IMHI MBA in International Hospitality Management

Jointly operated by ESSEC - Cornell University

Celebrating 20 years of educating leaders for the dynamic and growing hospitality industry.

IMHI is Europe's leading MBA in International Hospitality Management jointly operated by ESSEC and Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, making it a real business school for hotel, restaurant and tourism managers. Although many MBA programmes offer generalised business studies, IMHI is specialised in international hospitality management, and is one of the leading MBA programmes of its kind in the world.

Celebrating this year its 20th Anniversary, IMHI's 18-month study programme prepares future leaders for the hospitality industry. With participants representing over 25 nationalities, it is truly international and keeps close ties with the sector's leading corporations.

ESSEC is a private graduate school of management (established in 1907), affiliated to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Versailles, Val d'Oise, Yvelines, and is the first European Business School accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Location
At the ESSEC campus in Cergy-Pontoise, 40 minutes by RER, the city's express train service.

Courses
The amount of work required of students is highly challenging.

The programme of work requires 18 months of study plus a 3 month internship period. The course programme, including both required and elective courses, changes each trimester. Each course is compose of 30 in-class contact hours and approximately 60 hours of work outside of class. For each course in which the student receives a passing grade, she/he receives one or two units.

During each trimester, students enroll in 5 to 7 courses. Students must complete 34 total units in order to graduate.

Required courses include:

Students can develop their own study programme from a broad array of electives. See www.imhi.com for further details.

Number of places per year: 65

The Cornell University Student Exchange Programme
Certain second-year IMHI students have the option of spending a semester of study in the master's programme at the Cornell campus in the USA. IMHI students must apply for this exchange which also brings Cornell students to IMHI. Students are selected according to their academic performance during the first year. Course credits eared at Cornell or IMHI are fully transferable to both institutions.

Admission requirements
The minimum required academic qualifications for admission to IMHI are as follows:

• A bachelor's degree education from a recognised University
• A recognised professional qualification from a hotel management school (minimum three years, bachelor's level)
• Fluency in English language and prior professional experience in hotel, restaurant or tourism industries.
• GMAT and TOEFL aptitude test

Tuition Fees
9950 euros/year.

Contact:
Joëlle Harris
Avenue Bernard Hirsch - B.P. 105
95021 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex France

Tel: 33 (0) 1 34 43 32 55
Fax: 33 (0) 1 34 43 17 01
Email: harris@essec.fr
(ref: intstudy)

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

Before joining IMHI, Nicole Van Den Dool (graduate of '99) obtained a Bachelors degree in Hotel Management from the Hotel Management School, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. After graduation, she worked for HVS, then moved to Marriott International in their Feasibility Department. Below, she outlines what she obtained through studying with IMHI.

Nicola Van Den Dool, graduating class of '99.

"A colleague recently asked me what I had actually gained from my studies at IMHI - Cornell / ESSEC, the MBA in International Hospitality Management. I started by telling him that IMHI offers a great opportunity to meet and work with a wide range of nationalities, and cultures. The programme also provides a large variety of courses, which enable you to integrate your experience and knowledge. It then however struck me, that I was missing something. I realised that IMHI has taught much more than that: it has broadened my view on the hotel industry, and life in general.

I graduated from the Hotel Management School in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, in 1996. I spent my internship year in operations at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, in the USA. It was there I met an IMHI student who introduced me to the Director of the programme at that time. It was not a hard sell; the IMHI programme offered what I was looking for - the opportunity to expand my knowledge, and the chance to further my career.

I started IMHI in September 1997, and was bewildered in the beginning. There were many nationalities present and the atmosphere was stimulating, and motivating.

Course Focus
The two-year educational programme is a tough one, and requires time and dedication. There are several required courses (which include finance, accounting, marketing, etc) and there are also a variety of optional courses (ranging from timeshare to creative finance). The number of students is relatively small, which enables you to develop a more personal contact with the professors. A large part of my learning came from out of class interaction with professors and students.

One of the major benefits of IMHI, was the opportunity to do an 'apprentisage' (professional mentorship programme). This structure enables the student to work part time in company, and through the French apprentisage tax system, the school fees are paid for. I joined the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) in Paris in the programme development department. The apprentisage enabled me to increase my knowledge of the hotel industry, and to combine theory with practice. It also helped me to improve my time management skills, as you had combine work with school projects. With the IH&RA I attended several hotel conferences, and managed to build up a network of industry contacts. I even had the opportunity to speak at the annual conference in Durban, South Africa, on how to attract the younger generation - 'Generation X' - to the industry.

Career opportunities
After I had graduated from IMHI, I joined HVS International (Hotel Valuation Services) in London, as a hotel consultant. There, IMHI had well prepared me for this position, as consultancy depends on a mix of skills and knowledge. In August 2001 I had the opportunity to join Marriott International in their Feasibility Department, based in Switzerland. My role is to analyse new hotel projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and to recommend whether Marriott should progress with those projects or not. It is a dynamic and educational environment, and I think that IMHI has enabled to understand this environment and to function in it.

In summary - a great learning experience
A degree is what the student makes out of it. IMHI is a tool that you use in your professional and also personal life. Looking back, there is not much I would change. It all has been part of a learning process, and one that was well worth it."

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