MBA with Specialization

The MBA with Specialization is an engaging yet rigorous 7.5 months online (with Golden Gate University) and 12-months on-campus (American Business School, Paris) program designed for students to develop practical knowledge and skills, establish a professional network, and accelerate entry into the field of management, entrepreneurship and international business development. The student as part of this program will receive dual certification - Professional Certificate in Global Business Management Program from Golden Gate University and a Master’s degree in MBA with Specialization from American Business School, Paris.

American Business School's MBA with Specialization program equips students with the skills needed to meet the high demand in the field of business. The curriculum focuses on essential areas such as management, ethics, strategic thinking, team building, and organizational culture. With diverse options, students can tailor their studies to align with their interests and career goals. Additionally, the program facilitates the development of a strong professional network, allowing students to connect with industry leaders. Graduates of the program can pursue rewarding careers as Business and management consultant, Human resources manager, Project manager or coordinator, Sales and marketing manager & Leadership coaching or development. Upon program completion, students also have the opportunity to apply for PSW in France, and receive support from American Business School Career Services to kick start their careers in France.

The program will be delivered on a new technology platform to create a superior learning experience for participants who want to be on the cutting edge of the management. With this program, Golden Gate University, USA & American Business School, Paris together seek to develop the next generation of leaders. The topics that are going to be covered are Fundamentals of Business, Management and Leadership, Marketing Management, Foundations of Business Analytics, Corporate Finance and much more.

The online learning experience will be a mix of interactive lectures from industry leaders as well as world-renowned faculty. Additionally, the program comprises live lectures dedicated to solving your academic queries and reinforcing learning. The on-campus learning experience will offer students the opportunity to engage directly with faculty.

Post successful completion of the online program, an Professional Certificate in Global Business Management Program certificate would be awarded from GGU and on completion of the on-campus degree program, a Master's degree in MBA with Specialization shall be conferred upon by American Business School.

No, the program is designed to be completed in its entirety, and cannot be taken as standalone modules.

Below are the reasons why students should study MBA with Specialization at ABS Paris:

MBA in Entrepreneurship & International Business Development

• Upon program completion, students receive both an American MBA degree and a French diploma, providing a unique competitive edge in the job market. 
• The MBA program offered by ABS strongly emphasizes entrepreneurship, making it a core component of the curriculum.
• The MBA program is designed to nurture essential entrepreneurial qualities, such as creativity and innovation, which are crucial for success in the business world.
• Through a comprehensive and specialized curriculum, ABS’s MBA equips students with the tools and mindset needed to excel in entrepreneurial ventures, empowering them to seize opportunities, drive innovation, and manage successful projects.
• The first year of the MBA is specifically tailored to build upon the knowledge and experience gained from previous studies, providing students with all the necessary skills and knowledge to become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
• The second year offers the opportunity to gain specialized expertise in international business creation or acquisitions. This phase of the program focuses on providing in-depth knowledge and skills specifically tailored to succeed in the field of global entrepreneurship.
• While pursuing MBA in entrepreneurship, students will have the invaluable chance to work with renowned global companies based in the vibrant French capital. 
• Entrepreneurship & International Business Development graduates can pursue various career paths, such as Innovation Project Manager (€55,803/year), Business Developer (€46,000/year), Business Development Director (€126,840/year), Communication Director (€88,628/year), and International Business Development Consultant (€57,957/year).

MBA in Communication & Project Management

• Upon program completion, students receive both an American MBA degree and a French diploma, providing a unique competitive edge in the job market. 
• Designed for business professionals aiming to enhance their communication skills and become influential market leaders, this program focuses on communication and project management.
• The program's first year combines advanced classes from the Bachelor of Business Administration and provides a personalized study program tailored to each student's academic background.
• The program's second year emphasizes developing skills specifically related to international company creation or acquisition.
• Students gain expertise in analyzing the challenges luxury brands face and staying updated with the latest media trends, empowering them to anticipate future transformations in the communication field.
• The program emphasizes the significance of international trade and relations in the communication sector, preparing students to navigate global business environments effectively.

International students can work in France up to 964 hours per year, which is the equivalent of 60% of the standard working week. This means that you can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during breaks. The minimum wage in France is €10.57 per hour, so you can earn a decent amount of money by working part-time in France. Working in France is a great way to supplement your income and help pay for your education. It is also a great way to experience French culture and make some new friends. If you are considering studying in France, we encourage you to look into the possibility of working part-time while you are there.

If you are not entitled to an IELTS waiver, upGrad will help you prepare for the English proficiency test to establish your current English proficiency to be eligible for the Master's program in Paris.

American Business School offers 2 intakes for students coming through the accelerator route. The first intake of the year will be the January (Spring) intake and the second intake of the year will be September (Fall). Though the application process for American Business School will start during the GGU online program, you will be able to go to American Business School in the nearest intake which is at least 5 months away from completion of your GGU program.

upGrad will apply for you to American Business School once all the documents are provided by you (as given in the offer letter issued to you by upGrad). Apart from the documents mentioned in the offer letter of American Business School you will have to give proof of English proficiency for application of admission in American Business School. If applicable (case-by-case), upGrad will support you to get your English proficiency scores within 3 months of the start of the batch to accelerate this process.

• Strong academic background is desirable, providing an advantage in the MBA with a specialization program.
• The program caters to individuals aspiring for diverse career opportunities such as business consulting, project management, sales and marketing management, and leadership coaching.
• Through a hands-on learning approach, the MBA with Specialization program empowers learners to develop their unique leadership style, drive innovation, lead change, and achieve remarkable results within organizations.

To be eligible for the program, the following criteria need to be fulfilled:                                                                                       
For GGU:

• Applicants with a Bachelors degree and a minimum of 55% marks are eligible to apply.
• A minimum of one year of work experience is required.
   

 For American Business School:

• An aggregate score of 60% and above in the Professional Certificate in Global Business Management Program by GGU with a minimum of 60% in each course.
• A minimum of one year of work experience is required.
• English Language Proficiency Test (EPT) - IELTS Score of >= 6.0.
• Note - English Language waiver is granted if the learner achieved a 60% score in English in 10+2 and holds a Bachelor's Degree with English as the Medium of Instruction (MOI).

A relevant 1 year of professional work experience is recommended.

• Scanned Copy of the Class 10th, 12th marksheet & certificate
• Scanned Copy of the Undergraduate degree, Transcript and Semester Marksheets
• Scanned Copy of passport
• Statement of Purpose (500-1000 words)
• Two Letters of Recommendation (Academic/Professional)
• Resume
• Medium of instruction citing English as the medium from the institution of your Undergraduate degree
• Work Experience Certificate
• Proof of English Proficiency

You can start the application process by submitting the application. Applications have already started for the next cohort.

There are 4 simple steps in the Admission Process which is detailed as.

Step 1- Complete Application -Complete your application and submit the required details. The Admissions Committee will then review your application - which include your work experience & educational background.

Step 2- Apply for the Scholarship- Submit your Statement of Purpose to join a GGU program.

Step 3- Get Shortlisted & Receive the Offer Letter- Upon qualifying, an Offer Letter will be sent to you confirming your admission to the course.

Step 4- Block your Seat - Block your seat with an initial payment of INR 25,000 to enroll into the Program. Begin your leadership journey.

Below are the requirements:

• English Language Proficiency Test (EPT) - IELTS Score of >= 6.0
• A minimum score of 60% in high school (10+2) and
• A bachelor’s degree with an English medium of instruction
• Students will be also be assessed on their English proficiency during the interview conducted by American Business School
   

*Subject to change, as per the Visa/University regulations for demonstration of English proficiency.

Yes, upGrad will help with your Academic and Visa SOP and will also organize training on how to write a good SOP.

Living expenses in France for international students are approximately EUR 12,000 per annum. The same needs to be reflected in your bank account.

At least 12-15 hours per week of time commitment is expected to be able to graduate from the online program. The on-campus program in Germany is full time and will have an appropriate workload.

Peer-to-peer discussion forum where you can post your queries and your peers/faculty/teaching assistants answer your queries within a day. Regular Q&A sessions with faculty to get clarification on conceptual doubts.

0% EMI with Finance partners /Credit card option availability will vary program wise.

1. Which banks allow using 0% Credit card EMI or Credit card EMI?
No cost EMI is available on credit cards from all major banks (American Express, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank, Standard Chartered, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, State Bank of India, CITIBANK and HSBC)

2. Is there any minimum transaction limit ?
Yes. 50000 is the minimum.

3. Standard Chartered Bank offers 18 or 24 months No Cost EMI ?
No. ONLY 12 months is available irrespective of the Program enrolled.

4. Will I have to pay any extra amount for EMI transaction?
If you are availing 0% credit card EMI, upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions. Your bank may levy GST or other taxes on the interest component of the EMI.

5. Are there any fees or down payment?
Certain banks charge nominal processing fees between INR 99 - 500 on 0% Credit Card EMI transaction. If charged, will be billed in the first repayment installment.

6. Can I use my International credit card for 0% credit EMI or Credit Card EMI?
Only the Indian bank credit cards can be used. But you can pay the amount using the Credit card option in one shot / part payments, and later you can convert into EMI from your respective bank. The tenures and interest charged will depend on your bank. upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions, this will be purely between you and your bank.

7. Are there any charges in case I opt for cancellation/refund from the course after paying balance with no cost EMI ?
Yes, there will be additional charges to the extent of interest paid by the upGrad to the bank, you will be refunded only Principal amount, i.e. the amount actually deducted/blocked from your card. This deduction will be in addition to the amount mentioned in the refund policy shared with your offer letter.

8. Can I Pay Using Multiple Credit Cards ?
Multiple cards can be used to complete the payments using Part payment option make sure to inform the learner, minimum transaction is INR 50000 to opt for 0% CC EMI E.g. Amount to be paid: 150000. I can pay using 2 Credit cards. Yes, Example :
HDFC Card – Part payment – INR 100000
ICICI Card – Part payment – INR 50000

9. How can I opt for Credit card EMI if my bank is not listed in the 0% Credit card EMI or Credit card EMI?
You can pay the amount using the Credit card option in one shot / part payments, and later you can convert into EMI from your respective bank. The tenures and interest charged will depend on your bank. upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions.

10. Why is the entire amount blocked on my credit card?
Initially your bank will block the entire amount from your available purchase limit and from your next billing cycle, you will be charged the EMI amount. As you start paying your EMI, your credit limit will be released accordingly. For example, if you have made a payment of ₹100000 on 6-months EMI and your credit limit is ₹200,000 then initially your bank will block your credit limit by ₹100000. After payment of your first month EMI of Rs.15000, the blocked amount will come down to ₹85000.

11. Why is interest getting charged on No Cost EMI?
Your bank will charge you interest. However, this interest charge has been provided to you as an upfront discount at the time of your payment, effectively giving you the benefit of a No cost EMI. The total amount paid during the entire EMI tenure to the bank will be equal to the amount to be paid to upGrad.

Eg. Amount payable to upGrad: INR 405000
Let's say Amount deducted at the time of transaction: INR 379850 (Principal amount) Bank charges interest of 12-15% per annum on INR 379850
[Note: Interest factor is reducing rate and not Flat rate]
EMI AMOUNT = INR 33750 x 12 = INR 405000
Effectively, you have taken loan on 379,850 instead of 405,000

Refund Policy:
1. Students must pay an applicable Caution Amount for the enrollment to the Program. This Caution Amount will be adjustable against the total Program fee payable by the student. 
2. Once the student has made a partial or full payment of Program fee, such student can claim a refund for this amount at any time before the cohort commencement date by raising a refund request through ‘My applications’ page on our website (www.upgrad.com), stating the specific reason for the refund. The refund shall be subject to a deduction of INR. 20,000/- towards processing fee. If less than INR. 20,000/- have been paid in total, students shall not be eligible for any refund in such a case. 
3. Students shall not be eligible for a refund (under any circumstances) if the refund request is raised postprogram/Batch Start Date. In such a case, the student will continue to pay the EMI of his loan (if applicable), as the loan cannot be canceled. This is also applicable to students who could not complete their payment and could not get enrolled in their opted cohort. However, the student can request a PreProgram deferral as per the policy defined below for the same. 
4. Studentshall not be eligible for refund of any amount paid towards the Program in case any discrepancy is identified between your application and self-attested documents including but not limited to wrong details about your grades or any other incorrect information provided in your application. 
5. In case of a valid refund request post obtaining the loan from a third party credit facility provider, we would like to clarify that the responsibility of canceling the loan will lie with the student as upGrad is not privy to such arrangements between the student and the third party credit facility provider. 
6. If students do not provide documents as per the timeline mentioned in the offer letter, they will be deferred to the next batch but they will not be eligible for any refunds.

Deferral Policy: (Pre- Program Commencement)
1. If a Learner, due to unavoidable circumstances is unable to commence with the cohort and requests for a deferral before the Cohort Commencement Date, Learner will have an option to defer to another batch. 
2. However, the learner will be required to pay 50% of the Total Program Fee amount (inclusive of taxes) before the deferral can be approved. Till this condition is complied with, the Learner will be assumed to be continuing in the same cohort. 
3. A Learner can request for deferral only once and to either of the scheduled cohorts to start in the next 1 year from the batch start date of the initial batch the Learner enrolled for. 
4. The Learner has time till the current Cohort Commencement Date to make the payment of the 50% of the Total Program Fee, post which the deferral request will expire. Once the deferral window expires and the Learner asks for a refund after the Cohort Commencement Date, the above-mentioned applicable refund policy will apply. 
5. The fee applicable to the deferred Learner will be as per prevailing Total Program Fee for the batch Learner as opted to defer to (No additional deferral fee is required to be paid).

Deferral Policy: (Post Program Commencement)
1. If a learner is facing severe issues in dedicating time to the course, Learner will have an option to defer to another batch.A Learner can request for deferral only once and to either of the scheduled cohorts to start in the next 1 year from the Cohort Commencement Date of the initial batch the Learner enrolled for. 
2. The Learner will be required to pay a deferral fee of 5% of the Total Program Fee (inclusive of taxes) if any along with the differential program fees between the two cohorts. 
3. The deferral request will be approved once the deferral fee is paid. 
4. Till this condition is complied, the Learner will be assumed to be continuing in the same cohort. 
5. The Learner has 7 days (including holidays and weekends) from the date of deferral request to make the payment of the deferral fee, post which the deferral request will expire, and the learner will continue as part of the current cohort. 
6. If the Learner completes the deferral payment, the Learner’s login will be disabled, The Learner will leave the deferred cohort and the Learner will start learning on the new cohort from the point of the last assignment that was graded in the deferred cohort. All grades and progress till that point will be carried forward as it is to the new cohort. 
7. The deferral can only be requested during the batch for which the Learner has enrolled is ongoing. Once the batch has been completed, deferral requests shall not be entertained. For clarification, the batch completion here shall mean the “last grace deadline” as communicated by upGrad. Case Deferral fee Before Program Commencement 50% program fee (including taxes) to be paid upfront- no additional deferral fee to be paid Post Program Commencement (0-7 days after program start date) 5% of the program fee (including taxes) to be paid within 7 days as deferral fee Post Program Commencement (8 days after program start date) Will have to continue as a part of the current cohort.