Research Master
Objective
The Research Master "Studies and Consulting in Management Science" prepares students to access a doctoral programme which meets the high standards of international research.
It opens up to academic studies and prepares for careers in teaching and research. It also provides training for senior positions in consultancy and for management functions in national and international organisations. Most courses are taught in English.
Master 2 programme content
This programme offers a wide range of courses and opens to specialisation in each student's domain of choice. Schedule runs from September to June. The first semester is devoted to the core curriculum and the second semester focuses on specialised courses.
Core curriculum courses
(Semester 3) provide the methological foundations of research in management science:
- methodology and research design;
- qualitative methods in recherche;
- data analysis
- quantitative analyses of qualitative data
Specialised courses (Semester 4)
Speciality: finance – audit – control
Speciality supervisor: Pr Patrick Rousseau
- Research in management control
- Research in financial accounting and auditing
- Tools and methods for econometrics and financial mathematics
- Advanced Theories in Corporate Finance
Specialty: marketing
Speciality supervisor: Pr Véronique Cova
- Consumer behaviour
- Marketing of services
- Brand Management Research
- Communication and persuasion
- Space design
Specialty: strategy and human resources management
Speciality supervisors: Pr. Emmanuelle Reynaud and Pr Olivier Roques
- Actor behaviour in organisations
- Management of human resources and careers
- Theoretical foundations of strategy
- Strategy for sustainable development
- Organisation theory
Specialty: public management
This course is taught at the Institute of Public Management and Territorial Governance (IMPGT)
Research dissertation
Dissertation work is approached as a full research activity. It has to be homogeneous and thoroughly carried out. It has to show the student's ability to build a relevant problematic and to implement the related research methodology in a rigorous way. The dissertation therefore presents a problematic and highlights its interest. It also includes a literature review, research hypotheses and an empirical field study. The research student works under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor and aims at completing a tentative research publication. The dissertation is defended orally in front of a jury composed of two teacher-researchers.
Career
Half of the Research Master students apply for doctorate training in management science for careers as teacher-researchers at university or in "grandes écoles". To that effect, the team of the Master's professors provide students with guidance to define their thesis projects, to choose their research supervisors and to pursue their doctoral studies at the IAE-backed CERGAM research centre (Centre d’Études et de Recherche sur la Gestion d’Aix-Marseille Université). The CERGAM is France's leading research centre for the number of defended these in the domain of management. Professors also assist students in procedures to apply for study-funding schemes: regional grants, doctoral contracts and CIFRE contracts (doctorates carried out in firms).
The other half aims at finding positions in consulting or in senior management (in marketing, human resources, strategy) in companies or in national or international organisations. The international reach of Aix-Marseille University attracts students from the five continents and recognised guest professors. This diversity is a real advantage for the programme.
Admission
Admission in 2nd Year
Specialty: public management
- Holders of a Master's degree (240 ECTS)
- or equivalent degrees (foreign diplomas, certificate validating professional experience)
Applicant file content includes:
- Management test : GMAT or GRE (or in French language: TAGE MAGE or IAE Score Message)
- English test : TOEFL or TOEIC or IELTS
- information about your professional project, background history, completed internships or positions held.
Most applicants come from management and economics departements (in universities and "grandes écoles"). The Research Master is also open to students from other disciplines: engineering schools, sociology, law, mathematics, philosophy, politics.
Application process
