Skema Chases the American Dream

Cécile Peltier, Translated by Nina Fink Publié le
Skema Chases the American Dream
Skema's Raleigh students enjoy English-only instruction and the perks of American campuses. // ©  Tom Fuldner Photograph
French business school Skema is charting its own course. In 2011, it opened a U.S. campus in Raleigh, North Carolina, that is legally independent from North Carolina State University, where it is located. Skema, a school with close to 1,000 students from 40 different countries, has made a promising start with this new endeavor, but will it stand the test of time?

First came Lille and Nice. Now Skema Business School has a third location, this time in the American south: North Carolina State University (NCSU). The school is home to 35,000 students and a renowned engineering department. This year the Skema campus at NCSU welcomed 900 students, up from 200 five years ago. The goal is to reach 1,500 students by 2022.

The Competitive Campus

Many French schools establish foreign campuses to attract local students but Skema's American outpost targets its existing students. Now Raleigh is the place to be for Skema students looking to experience the U.S. firsthand.

In order to keep its independence unchecked, the school decided not to formally partner with a U.S. university. Skema US is an independent legal entity under North Carolina law. As such, it is the only French business school to issue its own American degrees and visas.

The Best of Both Worlds

Skema's Raleigh students enjoy English-only instruction and the perks of American campuses. They can also obtain a one-year work visa after they graduate. Yet they pay inexpensive French tuition.

While the program has French roots, most of the faculty is English-speaking. Jennifer, a junior in the Global Management program, explains, "The system here is 100% American with 3 hours of class and 15 hours of homework, research and projects."

Room to Grow

The campus broke even this year. However, by 2017 it needs to start contributing to its French parent company, which already invested €15 million. Its plan? Attract Americans to its Raleigh degrees with study abroad opportunities in Brazil, China and France. Skema also plans to leverage its NCSU partnership to stimulate growth. The schools currently share one finance class and two double degrees. Yet enrollment remains low.

If all goes to plan, Skema's Raleigh campus will welcome 1,500 students at a brand new building in 2021. To fund its projects, the school is taking the American route and asking alumni and Raleigh-based partners for support. Time will tell if the school's growth can keep pace with its ambitions.

Read the article (in French)

Cécile Peltier, Translated by Nina Fink | Publié le