Très bien: Visitors praise Master’s of Management, French exchange

Graduate students Celine Carreno and Emmanuelle Lutringer say the semester they’ve spent at UW-Green Bay will pay dividends when they return to the BEM Bordeaux Management School in Bordeaux, France.

Lutringer and Carreno attended classes at UW-Green Bay during the fall semester, the first students to do so under a master’s level Degree Program Partnership that allows for the transfer of credits between schools. Participating students from either school will enroll in a minimum of 15 credits at UW-Green Bay. During the following semester, students will complete the equivalent of 15 credits in Bordeaux. Those credits will be accepted as transfer credits in the Master’s of Management program at UW-Green Bay.

“The first two weeks were tough, to be here on campus without a car,” confesses Lutringer, who is from Strasbourg, France. “But it was such an amazing experience. I met so many nice people and found new friends. People have been so welcoming. I am really sad to leave Green Bay.”

Carreno, who is from Bordeaux and hopes for a career in the fashion industry, also found the experience worthwhile. “It was a great opportunity to study in the United States. It was my first trip to the United States and I was able to visit San Francisco and Chicago. And I made good friends here.”

Both students were initially surprised by the American education style that emphasizes teamwork and pre-class preparation. In much of Europe the tradition is for the professor to lecture, with the final exam consisting of students repeating what they heard.

“The importance of this program for UW-Green Bay is that we are establishing a relationship with an internationally respected graduate program,” Prof. Meir Russ, who chairs the graduate program in Management. “The University of Bordeaux has a world recognized supply-chain management program and their management graduate program is highly ranked in the world by the Financial Times.”

The program is designed for full-time students, who should enter the program with an undergraduate competency level in management, marketing, finance, accounting and statistics. Students can demonstrate their competency by completing undergraduate or foundation courses in these five areas or passing competency exams. GMAT or GRE test scores can also be used to show competency.

UW-Green Bay’s Master’s of Management program is one of four graduate-degree offerings at the University. The Master’s of Management program is a 30-credit program that meets the needs of the working professional by providing students with a strong foundation for effective decision-making, with focus on leadership, innovation, strategic thinking and communication. http://www.uwgb.edu/management/

While Lutringer didn’t get the opportunity to attend a Packers game, she did fall in love with another American sport – baseball. She went to a Brewers’ game at Miller Park and was enchanted by the atmosphere of a baseball game.