Paris Cergy Campus
France
A campus at the gateway to Paris, a vibrant and lively student life
Located just 35 minutes from the center of Paris and a few minutes from the Cergy-Préfecture RER station, ESSEC's Paris Cergy Campus is a place specifically designed for student life. This campus is primarily devoted to full-time education, a perfect place for studying, and more! The city of Cergy is well connected to public transportation (25 min to international airport, several train stations and bus lines in addition to the RER line), and offers a wide range of cultural and sporting activities and numerous green spaces. ESSEC Business School's historic campus is driven by innovation and is resolutely forward-looking, thanks to the school's ambitious "New-generation Campus" project which will make it a place to live and study worthy of the highest international standards.
Cergy: a perfect place for studying and for entertainment
Located in the heart of the second-largest university hub of the Île-de-France region with over 25,000 students, the dynamic city of Cergy offers a great quality of life. After classes at ESSEC, you will be able to enjoy a pleasant environment and a host of activities.
Nearby, you will find: five theaters, one of which was awarded the “national stage” label, and a music conservatoire, numerous performance venues, multiplex cinemas, national festivals (Cergy Soit, Jazz au fil de l'Oise, Festival Baroque, etc.) and a multitude of sports facilities (swimming pools, ice rink, golf course, etc.). Plenty to do in your spare time.
Nature lovers will enjoy Cergy’s location in the countryside, opening onto 2,000ha of green spaces, a regional nature conservation area and 20km of riverbanks along the Oise River.
For shopping, one of the region’s largest malls, Les Trois Fontaines, is just a few minutes walking distance from the campus. The mall, which was renovated in 2022, features numerous stores and a brand new food court.
©Gregory Cerou
A vibrant and multicultural campus
Because life on campus is not limited to the classroom, the Paris Cergy Campus offers a rich and lively student life. The many clubs operating on the campus host numerous events and activities that promote multicultural interaction, and for good reason: ESSEC's international students account for over 40% of the total student body. With students from all over the world, over 100 different nationalities are proudly represented.
It is in this cosmopolitan context that, over the years, successive classes of ESSEC students have founded and managed more than 100 student organizations with a wide variety of themes: sports; culture; humanitarian; international; or community-oriented.
These student organizations are the heartbeat of the campus and student life at ESSEC. They organize conferences, festive events, trips, tournaments, concerts, plays, community-driven initiatives, to name just a few of the many events you will get the opportunity to discover throughout the academic year. Getting involved in one or more student organizations will be a great way for you to grow, both personally and professionally.
Modern infrastructures, conducive to learning
ESSEC's Paris Cergy Campus has evolved over the years to offer optimal welcome and learning conditions. Around the cafeteria, at the heart of the campus, numerous collaborative workspaces, classrooms and lecture halls are designed and equipped to promote proactive and dynamic learning. The K-lab, a modern and innovative library, will help you take your work to the next level thanks to innovative digital tools to experiment with and create new educational tools. And this is just a glimpse of all the possibilities offered to you by our vast campus.
“Campus 2023”: reinventing the Paris Cergy Campus
In 2023-2025, three new buildings will profoundly transform the way you live, work and study on the Paris Cergy Campus.
As part of ESSEC Business School’s new strategy and its Together pillar, the “New-generation Campus” project addresses the new needs and demands of our students and faculty for a campus that is environmentally friendly, socially committed and at the cutting edge of innovation.
The transformation of the campus will enable ESSEC to keep pace with the evolution of teaching methods, research practices and the new urban planning principles of international Campus-Cities.
With this in mind, the “New-generation Campus” project was developed around four main pillars:
Redesigning traffic flow for a green and eco-responsible campus
Establishing a new Sports & Recreation Center shared with the local community
Transforming the “historical” administrative Tower into the Research Green Tower, which will be exemplary in its bioclimatic design
Establishing the Pierre Nanterme Center for Responsible Leadership, which includes new innovative educational spaces
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Full pedestrianization of the campus;
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The establishment of green spaces and trees contributing to biodiversity;
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Landscaping the campus for continuity with the François-Mitterrand Park;
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The development of soft mobility;
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The provision of charging stations for electric vehicles;
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The optimization of rooftops at the center of the campus.
50 years of campus life in Cergy
New and modern educational spaces
A symbol of ESSEC’s Paris Cergy Campus, the Grand Amphitheatre lecture hall welcomes entire cohorts of students at various stages of their academic journey: onboarding at the start of the academic year for the school’s various programs (Global BBA, MiM, Masters, etc.); academic experiences; lectures, etc. It also hosts numerous ESSEC and student association events. It can accommodate up to 500 people.
The Paris Cergy Campus has a total of 29 different-sized lecture halls, which are used for courses, conferences, etc. The largest of these are called “PAs”. There are 10 such lecture halls, most often tiered, with the largest ones accommodating up to 100 students. All are equipped with video-conferencing equipment.
Our 34 classrooms are also equipped with digital tools and can accommodate students and faculty. Lastly, there are some 50 small work spaces (called “bubbles”) throughout the campus offering students the opportunity to meet for collaborative work sessions.
The Knowledge lab, a space for pedagogical innovation
At the heart of the Cergy campus, the K-lab is a place for producing educational content and sharing knowledge, open to the entire ESSEC community: students, professors, staff members, alumni and corporate partners. The K-lab is a space for creativity, sharing and learning. It is a place where members of the ESSEC community can discover and benefit from ESSEC's expertise and test, develop and model new ideas.
ESSEC Ventures, an incubator in the heart of the campus bringing students' entrepreneurial projects to life
Since it was founded, ESSEC has always cultivated a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, placing these values at the very core of its educational approach, research, and managerial practices.
The Cergy campus offers a unique space for supporting students in their entrepreneurial ventures: the ESSEC Ventures incubator. Our goal is to guide and advise you throughout your studies at ESSEC.
Since its launch in 2000, the ESSEC Ventures incubator has supported nearly 500 business projects.
The Dôme: a versatile space
The Dôme is ESSEC’s multipurpose hall. With a capacity of 2,400 standing places for special celebrations, it is used as an examination room for the competitive entry exams and as a dance floor during the yearly La Nuit de l'ESSEC campus-wide party.
And other recreation and entertainment spaces
After a day of hard work, visit the ESSEC cafeteria to grab a refreshment and relax. Or you might prefer to visit the clubs corridor to get a feel for the school’s associative life.
Practical information
Getting to the campus
- 3 avenue Bernard Hirsch
- 95021 Cergy-Pontoise
Public transportation
Transilien lines H or J, Cergy-Préfecture station
RER A, destination: Cergy Le Haut - Cergy-Préfecture station
Bus lines: 95-19, 95-20, N150
Accessibility
In 2009, ESSEC entrusted Accesmétrie with an accessibility diagnosis of the Paris Cergy Campus. The historic buildings, which were built in the 1970s, were brought up to the accessibility standards for establishments open to the public (disabled access elevators, etc.). The more recent buildings, built in the 2000s, were already built to current standards and are equipped with all necessary facilities to ensure our campus is accessible to all.
Since then, regular improvements have been made, such as the addition of tactile paving and tactile strips on stairs, and the installation of low mirrors in certain washrooms. The improvement of the accessibility of the campus is an integral part of the requirements for new construction projects, for instance for the Campus 2023 project.
Eating on campus
On-campus dining services
- The Coffee Shop, open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- The Canteen for staff, open Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
- The Food Hall for students, open Monday to Friday from 11:30am to 2:00pm
- Le Club, restaurant available by reservation only, open Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:30
Access to all the subsidized CROUS restaurants, brasseries and cafeterias throughout Cergy Pontoise
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The price per meal for students is capped at €3.15. All you need to do is show your ESSEC student card.
- There are four subsidized CROUS restaurants near the campus
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- «Le Parc» 5, avenue du Parc - 95000 Cergy-Pontoise Opening hours : 11:30 am- 1:30 pm
- «Saint-Christophe» Site universitaire de Saint-Christophe 49, rue des Genottes - 95024 Cergy-Pontoise 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
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- «Saint-Martin» Site universitaire de Saint Martin 2, rue Adolphe Chauvin - 95000 Cergy-Pontoise Restaurant : 11:30 - 13:30 / Cafeteria : 9:00 - 14:00
- «Les chênes» 33, boulevard du Port - 95000 Cergy-Pontoise Cafeteria : 8 am - 4 pm / Brasserie : 11:30 - 2 pm
Four student residences
In Cergy-Pontoise, ESSEC offers four student residences so you can enjoy all the benefits of campus life in an international, friendly and dynamic environment. ALEGESSEC (Association pour le Logement des Étudiants du Groupe ESSEC) provides housing for one out of every four ESSEC students and more than 84% of them are international students.
Each residence has its own unique atmosphere, from the multicultural atmosphere of the Hauts-de-Cergy residence to the atypical design and comfort of Le Port. A total of 1,093 rooms, studios and apartments are available close to the campus and equipped with quality services and all the amenities you need to make life easier. You choose whether you prefer to live alone in a single studio, with a roommate in a double studio, or apply for an apartment for couples.
How to book a room?
As soon as you receive your B00xxxx identifier, you will be able to access the ALEGESSEC online portal from your “myessec” space to submit your housing application: https://housing.alegessec.fr/authenticate
External students should contact us by email (alegessec-gestion@essec.edu) or by phone (+33 (0) 1 34 20 60 00)
Le Port: proximity and comfort in a contemporary setting
Located within 10 minutes' walk from the Paris Cergy Campus and the Cergy-Préfecture RER station, and near the mall and a park.
Key figures:
- 209 furnished studio
- 10 minute walk from the campus and the Cergy-Préfecture RER station
- Facilities: A gym. A recreation room, with foosball and pool tables. Coworking spaces. A relaxation area with a piano. A multimedia space with a large screen television
Le Parc: a shared apartment at the heart of the campus
This residence is reserved exclusively for first year pre-experience MiM and Global BBA students, subject to availability. It offers shared apartments.
Key figures:
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30 shared units, housing a total of 219 students
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Exclusively for first year pre-experience MiM and Global BBA students
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Located on-campus, 10 minutes walk from the Cergy-Préfecture RER station and the Trois Fontaines shopping mall.
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Facilities : free access to an upright piano, a relaxation area, coworking space.
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Nearby: ESSEC gym, the on-campus tennis court and a public pool.
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Les Linandes: calm and quiet a stones throw away from campus
Les Linandes is located in a quiet and residential area, close to many shops and restaurants.
Key figures:
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180 furnished studios
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15 minutes from campus by bus
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Facilities : A fully-equipped gym. A coworking space. A recreation area, with a large screen TV, foosball & pool tables and a piano.
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Nearby: Supermarket, shops, medical center, restaurants and fast food.
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Hauts de Cergy: an international experience
The Hauts de Cergy residence is located in a quiet and residential area, close to many shops and restaurants.
Key figures:
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485 furnished studios
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15 minutes from campus by train (RER A line)
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Facilities : 2 gyms; squash & tennis court; coworking areas; recreation areas with a large screen TV and a room with a piano, foosball & pool tables, large convivial green spaces with a barbecue, a free orchard, a convenience store in the residence.
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Nearby: 1 supermarket; 1 cinema; 1 media library and 1 golf course
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Student testimonials
Housing assistance
For your accommodation, you can apply for “APL” (Aides Personnelles au Logement, custom housing assistance) from the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales (CAF). Only the CAF can determine who is eligible and who is not, based on family situation, current and past income, type of visa, etc.
How to apply?
For all students
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Apply for the APL on the CAF website, ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE KEYS TO YOUR ACCOMMODATION, following the procedure sent to you on the day you were given the keys.
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If you previously received APL for another accommodation, you must contact your former CAF to inform them of your new address and they will guide you through the necessary steps.
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A bank account number from a French bank (RIB) is required.
For French nationals
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The APL cannot be combined with the family allowance from the CAF.
For international students
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For students from outside the European Community, a student visa or residence permit is required.
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The validity dates of the residence permit must cover the period of occupancy.
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Eligibility for APLs is based on the type of visa, but not the duration of the visa.
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Required: your birth certificate and its translation into French stamped by the French embassy or consulate in your home country.
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Our masters
ESSEC’s Master in Management program is designed to train the new generation of responsible leaders. Thanks to the unique flexibility of ESSEC’s pedagogical model, you have the freedom to forge your own academic journey.
ESSEC’s Masters and MSc programs have a strong professional orientation, rooted in strong ties with the business world and industry experts. Graduates stand out for their specialized expertise and experience.
Advanced Masters® (MS) are post-Master’s programs, fully accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. These courses entail seven to eight months of coursework and four to six months of in-company assignments, offering participants a dual skill set.
Our Bachelors
ESSEC’s Global BBA is a highly-selective four-year undergraduate degree. Highly selective, intensive and demanding, it is designed to prepare students for the business world in diverse and complex environments.
The Bachelor ACT, a three-year program launched jointly by ESSEC and CY Cergy Paris Université. This new program empowers students to excel in project management in order to drive the ecological, social, and societal transformations to come.
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ESSEC, CentraleSupélec and Sciences Po have joined forces to create a Bachelor's degree aimed at high-level athletes who wish to both further their athletic career and pursue a multidisciplinary education.
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The ESSEC-CentraleSupélec Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence Data and Management Sciences (AIDAMS) program offers a unique blend of courses in management, data analysis, and artificial intelligence.
PhD program
ESSEC’s doctoral program (PhD) aims to equip students with the skills needed for pioneering cutting-edge research, and to foster their integration and active participation into the international academic community.
