A dual Master’s degree gives accounting students international mobility

December 2, 2020

HEC Montréal has signed a new dual degree agreement with the SKEMA Business School, which has campuses in Lille and Paris, France. Starting in the fall of 2021, students in the maîtrise en gestion (M. Sc.) – comptabilité-contrôle-audit and Master en Management, Expertise Comptable et Audit (ECA) programs will be able to benefit from international experience and job openings, an option that was not available in the past.

Like HEC Montréal, SKEMA Business School is a member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles in France and holds EQUIS accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), reflecting the excellence of the education it offers.

The two schools are diversifying their dual degree programs to open professional doors in North America and in Europe.

Studying and working in North America and also in Europe

With this international diversification of their skills and experience, students of the two schools will have more professional opportunities open to them in Canada and the United States as well as in France and the rest of Europe.

“Accounting standards vary from one country to another, so it is unusual for graduates to practise outside the jurisdiction where they earned their degree. But with this dual degree we enable them to train and work internationally,” explains Julien Le Maux, Professor in the Department of Accounting Studies at HEC Montréal.

Meeting recruiters’ expectations

In addition to making international internships possible, this dual degree meets the expectations of recruiters like accounting firms, which place great emphasis on international experience.

“[To support entrepreneurs here and elsewhere], we need people with versatile talents and global vision. An education with a dual degree offering the technical and cultural adaptability required to provide quality support is a real asset. This dual degree should match our needs perfectly,” says Thomas Philippe, an accountant and partner with KPMG France, who has also worked in New York.

 The situation is similar for firms and organizations in Quebec and the rest of Canada, which are particularly interested in international experience when recruiting for accounting and financial positions.

Supporting executives with international skills

This dual degree trains consultants and experts in high-level accounting, control and auditing positions, who can provide international support for executives and businesses in various fields:

• Fighting fraud
• Managing big data
• Financial communication
• Measuring internal and external performance
• Evaluating businesses
• Corporate social responsibility
• Corporate governance