Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering

Sales engineer: which programme leads to it?

The sales engineer career involves selling and managing complex projects in a technical environment, at the crossroads of business and technology. No engineering degree is required to practise it: the programme that leads to it is a management degree at Bac+5 level. Discover the sales engineer career in detail to understand its day-to-day reality.

At Excelia Business School, this programme takes the form of a Master of Science (MSc): a qualification State-accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education, leading to the Grade de Master and listed on the RNCP (France's National Register of Professional Certifications) at level 7. This dual recognition guarantees a verifiable level of academic rigour, in France as well as internationally. Like all Excelia Business School programmes, this MSc is also part of the international dimension of our programmes.

A profile at the crossroads of business and technology

The sales engineer career draws on management skills before technical skills: managing a project, taking charge of its administration and strategy, and understanding the industrialisation of a product or service well enough to engage with technical teams. It is a responsibility that goes well beyond selling: it involves managing the project from start to finish.

The MSc in Sales Engineering at Excelia Business School places experiential learning at the centre of its pedagogy, a principle that gives you genuine ease with project management and commercial strategy.

The accessible sectors and roles

Graduates of the MSc in Sales Engineering at Excelia Business School work in sectors with a strong technical component: IT, industry, consulting and energy are particularly keen to recruit this hybrid profile, able to sell and manage complex projects without replacing the engineering teams.

Examples of roles accessible on completing the programme:

• Business developer
• Commercial engineer
• Key account manager
• Project manager

With experience, these career paths can progress towards strategic management or sales management roles, supported by a portfolio of projects or accounts that grows in scale.

Entry level, work-study and application

The MSc programmes at Excelia Business School last 12 or 24 months depending on the entry level: twelve months for direct entry into the second year after a Bac+4, twenty-four months for entry from the first year after a Bac+3, a structure common to all the Master of Science (MSc) programmes at Excelia Business School. The entry levels specific to this programme, along with its rhythm and its campus, are detailed on the page for the MSc in Sales Engineering. Admission is based on an application file, which includes a CV and a professional information sheet, followed by a motivation interview. The MSc offering is spread across the La Rochelle, Tours, Orléans and Paris-Cachan campuses.

Some of the MSc programmes, this one included, are available on a work-study basis: you will find the rhythms and arrangements programme by programme on work-study at Excelia Business School. Once the professionalisation or apprenticeship contract has been signed, the employer covers all the costs of training. The Talent Centre, for its part, supports you throughout the programme in building a coherent career path: one-to-one coaching, interview preparation, work on applications.

If this domain is not the one that matches your plans, you can explore all our programmes.

If this profile suits you, you can submit your application on the XL Connect portal, wherever you are.

Do you need an engineering degree to apply?

No. The MSc in Sales Engineering at Excelia Business School is a management degree, open to sales and management profiles: no engineering degree is required at the application stage. What matters is knowing how to engage with a technical environment and manage its projects.

What is the difference between a sales engineer and a salesperson?

A sales engineer takes responsibility for a project or an account as a whole, from scoping to technical and commercial management through to delivery, whereas a sales role focuses on selling. It is this end-to-end management, combined with a real understanding of industrialisation, that distinguishes the career.

Is the MSc in Sales Engineering available on a work-study basis?

The MSc in Sales Engineering is available on a work-study basis at Excelia Business School. Once the professionalisation or apprenticeship contract has been signed, the employer covers all the costs of training.

Which sectors recruit sales engineers?

IT, industry, consulting and energy recruit sales engineers in particular, for business developer, commercial engineer, key account manager or project manager roles. These are sectors where business and technology are thought through together.

What is the entry level for an MSc in Sales Engineering?

An MSc at Excelia Business School lasts 12 months for direct entry into the second year, or 24 months for entry from the first year, on the basis of an application file and a motivation interview.