“Smith has a robust and successful portfolio of international exchange programs at the undergraduate level. We’re seeing double degree programs at this level become more popular as well, with students increasingly interested in more immersive international academic and experiential learning opportunities,” explains Wanda Costen, Dean at Smith School of Business. “With ESSEC, we saw an opportunity to meet this growing demand and deepen our relationship with a key international partner.”
Each year, a select group of students from each school will complete the first two years of their four-year undergraduate degree at their home school, followed by their final two years of study at the affiliate school. Students starting in September 2025 will be the first to take advantage of the new offering, with the first exchange of students taking place during the 2025-2026 school year.
An immersive cultural experience, access to expanded career resources and networks, and a global business curriculum are just some of the benefits that will help students learn to adapt to the rapidly changing global business landscape.
Vincenzo Vinzi, ESSEC Business School Dean & President, says “We are thrilled to sign this double-degree agreement with Smith. This collaboration unites France's number 1 ranked Bachelor in Business Administration with a truly global institution, one that shares our values and vision for the future of higher education. This innovative program will cultivate a generation of multicultural leaders, equipped to navigate the intricate challenges of the ever-evolving business landscape.”
Smith and ESSEC first partnered in 2006 with an undergraduate exchange program that has seen more than 430 students study at the two institutions. In recent years, the partnership has evolved with the addition of a double-degree offering for Smith’s Master of International Business and ESSEC’s Master in Management in 2015. In 2023, Smith joined the Council on Business & Society (CoBS), a network of top business schools dedicated to promoting responsible leadership, of which ESSEC was one of the founding schools. The addition of this new undergraduate double-degree pathway is an extension of this long-standing collaborative relationship.
