Name of the University: EDHEC Business School. MSc Strategy and Organization
Consultancy
Exchange semester: Fall 2013
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
When and how did you receive information from the exchange university, and did you encounter any difficulties?
The first letter from EDHEC I received in the beginning of May. They gave me access to school’s Blackboard where I could find all the necessary information about the onlineapplication I had to submit, courses that will be taught, visa procedures, housing and other practical information. Everthing was quite clear, and when I had some questions, their international office was answering very quickly.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
How did you apply for your visa, what did it cost and did you have difficulties?
Since I am a citizen of Ukraine, I had to apply for a French visa in my home country.
Because I was receiving Erasmus scholarship, application for visa was free but after I came to
France I had to validate it, which means to go to a medical check and to pay 58 Euros.
Travel
How did you travel to your destination?
I took a direct flight from Kiev to Paris CDG. From the airport I took a train (I reserved tickets in advance) directly to Lille center.
Housing
Was housing provided by the university? If not, did you receive support from the school?
The school suggested several housing options including campus and house share. I chose the option to share the house in Croix with 3 other students. The school was an intermediary between me and the landlord. The landlord also was an EDHEC employee.
Costs
Approximately how much per month did you spend on rent, books, food, transportation, and other personal expenses?
Rent
Books
Food
NOK 3100
NOK 0
NOK 1500
Transport NOK 200
Other NOK 2000
Culture and language
Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
All students and faculty speak English but in the beginning I had to get used to French accent in English and then I became easier to communicate.

How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
The school has an association called Open Up that is “responsible” for international students and are facilitating their integration. Among others, they organize trips to different cities (and countries as well).
In France, there is also a very good railway connection between cities. So it is very easy and relatively cheap to go to other cities. I also travelled to Toulouse by plane (for
Lille airport).
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
The school (location, size, study structure, special academic areas etc.)
The school is located in the suburb of Lille city, Croix. The walking distance to the nearest metro station is about 20 min. To get to Lille center is takes 40 min in total. Also, 10 min from the school there is very nice and big park.
The Campus is not very big. It has 3 main buildings. One of them is studying building, another one administrative (but it also has some places to study), and the last one has cafeteria, canteen and restaurant. There is also separate building for gymnasium and 3 buildings as student housing.
The studies at Master of Science programme are organized in the form of successive cources, i.e. there is only one courses taught at one time. There are courses lasting from 3 days to 2 weeks. For most cources 100% of the grade is based on group work and individual participation. Only some of them have exam in the end of semester.
The studying process also induded many workshops held by different companies.
Course registration
When and how did you register for courses?
All the courses were mandatory so we didn’t have to register for them.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
02.09.2013
02.09.2013
04.12.2013
Examination period: 09.12 - 13.12.2013
Any special events/holidays: Mid-term break 28.10 – 03.11.2013
Arrival
Describe the introduction week
The indroduction week was organized pretty well. On Monday we first had a Wecome
Session for exchange student where we received all the necessary information on academical and practical matter. After that we had a guided city bus tour where we had a possibility to learn something about Lille and to meet and talk to other exchange students. On Tuesday there was a Global welcome session for all the Master of Science students and in the afternoon - Kick-off & Welcome Session with the Director of my MSc Strategy &
Organization Consultancy program. On Wednesday we had a social event for students at our program – we went to bowling with Program Director and his Assistant. We have been divided into teams of 5-6 people and the teams were the same as for the groupwork for the first course taught after. So that we could get to know each other better before we start to

work. During the week there were also several integrational events organized by the student association Open Up.
The International Office
As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information?
All the necessary information was available online since May, so I had no difficulties.
And the International Office in EDHEC provided a comprehensive support.
Social activities
How was the relationship with native students and that among exchange students?
There is a very friendly atmosphere in my group and at school in general. People are very open and ready to help you with any issues. However, outside the class, french students usually gather with themselves.
Are there any special activities, student organisations, and gatherings for exchange students?
There are lots of student association at school. Everyone can find something that fits their own interests. However, most association enrol as new members only 3 rd
-year
Bachelors or 1 st
-year Masters (MSc is considered to be the 3 rd
year in Master studies).
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
Describe the teaching style (practical, theoretical, cases/lectures, formal/informal etc.)
The teaching in EDHEC is very practical and business-oriented. Every course includes solving at least a couple of cases and doing presentations. Lectures are also very interactive, with high level of student participation.
How is the level and workload compared to that at BI?
The workload in EDHEC is roughly the same as was at the first year of Master program in BI, but it is more even distributed troughout the semester. So, during the exam period the workload is lower than at BI, but you have to work more during the semester
Course materials
Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint, level of course material etc)
There are no textbooks for courses. The main studying materials are ppt presentations and articles. Everything is available on the blackboard.
Exams
Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
There were only 3 exams and all of them were based on the lectures and on cases solved in class.
How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
There were several different evaluations of courses taught. For example:
1) 25% class participation, 75% group work
2) 25% class participation, 25% group work, 50% final exam.
Class participation also included class attendance.
Group work could include in-class assignments, papers and presentations.
There were no mid-term exams or in-class quizzes throughout semester

Library and technology
Describe the facilities
The library in EDHEC is quite small with few places to study. However, since the are no textbooks for courses, it is not necessary to study in the library area. There are many places in the administrative builing where most if the students are studying.
The computer facilities are a bit worse than in BI. Computers work very slowly and sometimes it is impossible to send documents for print. Printers can also be out of order sometimes
Description of courses
Please list below all the courses you took while on exchange. Your comments are useful for
BI and for future exchange students, include information on the qacadmic level, challenges, relevance to your studies, if the course was practical/theoretical, any enrolment issues, etc.
Prerequisites Approved as Comments Course code & name Master/
Bachelor
Strategy and
Business Modelling
Master
Exam form
3-hour written exam basic concepts in corporate
Mandatory
Master 3-hour written exam and business strategy
Basic courses in Strategy
Mandatory Many inclass cases
M&A and Strategic
Alliances:
Performance &
Management
Tools for Case
Studies &
Consulting Projects
Master No exam None Mandatory Very easy
Strategic analysis &
Critical Thinking
Master No exam
Master No exam
Understanding of the basic functioning of the firm
None
Mandatory Very intensive course
Organization
Performance:
Assessment and
Improvement
Mandatory Big project in the end based on McKinsey model
Advanced Corporate
Finance
Master 3-hour written exam
None Mandatory