MSc Strategic Management & Consulting

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

SKEMA Business School Dubai campus

Program Overview

The MSc Strategic Management & Consulting at SKEMA Business School is a postgraduate programme designed to develop strategic vision, rigorous analytical skills, and hands-on consulting competence for careers in strategy consulting and corporate leadership. It suits aspiring strategy consultants, business analysts, and future leaders who want to work with top firms like McKinsey, Bain, or BCG and tackle complex organisational challenges through data-driven and strategic problem solving.

Curriculum structure

Core Strategic Foundations:
Students begin with fundamental strategic and business courses — including Strategic Management & Formulation, Strategic Marketing & Branding, Financial Accounting, and Quantitative Methods for Business — that establish a solid base in corporate strategy, market positioning, financial insight, and analytical thinking essential for consulting roles.

Consulting Skills Development:
The programme then builds specialised consulting capabilities through modules like Preparing Consulting Interviews: Case Study & Strategic Problem Solving, Presentation Skills, and Strategic Consulting Projects, where learners practise real-world scenarios and acquire the communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills expected by leading consulting employers.

Advanced Strategic & Applied Practice:
In the later phase, students deepen expertise with advanced subjects such as Corporate Valuation & Financing, Mergers & Acquisitions, Digital Innovation & Transformation, and Operations Strategy, while engaging in Consulting Simulations and Strategic Consulting Projects that integrate strategic theory with practical business challenges. The programme culminates in a Professional Thesis that demonstrates individual strategic analysis and research capabilities.

Focus areas: Corporate strategy formulation, consulting project execution, strategic finance, digital transformation, leadership in strategic contexts.
Learning outcomes: Apply strategic frameworks to complex business problems; deliver consulting-ready analyses and recommendations; communicate insights effectively in client-like settings.
Professional alignment (accreditation): SKEMA Business School holds AACSB, EQUIS, and EFMD Accredited EMBA accreditations, and the MSc degree is recognised by French and international academic authorities, ensuring global credibility.
Reputation (employability rankings): SKEMA’s business masters programmes are internationally ranked; while the specific MSc Strategic Management & Consulting programme is newer, the School’s strong global rankings and alumni network support high employability in consulting and strategy roles.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students gain practical skills through a curriculum built around real-world case studies, live business simulations, and consultancy-style projects, often conducted in collaboration with regional and international companies. This applied learning is supported by access to modern business school facilities, including trading rooms, innovation labs, and dedicated career support services. The experiential learning is delivered through several key, program-specific components:

Live Consultancy Projects and Capstones: A central feature is a substantial capstone project, often called a "Company Project" or "Consultancy Project." Student teams work directly with a partner organization to diagnose a real business problem and develop a strategic solution, presenting their findings to company leadership. This is a core component at institutions like the University of Birmingham Dubai.
Business Simulation Software: Programs utilize competitive business simulation platforms (such as Cesim Global Challenge, Capstone, or SimFirm). Students manage a virtual company, making integrated decisions across finance, marketing, operations, and strategy in a simulated global market, competing against classmates.
Professional Development and Industry Engagement: The curriculum is reinforced by a series of professional workshops on skills like financial modeling in Excel, data visualization with Power BI/Tableau, and strategic presentation skills. Regular guest lectures and networking events with executives, entrepreneurs, and alumni from the UAE's dynamic business landscape are standard.
Students gain practical skills through a curriculum built around real-world case studies, live business simulations, and consultancy-style projects, often conducted in collaboration with regional and international companies. This applied learning is supported by access to modern business school facilities, including trading rooms, innovation labs, and dedicated career support services. The experiential learning is delivered through several key, program-specific components:
Live Consultancy Projects and Capstones: A central feature is a substantial capstone project, often called a "Company Project" or "Consultancy Project." Student teams work directly with a partner organization to diagnose a real business problem and develop a strategic solution, presenting their findings to company leadership. This is a core component at institutions like the University of Birmingham Dubai.
Business Simulation Software: Programs utilize competitive business simulation platforms (such as Cesim Global Challenge, Capstone, or SimFirm). Students manage a virtual company, making integrated decisions across finance, marketing, operations, and strategy in a simulated global market, competing against classmates.
Professional Development and Industry Engagement: The curriculum is reinforced by a series of professional workshops on skills like financial modeling in Excel, data visualization with Power BI/Tableau, and strategic presentation skills. Regular guest lectures and networking events with executives, entrepreneurs, and alumni from the UAE's dynamic business landscape are standard.
Specialized Campus Facilities: Students have access to:
- Bloomberg Terminals and Financial Trading Rooms: Standard in accredited business schools for real-time market data analysis and financial modeling.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hubs: Dedicated spaces for design thinking, prototyping, and startup development, often linked to university incubators.
- Behavioral Research Labs: Some schools feature labs with tools like eye-tracking software for consumer and organizational behavior research.
: Students have access to:
- Bloomberg Terminals and Financial Trading Rooms: Standard in accredited business schools for real-time market data analysis and financial modeling.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hubs: Dedicated spaces for design thinking, prototyping, and startup development, often linked to university incubators.
- Behavioral Research Labs: Some schools feature labs with tools like eye-tracking software for consumer and organizational behavior research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

SKEMA Business School's MSc Strategic Management & Consulting (1-year full-time €25,000/~AED 103,000 or 2-year €44,000/~AED 182,000 at Paris campus) trains elite strategists through core strategic management courses (corporate strategy, finance, economics, quantitative methods) plus consulting modules on M&A, digital innovation, ESG, leadership, and AI tools, featuring hands-on projects with McKinsey/Bain/BCG experts and Harvard Business School Online Strategy certificates.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates join top consultancies (McKinsey, Bain) or corporate strategy units, applying analytical rigor and HBS credentials to drive transformation in competitive markets. Consulting Club case prep and Paris location accelerate elite recruitment.

Typical roles: Strategy Consultant, Corporate Development Manager, M&A Analyst, Digital Transformation Lead.

University services: HBS specializations, real client projects, interview coaching.
Employment stats/salaries: High selectivity yields top placements; EU roles €60,000-€100,000/year.
Partnerships: McKinsey/BCG/Harvard for curriculum and access.
Accreditation value: RNCP Master degree with global prestige.
Graduation outcomes: Alumni solve complex cases, lead strategically, innovate digitally.

Further Academic Progression

Thesis excellence enables SKEMA DBA/PhD, for partner-level consulting or academia.