What is a double degree?
A double degree is a formal agreement between two higher education institutions, which allows you to obtain two distinct, recognised qualifications at the end of a single academic programme, a formula that is common in business schools. Part of the course takes place at each institution, often a first period in France and then with the partner. The second qualification is thus added to the first, without ever replacing it.
How a double degree is organised
The most common format is built in two stages: a first year at your home school, a second at the partner institution, each validated by that institution's qualification. Some programmes reverse this order, starting with the partner, while others offer an integrated pathway, where the two courses run alongside each other throughout the programme rather than in two separate blocks.
The most frequent combinations pair a business school with a foreign university, to deepen international management, marketing or strategy. Others combine management with engineering for profiles able to engage with technical teams, or business with law for pathways that bring together negotiation and legal frameworks.
A double degree is not, moreover, always international: it can also combine two programmes from the same school. This is the case at Excelia Business School, with the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) and its double degrees with the Master of Science (MSc) programmes, to cross generalist management expertise with recognised sector specialisation.
What it brings, and what it requires
The strength of a double degree lies in the dual competence it builds: after this type of programme, you are able to bridge two areas of expertise, at a time when recruiters are precisely looking for hybrid candidates, able to connect several fields rather than mastering just one. Such a profile becomes a mark of employability, combining managerial skills with complementary expertise.
This benefit has to be earned. A double degree represents an additional cost: two sets of tuition fees to fund, often a life abroad to budget for, and a more demanding organisation, since you have to manage two calendars, two teaching methods and sometimes two languages of instruction in parallel. Before committing, it is also worth checking the recognition and accreditations of the partner institution: the strength of these programmes rests on the solidity of both institutions that award them, not simply on the fact of accumulating two qualifications.
Double degrees at Excelia Business School
Across the Excelia network, 1,500 students are currently preparing a double degree, a very widespread option that continues to attract interest. Your Excelia Business School qualification remains state-accredited, with its Grade de Licence or Grade de Master depending on the programme, and the partner institution's qualification is added to it, without ever replacing it: you graduate with two qualifications, not with one that is only half recognised.
This possibility, however, depends on the partner and the programme you are following. If you are wondering whether a double degree is possible in the programme that interests you, talk directly to one of our advisers: it is often the quickest way to get a precise answer for your situation.
To place the double degree within the full range of international formats, discover the three ways to study abroad with Excelia Business School, or go straight to Excelia Business School's partner universities.