Business schools: where can you start a delayed academic year?

As the name implies, a delayed start to the new academic year begins later than an academic start. It generally takes place in January, February or March.

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Definition

What is a staggered start to the school year?

A staggered start to the academic year is a type of training that begins outside the traditional start to the academic year. This means that the reorientation starts later in the school year, generally between January and March, depending on the school. The course is the same as that offered in the traditional intake.

The advantages of a staggered start to the school year:

you avoid losing a year by registering for another course;
you benefit from accelerated training with the same courses (in the case of the M1 at INSEEC, for example)
you will benefit from real professionalisation through work placements or sandwich courses.

Student

Who can benefit from a staggered start?

A staggered start to the academic year is generally aimed at students who want to change direction or who have missed the start of the academic year. You can choose this course option for the following reasons:

you have the Bac and would like to change direction;
you didn’t get the placements you wanted on public platforms like Parcoursup ;
you stop your current training because it disappoints or displeases you;
you finish your previous shift too late;
you’ve just returned from abroad, you’re starting work and you want to resume your studies;
you already have a job and your company is offering you a work-linked training scheme to improve your skills
you are a foreign student and you didn’t get your visa in time for the start of the academic year.

Opportunities

Do all business schools offer a staggered start?

The answer is no. Only a few business schools offer a staggered start to the academic year, notably INSEEC (Institut des Hautes Etudes Economiques et Commerciales).

A staggered start to the new academic year at INSEEC

INSEEC can help you with your career change by offering you the chance to join our programmes in February or March. With our “rentrée décalée”, you follow a specialised programme enabling you to acquire the managerial and technical professional expertise you want.

Students with a Bac+4 or +5 degree can apply for our “rentrée décalée” (delayed start of the academic year) by enrolling in a 1st year Bachelor’s, 3rd year MSc1 or MSc2.

The Bachelor’s course is taken after the Baccalauréat and lasts 3 years. You can enter in the 2nd or 3rd year if you have a Bac +1 or Bac +2. We train operational managers to master the fundamental concepts of management and increasing specialisation.

The 1st year of the MSc is for those who are in the process of validating a Bac+3 (equivalent to a level 6 RNCP qualification) or who have a Bac+3. If you are an employee or a professional looking to change careers, our programmes are available as continuing education.

The 2nd year of the MSc is for those who are in the process of validating a Bac+4, or who have a Bac+4 or +5. This^2nd year is available as continuing education for professionals.
The aim of the INSEEC MSc is to train you to be quickly operational in a company. To achieve this, we use work-study programmes, which guarantee a winning partnership between you and the company. Our courses are state-certified and registered on the RNCP Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (Bac+5 diploma).

What is the difference between a reversed start and a staggered start?

1st year Bachelors have a staggered start to the academic year: they attend classes from February to the end of July, do a 1-month work placement in a company and then go on to the 2nd year Bachelor’s course in September.

The 3rd year Bachelors start their year in reverse: they begin with a full-time period in a company from February, then in September they take classes with the students who started in September for 1 year according to their timetable. So they complete their year in 18 months.

MSc1st year students enter the school year on a staggered basis: they attend classes from February to early July, spend 2 months in a company and then enter MSc 2nd year in September of the same year. This is known as an ‘accelerated’ year.

2nd year MSc students also have a staggered start to the new academic year: from March to September, they attend classes for 1 week a month, then spend 3 weeks in the company. In September, they resume their sandwich course, following the same timetable as students at the start of the new academic year in September: 3 weeks/1 week or 3 days/2 days, depending on the course. This lasts for 1 year. So they complete their year in 18 months.