Which master's specialisation suits a graduate in Economics applying to France with 18 months of work experience?

Your 18 months of work experience already lifts you above a fresher applicant for France's competitive Grande Ecole and MSc programmes, and your economics foundation opens five distinct career tracks. Pick the one that matches your target industry rather than the most generic option.

Comparison Matrix by Career Goal

Programmes to Shortlist

• Corporate Finance: HEC Paris MSc in International Finance, ESSEC, EDHEC, or Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne's PSME track.
• Business Analytics: Toulouse School of Economics, Institut Polytechnique de Paris MSc in Data Science, or the joint HEC-Polytechnique programme.
• Public Policy: Sciences Po Paris or the Paris School of Economics, both close to Paris-headquartered global bodies like the OECD.
• Strategic Management: ESCP's MSc in Economics and Policy for Business explicitly asks for around 18 months of experience, matching your profile exactly.

My Advice

If numbers and modelling excite you, apply to HEC Paris or ESSEC for Corporate Finance, since your 18 months will make you highly employable during the mandatory 6-month internship. If you want broader business exposure instead, ESCP's policy-for-business MSc is built almost exactly for your experience level.