What the classes are like in the Master program at ESDES ?

Are you trying to imagine what the classes are like in the Master program at ESDES? I just finished my first full year of courses and can say that the classes varied by subject and size, but were all great! 

The first courses I took were online at ESDES in 2020, due to the Covid situation. These courses were available to students through Teams on our student accounts. The professors were professional and allowed us to have discussions, presentations, and lectures online in a fun and inclusive way. 

Once courses were back on campus we enjoyed small-group courses with around 10 students in each class, large program courses in amphitheaters and group co-working rooms, and normal classroom courses with around 20 students. This mix of study sizes was a great way to learn how to adapt to different situations and to learn how to work in varying group sizes. The type of class depended mostly on the course teaching and the way the information was given to students. For example, we had one class that was a business game meant for groups of students. There were about 10 groups, and about 5 students in each group. The game was a business scenario, where the groups of students all managed their company in competition with the other companies (10 groups = 10 companies). In the end, the group with the best economic and sustainable outcomes for their company were the winners, and the other groups were able to learn how to improve and how to better manage business in the future. Despite having a lot of students in one course, we worked in small groups that allowed us to have a good experience with hands-on knowledge. I really enjoyed the business game course! All Masters students will get to experience this course, and it’s a good exercise for students of all specializations. The best part is they mixed international students with the French students, so we also got to meet more colleagues and learn how to work in intercultural groups. 

For the majority of courses, we were in normal classrooms with about 15-20 students. The professors were always great with these groups of students, and made sure to include each person in conversations or interactions. These courses were normally evaluated in two ways: with presentations and work created or with exams. The mix of exercises and written exams was great for learning how to speak in public whilst still feeling like I would take away the knowledge I spent time obtaining through the semester. It also helped to train everyone in different formats. For example, being American I was not used to giving great presentations before arriving in France. However, at the end of my Master’s courses I felt that I was much more confident and could present in work situations or in group discussions. For my fellow French students, they were much more used to these presentations, and I noticed that they grew in their ability to take written tests and especially give their opinions in English more clearly. 

Overall, the courses were great and I especially loved the Master courses that we could choose each semester. These special courses were great to really tailor my Master’s program to fit my future career goals… or expand my horizons with courses that were outside my specialization a bit! If you are interested in knowing more, I recommend contacting the International Student Office or the International Student Club . They can answer questions you might have about courses or studies at ESDES!