Audencia: What it's really like

Want to study at a top business school with locations around the world? Audencia could be your place...

Audencia at a glance:

Claire, who is an international business manager at Audencia, tells us what it’s like to study there.

What is Audencia?

Audencia is one of the oldest business schools in Europe. The school is in the 1% of business schools which hold the top three international academic accreditations – AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA – meaning the quality of its business and management teaching is recognised around the world.

Audencia has more than 200 academic partners and 6,300 students, who represent over 100 nationalities. As well as this, the school has 30,000 alumni around the world!

Why apply to Audencia?

A great reason to apply to Audencia is for the career prospects you’ll gain. You’ll benefit not only from our internationally-recognised accreditation, meaning you’ll be in a good position to take up a job after graduating, but also from the support of our efficient careers service. We can connect you to a wide network of companies and alumni for opportunities like internships, preparing you for the working world.

For international students who may never have been to France before, apply to experience the French joie de vivre (joy of living)! Our Nantes campus, for example, is located next to the scenic Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site with lots of castles and pretty towns to explore.

Who isn’t the right fit for Audencia?

Audencia might not be suited to someone who isn’t curious about the business world and international trade in general. All our programmes focus on understanding business and its current challenges, so if business is not an interest of yours, it might be worth applying for a different type of institution.

Any application tips? 

We encourage students to apply as soon as possible. For example, to start in September, we’d recommend applying between January and April so you have time to look into scholarships, ask for visas, or start your search for accommodation.

For the cover letter and interview, we want students to explain why they are applying for this particular programme, what raised their interest in this area, and how it suits their career expectations.
 

What’s the location like?

Audencia has three city-based campuses in Nantes in northwestern France, where the university was founded. Its other campuses are in Vendée and Paris, France; Beijing, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, China; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Nantes has been named one of the top three student cities in France, and it’s also one of the largest. It’s easy to travel into and even has its own airport. It’s by the countryside of the Loire Valley, so it is a very green city with lots of parks and beautiful heritage, including a 15th-century castle.

Students really enjoy studying here as they’re less than an hour from the beach! Plus, there are so many exciting cultural festivals and restaurants for them to enjoy in their spare time.

What facilities does Audencia have to offer?

Teaching facilities at Audencia use modern technology to allow for hybrid teaching, so you can learn remotely or in person. For studying in your spare time, there are social spaces across campus and a library that’s open six days a week.

Audencia offers a range of sports and cultural associations that you can join to get to know other students. There are also sports facilities like a fitness club, basketball courts, and badminton courts. 

What is the accommodation like?

Audencia’s Nantes campuses do not offer their own accommodation, but being a popular student city, there are lots of options for students to live locally. That said, this also means there’s high competition for properties, so we recommend students look for accommodation as early as possible to find a place that meets their needs.

We can help students search for a place to live by whatever criteria matters to them. That could be the budget, location, or whether you want to live independently or with housemates.

If you study at our Shenzhen campus, you’ll have the option to live in halls of residence. There’s a choice of twin rooms or single rooms, all based on-campus.

How does Audencia meet the needs of students with different accessibility requirements?

When it comes to financial support, we offer academic excellence scholarships, solidarity scholarships (based on academic merit and financial need), and even project-based scholarships. Your eligibility for these will depend on your profile and the programme you are applying for. If you’re starting in September, we recommend you apply for any scholarship between January and April.

We also have a department which supports students with physical or learning disabilities, and a health and wellbeing advisor who you can talk to about anything that’s on your mind.

Want to explore more European universities? Remember, Unifrog’s Shortlisting tool can help you put together a list of great potential courses.