What is the difference between a Master's and a Master of Science (MSc)?
A Master's is a national qualification, awarded by a university. A Master of Science (MSc) is awarded by a school, such as Excelia Business School. At Excelia Business School, the Master of Science (MSc) programmes are state-recognised, listed at RNCP level 7 and lead to a Grade de Master. It's this grade that matters when you continue your studies, whatever institution awarded your qualification.
Two qualifications, two issuers
What really distinguishes a Master's from a Master of Science, isn't their value, it's who awards them. The Master's is a national qualification, awarded by a university; the Master of Science, meanwhile, is awarded by a school, which explains the different name even though both target the same level of study.
This difference in issuer takes nothing away from the value of the qualification, provided the school combines the recognitions that count: this is the case for Excelia Business School's Master of Science (MSc) programmes, which bring together three distinct guarantees. The most decisive is the Grade de Master: awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education, it recognises the qualification at master's level within the licence-master-doctorat system. This is what matters when you continue your studies, whether your qualification comes from a university or a school. The other two guarantees complete it: the visa, through which the same ministry checks the academic quality of the programme, and listing at RNCP level 7, which confirms that the skills acquired correspond to identified careers.
This combination is detailed on the page that is the authority on the subject: the recognitions our qualifications combine, where you will also find exactly what an RNCP certification is.
Two pathway logics
Beyond the issuer, what actually changes is the logic of the pathway. A Master of Science specialises immediately, over twelve or twenty-four months depending on your entry level, whereas a university course follows a different rhythm.
You can enter a Master of Science after a Bac+3 or after a Bac+4, through selection, by application then interview. The format then depends on the programme chosen: full-time or on a work-study basis, in French or in English. In every case, the course integrates professional experience, through internships or through work-study at Excelia Business School, which grounds the specialisation in practice rather than in theory alone.
The detail of the fields, campuses and rhythms specific to each pathway can be found on Excelia Business School's Master of Science (MSc) programmes, where each specialisation is presented separately.
Which one to choose according to your project
The question isn't "which is better", but "which matches your project": the two logics meet different needs, not different levels.
If your career project is already clear, meaning you know you want to move into finance, marketing or project management, the immediate specialisation of a Master of Science saves you time. If your project is still open, a more progressive pathway, which lets the specialisation take shape over the semesters, may suit you better. To help you find your way between the different fields, our MSc quiz offers you a personalised selection in a few questions. If you choose a Master of Science, another marker matters: Excelia Business School holds a quadruple accreditation EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA, EFMD Master, a guarantee of the school's academic quality.
If you have a Bac+3 or a Bac+4 and are ready to submit an application, the XL Connect portal lets you apply directly.
Concerned about the cost of the pathway? Estimate the cost of your studies to get a concrete picture.