“Which master’s should I do to get into strategy consulting?” The question comes back every year from undergraduate students, students in preparatory classes and first-year business or engineering school students. The answer is often disappointing: there is no “consulting” master’s that would open the firms’ doors. Recruiters look at the institution, the level of selection, the quality of the record and the experiences far more than at the exact title of the degree. This does not mean the choice does not matter, but that it is reasoned differently. This article helps you choose between a grande école, a specialised university master’s, a double degree and a mastère spécialisé, depending on your starting profile.
What firms look at in a record
Strategy firms mostly recruit at master’s level (five years of higher education). The French public careers information body Onisep 🔗 states, in its job profile for consultants, an entry after five years of study: an engineering degree, a business school degree, a degree from an institute of political studies or a university master’s, possibly completed by a one-year mastère spécialisé.
Beyond the level, four elements weigh at CV screening:
- the selectivity of the institution: a degree obtained after a competitive exam or a very selective admission is a signal recruiters can read quickly;
- results: ranking, honours, distinctions, grades in quantitative subjects;
- the coherence of the path: a trajectory that shows choices, rather than an accumulation of degrees;
- the experiences the programme makes possible: internships, a gap year, an international exchange, associations.
The last point is often underestimated. A programme is also worth what it lets you do during your studies: a programme that includes a gap year, long internships and an alumni network present in the firms gives concrete chances, whatever its title.
A grande école of business or engineering
This is the most frequent path into strategy consulting, for a simple reason: the large firms organise much of their recruitment around these schools, with presentations, fairs, case practice sessions and alumni consultants who come back to campus.
Business schools prepare directly for strategy and finance roles. The Grande École programme, often called the Master in Management, lets you choose a major in strategy, finance or consulting, and generally includes a gap year. Schools awarding the master’s degree status are recognised by the State; the list is published by the French Ministry of Higher Education.
Engineering schools train profiles in high demand for their quantitative skills, particularly at firms working for industry, energy or telecoms, or on data topics. An engineer can join a firm directly, or complete their education with a double degree or a mastère spécialisé in management.
The choice between the two has less to do with consulting than with your profile: a student drawn to mathematics and technology should keep that asset. The strategy consultant CV template shows an engineer who joined a firm straight after school, with their data tools highlighted.
Specialised master’s degrees in strategy
Universities and institutes of political studies offer master’s degrees in strategy, strategic management or applied economics. Onisep cites, for example, among the programmes leading to consulting, master’s degrees in strategic management, economics and business management, or business administration.
These master’s degrees can lead to consulting, under three conditions:
- choose a very selective master’s recognised by the firms, often at a university or institute whose alumni already work in the target firms;
- compensate through experience: long internships, Junior-Entreprise, case competitions;
- build your network more actively than at a school where the firms come of their own accord.
Institutes of political studies hold a special place: their master’s degrees in finance, strategy or public affairs are well known to firms, particularly those working for the public sector.
Double degrees and international paths
Double degrees often combine two types of programme: engineering school and business school, business school and institute of political studies, or a French school and a foreign university. They are appreciated for two reasons: they show an ability to complete two demanding programmes, and they bring a dual skill set (technical and managerial, for example).
International paths (a semester exchange, a double degree with a foreign university, an internship abroad) are also valued, because firms work in international teams and professional English is essential.
Be careful, however, not to lengthen your studies without an objective: a double degree that delays your entry into the job market by one or two years must bring a skill or an experience that you will know how to showcase.
A mastère spécialisé after a first degree
The mastère spécialisé is a post-master’s programme, not to be confused with a master’s. The Conférence des grandes écoles 🔗, which owns the label, states that it is accessible after a five-year degree, or after a four-year degree combined with at least three years of professional experience. Onisep 🔗 specifies that it lasts one to two years and includes a four-month assignment in a company, followed by a professional thesis.
For consulting, the mastère spécialisé is useful in two cases:
- for an engineer or a university graduate who wants to add a management or strategy skill, and gain access to a business school’s recruitment network;
- for a profile who wants to specialise in a field sought by some firms (finance, data, sustainability, healthcare).
The four-month company assignment can in fact be done at a consulting firm: it is often the most effective entry point offered by this type of programme.
After a few years of experience, the MBA plays a comparable role for consultants who want to accelerate or change trajectory. The strategy consulting manager CV template shows an MBA taken in the middle of a career in a firm.
Presenting your education on the CV
As long as you are a student or a recent graduate, education goes at the top of the CV. It must be readable in two seconds.
What to show:
- the name of the institution and the exact title of the programme (“Grande École programme”, “Master’s in strategic management”, “Mastère spécialisé”);
- the current year or the graduation date;
- the major or specialisation;
- usable results: ranking, honours, average grade if it places you at the top of your year;
- the admission route when it is selective (competitive exam, admission on qualifications).
What to avoid:
- an exhaustive list of courses taken;
- secondary school diplomas, except an international baccalaureate or an honour that adds information;
- an in-house title that cannot be understood outside the school, without explanation.
For a concrete example, the strategy consulting intern CV template presents a path through preparatory classes then business school in four lines. Form matters as much as substance: the ConseilCV editor takes care of alignments and dates, and produces a PDF that firms’ screening software reads without error.
To complete your choice of programme, our overview of strategy consulting firms helps identify the families of firms that recruit from each type of programme, and the article on the CV with no consulting experience shows how to showcase the experiences your programme will have made possible.
Frequently asked questions
Does a university master’s let you join a large firm?
Yes, but it is harder than from a grande école well represented in the firms. You need to aim for a very selective master’s, accumulate experience and build your network actively.
Do you need an MBA to become a strategy consultant?
Not for a first job after a master’s. The MBA is rather for candidates who already have a few years of experience and want to enter consulting or accelerate their career in it.
Is a mastère spécialisé worth a master’s?
They are two different degrees: the mastère spécialisé is a post-master’s institutional degree, labelled by the Conférence des grandes écoles. It complements a first five-year degree rather than replacing it.
Does the school’s ranking really matter?
It matters at screening, because it serves as a shortcut for recruiters. But it is never enough: tests and case interviews then decide, whatever the institution.
Sources
- Onisep, job profile: Consultant / Consultante 🔗
- Onisep, Le mastère spécialisé 🔗
- Conférence des grandes écoles, Label Mastère Spécialisé 🔗