International Business Study Abroad in Lyon, France

Studying at Emlyon Business School was a truly enriching experience, allowing me to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and to deal with different work methods. I pretty much enjoyed the courses that I took (both the content and the professors) and the environment of the university. Moreover, studying abroad, particularly in Paris, enable me to get out of my comfort zone and create strong relationships. This way, I believe that this semester of exchange made me develop academically and personally.

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I spent the Fall semester of 2021 at EM Lyon and really enjoyed my stay. Regarding program administration, the head of the study abroad program Jacques Marino was very supportive and took a lot of time regarding my questions about the application, course selection, where to live in Lyon, etc. which we discussed in multiple Zoom calls. It is very convenient to book an appointment with him on his online calendar. EM Lyon offers a vast selection of elective courses. The online selection process is a bit complicated, but in the end, I got all the courses I wanted and was mostly happy with them. The courses are taught in business school style, including a lot of group work and creative forms of examination besides the classical exam. I especially liked that the professors seem to care about the students’ opinions on the subject matter and that they encourage critical thinking. Before the program started, there was a welcome weekend organized for incoming students, which was a great opportunity to get to know the other international students and built the basis of a strong community of internationals going to parties or weekend trips together. For the latter, Lyon has a lot to offer and is a great starting point to discover France and French culture in general. Unfortunately, French students usually form groups among themselves, which makes it difficult to get to know locals and to improve French skills at university. Also, the uni associations are not really meant for internationals that only stay for one semester. Housing in Lyon is difficult to find and costly, and EM Lyon does not offer student housing for a one-semester stay. However, they will give you advice on where to look for housing (e.g., Carte des Colocs, Studapart). Overall, I recommend EM Lyon to anyone wanting to study in France at a high-ranked school with a good reputation.

I myself completed this program in 2021 and can recommend it to anyone who would like to study at a grand ecole in France. Application/Administration Jacques Marino - the Head of Study Abroad Program at EmLyon - was a great help, especially with the application for the program and also during the stay. He supports you with various problems like choosing courses at EMLyon or recommendations for bars and restaurants. The very good support as an international by EmLyon makes it easy to focus on your studies. Courses at EmLyon Business School When it comes to courses, there is basically a very wide choice for participants of this program. The courses offered each semester include Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Economics and Machine Learning/Computer Science. The courses are taken together with the regular students of Emlyon and are mostly in English. It was therefore no problem for me to find enough suitable courses, although my French is only sufficient to order a baguette in a bakery. Free time in Lyon At EmLyon, there are many other international students who also have a great desire to get to know the country and to party in addition to their studies. At Emlyon itself there are weekly parties but also in the city of Lyon there are many clubs and great bars. Lyon is also world famous for its cuisine. I can therefore recommend everyone during their time in Lyon to go to one of the many very good traditional French restaurants. Trips From Lyon it is also easy to make weekend trips to the Alps or the Mediterranean by car or train. There are trips organized by a student association at EMLyon. In addition, because of the many internationals at EMLyon, it is quite easy to find people with whom you can make a weekend trip.