MSc Research in Management and Innovation

The M2/MSc in Research in Management and Innovation is the first Université Côte d’Azur program created in partnership with SKEMA Business School, awarding two degrees: a Master 2 from the Universite Côte d’Azur and a Master of Science from SKEMA Business School. This program is the first step toward doctoral studies in management and a career in academia.

The M2/MSc Research in Management and Innovation program distinguishes itself from other business degrees through its intensive focus on academic research and doctoral study preparation. The curriculum provides students with theoretical grounding and thorough research skills in a number of topics in the domains of management and innovation. More precisely, RMI hones students' analytical competencies to study emerging strategic, organizational, and management challenges that innovative organizations encounter. Ultimately, RMI fosters the necessary competencies for students to design and develop their own doctoral research projects.

A significant emphasis is placed on analyzing knowledge base systems as a determinant of a firm's innovative performance. Focusing on knowledge dynamics and the organization of knowledge systems provides a unique perspective for studying strategy and organizational design. To introduce students to how, exactly, a researcher studies complex concepts such innovation and knowledge, coursework includes an introduction to the conceptual frameworks developed and proven by already-published scholars. This base opens the door to studying both well-established and up-and-coming research subjects such as social and knowledge networks within and across companies, the specificities of local ecosystems, the creation, development and redeployment of strategic resources, and knowledge facilitating adaptive and renewal capacities.

In the second semester, students design an individual, supervised research project, which they present at the end of the year to the RMI faculty. This project is in the form of a research proposal, which may then be used by successful students to apply for PhD programs; including those of the Université Côte d’Azur and SKEMA Business School.

Regular seminars with top international scholars enrich the coursework and expose students to the highest academic publishing standards. Through this interaction with established professionals in academia, students are uniquely positioned to enter the competitive environment of PhD applications with an existing understanding of the system and community. The diversity of interests and methods used by the RMI faculty and doctoral students, all part of the GREDEG research center and ELMI Graduate School, creates a supportive research environment to equip scholars for what comes next.

Specificities

• Opportunity for students to obtain two degrees: a Master 2 RMI from the University Côte d’Azur and a Master of Science RMI from SKEMA Business School.
• All courses taught in English and include a combination of seminars, independent research, presentations and class discussions based on articles published in top scientific journals.
• Courses taught by highly qualified, published researchers
• Regular seminars with top international scholars enriching the coursework component and exposing the students to the highest academic publishing standards. These seminars are organized by both the GREDEG (Université Côte d’Azur / CNRS) and the Knowledge Technology and Organization (SKEMA Business School) research centers.
• The program benefits from a supportive research environment. All classes take place in the Sophia-Antipolis Science and Technology Park (both at SKEMA and GREDEG).