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ESSEC Business School

View of a series of buildings in Cergy. All of the buildings are tall and have expansive windows.
Exterior of a ESSEC building. The building has large, expansive windows and very modern architecture.
An older person is painting on a wall outside. They are focused on their work and looking intensely at the wall.

France, Cergy

The ESSEC Business School campus is located approximately 35-45 minutes north of Paris in Cergy-Pontoise. ESSEC is an acronym for l'École Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales. Experience a top-notch education at an innovative business school, ranked the #1 four-year BBA program in France by Le Point, while living within close proximity to the cultural capital city of Paris. ESSEC offers immersion into a French learning environment where you will be surrounded with other international students in and out of the classroom.  The Cergy campus is home to approximately 6,000 business students of which over 50% are international students.  This global classroom enhances the value of your study abroad experience; in essence, the world comes to you!

ESSEC established its original campus in this student haven in 1973. Set in a vast green space covering 2,000 hectares, the campus features the very best teaching tools: auditoriums equipped with facilities, libraries rooted in the digital era, language labs, etc. It is also a convivial site with places to eat,
student residences, sports facilities, practical services, and more.

MELT and BDE Student Societies

These student societies aim to make international students feel at home from the outset. Before International students arrive, they create a groups on social media so that new students can contact other international students, and they organise welcome activities during the orientation session and excursions and social events during their stay.

The BDE also arranges student ‘buddy’ partnerships to team up international students with their French counterparts.

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to providing quality study abroad and domestic study away programs for every UW-Madison student. We work strategically to identify, address, and remove barriers that may prevent participation and to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for students. Our staff actively engages with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and prioritizes the continuous development of our knowledge and cultural competence. We also recognize the importance of increasing access to study abroad for historically underrepresented student populations. We are committed to diversity and inclusion so that every student can engage with and understand their identity through a new lens and continue to develop and make progress on their personal, professional, and academic goals.

Sustainability

We recognize that the future of study abroad, domestic study away, and international internship programming requires a Commitment to Sustainability. We are devoted to examining, developing, and improving sustainability in all our endeavors, aligning with campus priorities and following through with UW-Madison's climate action and Resilience Commitment. Join our efforts and learn more about how to study abroad sustainably.

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Eligibility

  • Preference is given to admitted Business students

  • 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Open to UW-Madison degree-seeking students only
  • Good academic and disciplinary standing
  • At the time of application and the semester prior to participation, UW-Madison students must be currently enrolled. Transfer Students to UW-Madison need to be currently enrolled at their home institution

Advising Location

WSB icon

Program Structure

Exchange & Direct Enroll

Subjects

Business, Language

Classroom Language

English

Housing

Residence Hall

Program Duration

Fall: late August to late December
Spring: mid February to mid June

Application Deadline(s)

Fall 2026-27 2/27/2026 Cost Details
Spring 2026-27 2/27/2026 Cost Details
Extended Deadline: 8/14/2026

Future durations will be posted at a later date.

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How will study abroad help you achieve your academic, professional, and personal goals?

Choose from a variety of business courses taught in English offered each semester by ESSEC Business School. Courses are offered in departments such as Marketing, MHR, Finance and International Business. You also have the opportunity to take French language courses. A wide range of teaching methods are used, including lectures, case study analyses, personal development seminars, in-class exercises and hands-on experiences.

Course Equivalency: Students should expect to receive mostly "Topics/365" courses, for example Finance 365. “Topics/365” courses typically satisfy a business breadth course or an elective in that major. You will not receive credit for any 300 course. Course equivalencies are not listed online for this program. 

Bundled Courses: Courses at ESSEC have fewer contact hours, so students will take two courses in the same department in order to create one UW-Madison course. See the bundling graphic to understand how bundling works.

International Business majors at the Wisconsin School of Business are required to study abroad for a semester in their Region of Emphasis. This semester program satisfies that requirement for Western Europe.

Affiliate Institution(s)

ESSEC Business School

Program Web Pages

ESSEC Incoming Exchange Program ESSEC Factsheet

Foreign Courses

ESSEC Courses for Spring Exchange Students ESSEC Courses for Fall Exchange Students Course Bundling