‘Learning By Doing’: EMLYON’s MBA Is Hands-on, Entrepreneurial & Sustainable

After several years in project management, Adel Khurshid felt that he had built a strong technical foundation. He went from overseeing small-scale projects to more complex brownfield developments – repurposing commercial or industrial properties for new uses. He now manages a portfolio valued at nearly €30 million.

He someday wants to move into management consulting, shaping company strategy and decision making. For that, he knew he’d need an MBA. He found the perfect fit in his own backyard: emlyon business school’s part-time iMBA in France.

“I was drawn to emlyon’s entrepreneurial and innovative approach to leadership development. The school’s focus on sustainability and its strong ties to industry aligned with my career aspirations,” Khurshid tells Poets&Quants.

“Flexibility was crucial in my decision-making process. The program’s structure allowed me to continue managing my professional responsibilities while benefiting from a top tier learning experience. It reflects emlyon’s understanding of the needs of working professionals.”

Khurshid, MBA Class of 2026, is one of 15 students to enroll in emlyon’s new part-time format for its International MBA (iMBA). The program, launched just three months ago, is an example of the school’s adaptability and commitment to meeting students where they are.

In fact, the full emlyon MBA portfolio is built around employability. Its programs are built around emlyon’s hands-on pedagogy, flexibility, entrepreneurship, and an integrated commitment to sustainability. These hallmarks are embedded in nearly every facet of the program, backing theory with practical industry experience.

“The emlyon curriculum is based on the ‘learning by doing’ motto,” Khurshid says. “This approach is particularly relevant as part of the MBA, since we immediately use the knowledge gained and tools to solve the problems in our current employment.”

FULLTIME, PARTTIME, LYON OR PARIS

Emlyon business school in France offers both an international MBA (iMBA) and an executive MBA. Both now have in-person and hybrid options, a flexibility that sets it apart from many European programs.

The full-time flagship iMBA is located at its Lyon, France, campus. In 2023, The Financial Times ranked it No. 14 for European MBAs.

Students can choose to complete the program in 11 months or 16 months, and can complete a real-world entrepreneurial consulting project or go on international immersions in cities like Brussels, Milano, Berlin, and Helsinki. About 90% of its 60-student cohort come from outside of France. The program has also added a number of specializations students may choose based on five years of graduate employment data and market demands.

This fall, emlyon added its part-time iMBA after listening to student feedback on the need for more flexibility. The hybrid option allows participants to complete 60% of the program online and 40% face-to-face. Students will come to campus just five or six times over two years, making it ideal for professionals who cannot afford to quit their jobs.The first intake welcomed 15 students, but the program will likely grow to 30 in the coming years.

“We offer formats that can adapt to their needs and situations. This flexibility is important,” says Stéphanie Ousaci, executive director of emlyon business school MBA programs. “It could be full-time, part-time, or online.”

Though geared more toward French executives, emlyon’s executive MBA is just as flexible. Students can choose a parttime format lasting between 20 and 26 months, a fast-track lasting 12 months, or an online hybrid version which was launched two years ago.

The Executive MBA enrolls about 130 students per year, some in Paris, some in Lyon, some primarily online. On average, the classroom size is about 25 participants, a differentiating factor compared to larger MBA programs. The Financial Times ranked the degree No. 36 in the world and in the top five in France in its 2023 Global EMBA ranking.
Emlyon’s two French campuses also offer choice. Lyon is a vibrant industrial hub, home to a large number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as key industries such as chemicals and healthcare.

This July, the school moved into its new building in the heart of Lyon, close to housing, subways, the train station, and Lyon businesses. It is bathed in natural light and equipped for hybrid learning experiences.

The Paris campus, meanwhile, connects students to a centralized business ecosystem.

“The two campuses are just two hours apart by high-speed train, making it very convenient to move between them. So that is something different from our competitors because you have access to both networks, the Paris network and Lyon network,” Ousaci says.

‘LEARNING BY DOING’

When American Jacob Westrum was evaluating MBA programs, he was looking for a quality education, a strong professional network, and a school with a reputation for helping graduates pivot their careers or advance in their chosen fields. Emlyon’s early-maker attitude of getting things done – as opposed to talking about how things are done – was a huge selling point.

“Employment is determined not just by brand or cache, but also how far one is willing to push. I found this to the ethos of my cohort,” says Westrum, a 2021 emlyon MBA, a sales, marketing, and operations manager.

Emlyon’s hands-on pedagogy is a hallmark of all of its programs, including its MBAs. The goal is for students to get practical experience by addressing real-world challenges – experience they can apply outside the classroom immediately or as they advance up the corporate ladder.

It’s also a driving factor is emlyon’s high employability record. The school ranked second among French business schools and in the top 45 in the world since 2017 in the Times Higher Education Employability survey. 94.7% of the Class of 2022 iMBAs had accepted a job offer within three months of graduation.

“We’re very eager to provide assignments that are linked to real-life experience. We want our participants to work on real-world situations—whether it’s addressing challenges within their own companies or for a client. Most of the time, the projects involve real case studies, so it’s not just theoretical,” says Ousaci.

Take the Experiential Learning Project (ELP), the main capstone of the iMBA. MBA teams of different disciplines and professional backgrounds will work together on a real strategic challenge brought to emlyon by one of its many industry partners. Teams have six months to deliver recommendations and an action plan to the company.

Or, in the executive MBA, participants start with a course called The Sustainable Future. The course challenges participants to imagine what the future could look like in 30 years and devise actionable plans to navigate long-term uncertainties.

“This is a fantastic experience,” says Ousaci. “Participants work in groups to build scenarios for companies, assisting boards in making strategic decisions. It’s an impactful and original way to start the MBA journey.”

As executives progress, they bring their own workplace challenges into the classroom. They get feedback from tutors, professors, and peers and take what they’ve built back to their organizations.

THE SDG INSIDE METHODOLOGY

Built within emlyon’s hands-on pedogogy is an integrated approach to corporate social responsibility. Emlyon’s “SDG Inside” is a framework developed to integrate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into all aspects of the curriculum. In 2024, the Financial Times ranked emlyon’s EMBA 12th in the world for ESG – environmental, social, and governance.

“The SDG Inside approach grew out of my personal recognition that business schools are responsible for preparing the next generation of leaders to behave ethically, responsibly, and sustainably,” says Rhoda Davidson, MBA academic director and professor of strategy.

Rather than teaching one-off sustainability topics or courses, the framework embeds 34 ethical, responsible, and sustainable competencies across all MBA courses. Students learn them progressively, as they would any other MBA skill, moving from awareness to applying them to managerial decisions.

In strategy courses, for example, students learn about CSR trends and sustainable business models alongside design thinking and stakeholder responsibilities. In performance and transformation courses, students develop skills in ethical HR practices, strategic change processes, and inclusive leadership.

The MBA’s project-based approach gives students the chance to apply these skills to real-world challenges such as decarbonizing cement maker LafargeHolcim Morocco and developing forestry initiatives to help companies achieve carbon neutrality. Several MBAs themselves have gone on to work in sustainability roles after earning their emlyon degree. They’ve been recruited as sustainability managers, joined global NGOs, and employed as sustainability consultants, Davidson says.

“Business can and should be at the heart of resolving the planet’s environmental challenges, lifting economic prosperity, and creating a more harmonious and fairer society,” she tells Poets&Quants.

“We need a generation of heroes to take on these systemic challenges. The good news is that with SDG Inside, the emlyon MBA equips students for this; strong business skills, financial acumen, an early maker attitude, and most importantly, the ability to lead others and make change happen.”

BUILDING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Entrepreneurship is another hallmark of the emlyon MBA. Emlyon is home to one of the oldest business school affiliated incubators in Europe which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. In the last three years, incubated companies have generated €360 million in sales and 70% of its startups are still operating five years after completing the process.

“Not all our participants go on to create startups, of course, but the entrepreneurial spirit is integral to our program,” Ousaci says.

Whether participants innovate within their organizations or outside of them, this mindset is part of what emlyon cultivates.

The Executive MBA program offers dedicated tracks in entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship alongside tracks in traditional corporate executive roles and SMEs (small and medium enterprises).

“I think students choose us because of our entrepreneurial spirit and our individualized approach. We’re not only oriented towards large companies – we also have a strong connection with a large network of SMEs. We’re not HEC or INSEAD; instead, we offer a project-based pedagogy that’s more centered on the participants’ experiences,” Ousaci says.

A GLOBAL ALUMNI NETWORK

And then there’s the emlyon network spanning nearly 130 countries – not just through alumni but through direct relationships with organizations themselves. They represent a range of industries, roles, companies, NGOs, and governments. For MBA participants, these connections can and do turn into real jobs.

“When students are engaged in hands-on experience and working in tandem with firms while they are in the program, they develop transferrable skills useful to employers,” Khurshid says. “Emlyon’s excellent industry connections also form important employment opportunities by giving direct ‘entry’ to recruiters and alumni across major corporations.”

Khurshid says this blend of practical learning and networking will be critical as he works to transition into management consulting. As critical, emlyon’s unique focus on entrepreneurship and sustainability when training leaders for the future of work.

“While many programs emphasize case studies, emlyon goes further by incorporating projects that require students to directly engage with industries. This practical edge, combined with the school’s commitment to building responsible leaders, positions it uniquely in Europe,” he said.

“The emlyon MBA has been much more than just a degree. It has helped me redefine what success looks like, not just in terms of career achievements but also in my ability to contribute to solving some of the most pressing challenges facing organizations today. With the MBA’s holistic approach and the relationships I’ve built here, I’m well-equipped to bring about meaningful change.”

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