HEC Paris facts for kids

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HEC Paris
École des hautes études commerciales de Paris
Campus main entrance
Motto	Apprendre à oser
Motto in English	Literal: Learn to dare Non-literal: The more you know, the more you dare
Type	Grande école de commerce et de management, École consulaire; (Private research university Business school)
Established	4 December 1881; 143 years ago (1881-12-04)
Founder	Gustave Emmanuel Roy
Accreditation	Triple accreditation: AACSB; AMBA; EQUIS
Endowment	€53.1 million (2017)
Budget	€155 million (2019)
Chairman	Jean-Paul Agon
Dean	Éloïc Peyrache
Academic staff	160 resident professors: 96% PhD.; 30% female; 64% international
Students	4,400 (postgraduate); 8,000 (executive)
Location	Paris (Jouy-en-Josas), France; Doha, Qatar
Admission rate	6% (2018)
Colors	Blue and White
Affiliations	Conférence des grandes écoles; CEMS; Polytechnic Institute of Paris
Website	www.hec.edu

HEC Paris is a famous business school in France. Its full name in French is École des hautes études commerciales de Paris, which means "Paris School of Advanced Business Studies". It's located in Jouy-en-Josas, a town near Paris.

HEC Paris offers many different study programs. These include Bachelor's, Master's, and even PhD programs. It's known for its business and management courses.

This school is a founding member of a group called CEMS - Global Alliance in Management Education. It also has a special "triple accreditation" from three important organizations: AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. This means its programs meet very high international standards.

History of HEC Paris

The château at HEC Paris

HEC Paris was started in 1881 by Gustave Emmanuel Roy. He was the president of the Paris Chamber of Commerce. When it first opened, 57 students joined. The goal was for HEC to be as important in business as the École Centrale de Paris was in engineering.

In 1921, the school started using the "case-based method" for teaching. This was inspired by the Harvard Business School. It meant students learned by studying real-life business problems.

In 1964, a new campus opened in Jouy-en-Josas. It was officially opened by the French President, Charles de Gaulle. A few years later, in 1967, HEC started offering programs for experienced business people.

A big change happened in 1973: women were finally allowed to study at HEC Paris. Before this, there was a separate school just for women called HEC jeunes filles. When HEC Paris started accepting women, the women's school closed. One famous woman who graduated from the women's school and is now considered an HEC alumna is Édith Cresson. She became the first female Prime Minister of France.

In 1988, HEC helped create the CEMS network. This connected HEC with other top business schools around the world.

What is a Grande École?

HEC Paris is a Grande école. In France, these are special higher education schools. They are separate from the main public university system. Grandes Écoles are known for being very selective. Students have to pass a very tough entrance exam to get in.

Graduates from Grandes Écoles often get important jobs. They work in government, administration, and big companies in France.

Even though they cost more than public universities, Grandes Écoles usually have smaller classes. Many of their courses are taught in English. They also offer chances to study abroad and have strong connections with businesses and the government.

HEC Paris is part of the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE). This is a group of top French schools. Out of 250 business schools in France, only 39 are CGE members.

The degrees from HEC Paris are approved by the French Ministry of National Education. HEC Paris also has a "triple accreditation." This means it's recognized by three major international organizations: EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.

International Recognition

Business school rankings
Worldwide overall
QS	4
Worldwide MBA
Financial Times	17

HEC Paris is very highly ranked among business schools worldwide. For example, the Financial Times has often ranked HEC Paris as one of the top business schools in Europe. Its Master in Management program has been ranked number one globally by QS for several years. The school's Master in Finance and MBA programs also consistently appear in the top global rankings.

Study Programs

Higher education degrees in France usually have three levels: the Licence (like a Bachelor's), Master's, and Doctorate (PhD). This system makes it easier for students to study in different countries.

HEC Paris started offering a Bachelor's degree in October 2023. Its most popular program, the PGE (Program Grand École), leads to a Master's in Management (MiM) degree.

Bachelor in Data, Society and Organisations

This new Bachelor's degree started in 2023. It's a partnership with Bocconi University in Italy. The program focuses on data science and social science. Students spend their first three semesters in Italy and the last three in France.

Grande École Master in Management (MiM)

This is a very popular program. Students learn about economics, accounting, finance, law, psychology, sociology, and mathematics. During their studies, students can spend a semester at a university in another country.

To graduate, students need to complete 8 months of internships. Many students take a break from their studies to do these internships. HEC Paris also has agreements with other universities for "double degrees." This means students can earn degrees from both HEC and another school, like Yale University.

MSc in International Finance (MIF)

The Master of Science in International Finance is a top-ranked program. It helps students learn about the world of finance. The program includes workshops and trips to places like London to help students connect with banks and companies.

Students can choose between two paths:

The Business track: for students who have studied business, finance, or accounting before.
The Accelerated track: for students with a background in subjects like mathematics or engineering.

Other Master's Programs

HEC Paris offers many other specialized Master's (MSc / MS) programs. Some examples include:

MSc Consulting and Coaching for Change (with Oxford University)
MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship
MSc Strategic Management
MSc Sustainability and Social Innovation
MSc X-HEC Data Science for Business (with École Polytechnique)

Master in Business Administration (MBA)

The MBA program started in 1969. It lasts 16 months. Most of the students in the MBA program are from other countries. They come from over 52 different nationalities!

Students learn core business subjects and can choose specializations. They can also do exchange programs with other business schools around the world. Knowing French is not required to join, but students are encouraged to learn some.

Executive Education

HEC Paris also offers programs for "executives." These are people who already have a lot of work experience, usually at least 8 years. These programs help them become leaders in companies.

Executive MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship: This program is 100% online and helps top managers learn about new ideas and starting businesses.
Executive MBA: This program is for experienced professionals. It's offered in different locations like Paris, Beijing, and Doha.
TRIUM Global Executive MBA: This is a special program offered with Stern School of Business of NYU and the London School of Economics.

PhD Program

The PhD program at HEC Paris is for students who want to become researchers or university professors. It usually takes 4–5 years to finish. Students can specialize in areas like Finance, Marketing, or Strategy. All PhD students get help with tuition and living costs.

Admissions

HEC Paris is one of the most selective grandes écoles in France. This means it's very hard to get in. Many students apply each year, but only a small number are accepted.

For the Grande Ecole (Master in Management) program in 2018, about 12,000 students applied, but only about 735 were admitted. This means the acceptance rate was around 6%. For the MBA program, about 2,200 people applied, and around 390 were admitted, making the acceptance rate about 17.5%.

Research and Entrepreneurship

HEC Paris has several centers where professors and students do research. They study topics like digital changes, sustainability, and economics.

HI! PARIS CENTER: This center works with another school, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. They study how digital technology changes businesses and society.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute: This institute helps students and alumni start their own companies. HEC Paris has been teaching entrepreneurship for over 40 years. Many HEC graduates have created successful businesses. The school even has its own startup incubator called Incubateur HEC Paris. It helps new companies grow.

Student Life

Campuses

France

HEC Paris has a large campus in Jouy-en-Josas, which is about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of central Paris. The campus is built around a beautiful 19th-century château. This old castle is now used for executive education classes.

Students can live in one of the ten dormitories on campus. There's a main restaurant where everyone eats together. The campus also has sports fields, gyms, and two lakes.

Qatar

HEC Paris in Qatar

HEC Paris also has a campus in Doha, the capital of Qatar. This campus was created through an agreement with the Qatar Foundation. It's located in a tall building called the “Tornado Tower” in the city's financial center. HEC Paris in Qatar offers programs like the Executive MBA.

United Kingdom

HEC UK House in London

The HEC UK House opened in March 2023 in London, near Covent Garden. This location is mainly for the school's alumni (former students) network and for holding conferences. It also has a library.

Clubs and Activities

There are about 130 different clubs and "associations" for students on campus.

The HEC Student Council (called Bureau des Élèves or BDE in French) is in charge of student social events. They organize weekly parties, lunches, and sports events. The BDE is made up of about 40 students who are elected each year.

The HEC MBA Council does similar things for MBA students. They manage the MBA students' Piano Bar and help coordinate all the MBA club activities.

Alumni Association

The school's alumni association, called Association des diplômés HEC Paris, was started in 1883. It connects all the former students of HEC Paris programs. In 2017, The Economist magazine ranked the HEC Alumni network as the second most powerful business school alumni network in the world.