the next.
The 15,000 m² campus in the city center of Clermont, provides an exciting and vibrant learning environment. Source: Florian Bompan
A foundation built for exploration
Meriem describes her undergraduate experience as “a wide range of knowledge when it comes to the business industry — like a 360° vision of it all,” she says.
From accounting and logistics to law, marketing, and multicultural management, the programme exposed her to the full architecture of how organisations operate. Over time, that framework began to shape how she interpreted the world beyond the classroom. She found herself paying closer attention to how products were positioned and how campaigns were constructed. She scrutinized the assumptions that sat behind them.
“To a large extent, it changed my perspective on everyday life,” she says. “I would look at products differently, I would judge campaigns based on what I learned, and I’d be able to innovate and come up with new perspectives.”
That breadth translated into practice. As a bachelor’s student, Meriem completed internships in the banking sector before moving into a work-study apprenticeship. Rather than marking a break between theory and practice, the progression reflected how coursework and professional experience at Clermont SB were structured to complement one another.
Roshni Thirunavukkarasu’s Bachelor in International Management experience has been just as balanced. Born in Chennai and raised in Qatar, she always knew the direction she wanted to pursue. “While there were options to specialise in areas like international marketing or finance, I chose to continue with management because it aligned better with my long-term plans,” she says.
What mattered was not narrowing too early but understanding the terrain first. The programme’s structure supported that approach. All students, regardless of intended pathway, were exposed to core disciplines before committing to a focus.
Several courses left a lasting impression. Contract Law with Professor David Martini introduced legal reasoning through structure and clarity, breaking unfamiliar material into usable tools and focusing on comprehension over recall. In finance classes with Professor Isaac Awuye, complex ideas were made accessible through explanation instead of abstraction. International Management sessions with Dr. Helga Foure-Joopen, meanwhile, were often built around stories and discussion, using real examples of cultural differences to ground theory.
Those distinctions became clearer during Roshni ’s semester abroad in Germany. “I wanted to experience a different academic system and explore courses that were not offered at my home university,” she shares. “The experience helped me expand my network, gain international exposure, and develop adaptability.”
Source: Florian Brioude
From generalist to specialist
As a third-year student, Roshni is looking forward to what comes next. “I feel confident entering entry-level roles in management, business, or marketing,” she says. Her plan is to begin working after completing her bachelor’s, using that experience to clarify whether further study — and in what form — makes sense later on.
All future plans are welcome at Clermont School of Business. The way they see it, the shift from bachelor to master is more a change in depth than in direction.
“If the bachelor’s gave a global view, the master’s was like looking into a niche and more technical part of marketing,” Meriem says.
The transition took her beyond the creative surface of marketing and into its operational core — analysing performance, understanding systems, and learning how strategy is executed. Certain courses, she notes, were particularly formative. “Law and crisis management were so eye-opening,” she says. “I can state with confidence that I have learned and developed skills that cannot be taught anywhere else.”
The Master in Management also allowed Meriem to specialise in digital marketing. The focus, she says, was immediately aligned with market realities. “I learned SEO, website optimisation, digital analysis,” she explains. “This knowledge was truly useful to develop and sharpen my skills.”
From September 2026, the Master in Management will see students graduating with two qualifications: the Programme Grande École diploma, awarded by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space, and a Specialist Institutional Master’s degree in their chosen field. After completing core management fundamentals, they select one of eight professional tracks in the first year, followed by an advanced specialisation in the second year designed to refine their profile in line with business needs.
For Meriem, flexibility has certainly made room for versatility. As she looks ahead, she is weighing more than one path — entering the workforce or continuing her studies through a specialised Master of Science programme.
At Clermont School of Business, that openness is built into the system. Academic pathways are designed to remain permeable, ensuring clarity follows experience, not the other way around. The result? Tomorrow’s business leaders pursuing what they decide, once they are ready to decide it.
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