The University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business and ESSEC Business School have partnered to form the Responsible International Leadership program. Located in Cergy, France, approximately one hour from Paris, students study at ESSEC Business School for two semesters and one summer. ESSEC is one of the most selective French universities, has attained the triple crown accreditation and was the first European business school to obtain AACSB accreditation.
Students will complete coursework in areas such as people and organizations, socially responsible marketing, globalization and business, business ethics, leading teams and French. Students will also complete a mandatory field experience abroad, addressing personal responsibility and service to the communities surrounding them
Semesters 1-3: Study at USC; enroll in necessary courses for degree requirements in business, Carolina Core and French.
Semester 4: Study at ESSEC with your USC and ESSEC counterparts; enroll in people and organizations as a Cohort; enroll in necessary courses for degree requirements in business, Carolina Core.
Summer between semesters 4 and 5: Remain abroad to complete your field experience requirement for the cohort. This may be done at any location abroad; ESSEC will offer placement assistance, or students may arrange the field project on their own as long as it meets the requirements of the program component. The goal of the field experience is to raise awareness of the importance of social, political and cultural issues while training students to be open to the world and its complexity.
Semester 5: Study at ESSEC with your USC and ESSEC counterparts; enroll in business ethics/corporate social responsibility as a cohort; enroll in necessary courses for degree requirements in business, Carolina Core and French.
Semester 6: Study at USC with your USC and ESSEC counterparts; enroll in IBUS 310: Globalization & Business as a cohort; enroll in necessary courses for degree requirements in business, Carolina Core and French.
Semester 7: Study at USC with your USC and ESSEC counterparts; enroll in IBUS 427: Global Stakeholder Management as a cohort; enroll in necessary courses for degree requirements in business, Carolina Core and French.
Semester 8: South Carolina students will complete their degree requirements at USC, finishing their majors in international business and a second business major of their choice with their French minor.
RIL students pay only their home institution for tuition. During students' year abroad, tuition will be assessed on an exchange basis — that is, they pay tuition to their home institutions rather than the university they visit. Exchange tuition is assessed at the in-state rate for South Carolina students, regardless of residency status. Their housing and other living expenses will be based on the accommodations secured in-country and will vary accordingly. RIL students will also need to budget for travel expenses between home and ESSEC as well as expenses related to cohort activities.
Students in the RIL program will double major in international business with a concentration in European Business and a second business major of their choice. The curriculum is designed to be integrated across the two institutions, with preparation for the program beginning when the students are freshmen.
Students in the RIL program should have experience studying French prior to applying to the cohort. They will work towards business proficiency in the language.
RIL students have the opportunity to delve into the business world while embracing cultural exchanges. Through this program, they will learn the importance of mutual respect and tolerance as well as the value of a well-rounded education.