All about the Conférence des grandes écoles

14 Oct 2020

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The CGE (Conférence des Grandes Ecoles) brings together more than 200 schools. These include business, management and engineering schools. What is the role of the CGE? What is the purpose of their labels? Which schools are members of the CGE? Why choose a business school that is a member of this association? We answer all these questions in this article.

Choosing a Business School

What is the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE)?

The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles is a non-profit association created in 1973 by eleven French engineering schools and one business school. It represents its members in their dealings with the public authorities, the economy and society. The CGE also takes a stand on subjects related to higher education and research (international openness, entrepreneurship, pedagogy, mobility of young graduates, etc.) and promotes the interests and image of the association's member schools, both nationally and internationally. Each year, it produces surveys, studies and summaries. It is also in charge of the accreditation of the business schools that are members of the association. It has registered collective trademarks such as the Specialised Master, the Master of Science or the BADGE and the CQC. Finally, it guarantees the quality of the Programme Grande École (PGE) of the institutions that offer this programme.

Admission to the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles is based on demanding criteria relating to:

  • The structure of the higher education schools;
  • The pedagogical approach;
  • The international opening;
  • Recruitment procedures;
  • Student support;
  • The link with companies;
  • The nature of the diplomas.

What is IPAG?

Who are the members of the Conférence des grandes écoles?

The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles has more than 200 members. There are several types of schools: 143 engineering schools, 38 management and business schools, as well as other specialised establishments (veterinary, military, applied arts schools, Écoles Normales Supérieures...). There are also companies, associations (of headmasters, professors, graduates of engineering, business or management schools) and 14 foreign establishments among the members of the CGE.

What are the labels of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles for?

The main role of the CGE is to certify the quality of a course's teaching. As mentioned above, it is the creative body:

  • The Specialised Master (MS): this master's degree programme is aimed at students or professionals who wish to acquire expertise, dual skills or deepen their knowledge with a view to career development.
  • The Master of Science (MSc): this advanced degree is sought after by students or professionals who want to pursue an international career.  The training is specialised (luxury goods, tourism, strategy, digital management, commerce...) and the courses are often taught in English (50% minimum). This diploma allows easy integration into the world of work abroad.
  • BADGE: a training course with the BADGE label is aimed at employees who wish to obtain a title (or a higher level diploma) recognising their skills and the specific nature of their profession.
  • The CQC: the Certificate of Qualification and Skills enables the Grandes Ecoles to offer training modules adapted to the current needs of companies. The training courses are short, consisting of a base of transversal or specific skills exercised in a professional situation.

5-year Master's degree

Why choose a CGE member business school?

You've understood: joining a CGE member business school is a guarantee of quality training. It is therefore in your best interest to consider this point when choosing a business school. What's more, choosing a CGE member school is a real springboard: the diplomas offered by these schools are all widely recognised by the private sector. This makes it easier for students to enter the workforce at the end of their studies. It is very rare for students from French CGE member schools to leave their campus without having already received job offers. In addition, these business and management schools maintain and make their professional network available to their students.

The IPAG Business School is a member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles and offers courses ranging from Bac+3 (Bachelor, BBA...), Bac+5 (Grande Ecole Programme, MBA, MSc...) and Bac+8 (DBA).