As part of the new “INSEP Excellence Campus”, ESSEC launches a new multidisciplinary Bachelor’s degree for elite athletes, in partnership with CentraleSupélec and Sciences Po

As part of the new “INSEP Excellence Campus”, ESSEC launches a new multidisciplinary Bachelor’s degree for elite athletes, in partnership with CentraleSupélec and Sciences Po

The Multidisciplinary Bachelor’s for Elite Athletes (HEPTA, Bachelor des Hautes Etudes Pluridisciplinaires pour Top Athlètes), the fruit of a partnership between ESSEC, CentraleSupélec and Sciences Po, will welcome its first students in September 2024, as part of the new INSEP Excellence Campus. This prestigious program was announced by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron during his speech on the Olympics and Paralympics at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (Institut national du Sport, de l’Expertise et de la Performance, or INSEP). It provides elite athletes with the unique opportunity to balance high performance sport and higher education.

The launch of this Bachelor’s degree is perfectly aligned with the work two French ministries have been conducting for several months, led by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Minister of Sports and Olympic and Paralympic games, and Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education and Research, to allow elite athletes to reconcile academic and sporting excellence.

The HEPTA program offers a unique curriculum, bringing together the professors and pedagogical expertise of three renowned French higher education institutions: ESSEC Business School, CentraleSupélec and Sciences Po. The program also draws on INSEP’s unparalleled savoir-faire when it comes to supporting and preparing elite athletes.

An unprecedented multidisciplinary program

This program is aimed at elite athletes who have a French baccalaureate or a foreign secondary school diploma recognized by the French Ministry of National Education and who would like to continue their sport, all the while gaining the skills and training to prepare for their future - at their own pace. Students can apply according to the applications calendar, available on the website.

Students will learn how to handle the key technological, societal, environmental and economic issues facing organizations, thanks to the academic excellence of each institution in management, engineering, and social sciences.

The program can be completed in three, four, five or six years, depending on the rhythm selected by each student athlete. It will be validated by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and will grant the degree of “Licence” (Bachelor’s degree level in France). Thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the program, graduates will be able to pursue Master’s degrees to specialize further or join the workforce in various types of organizations as project managers or heads of mission, able to manage societal and digital challenges.

Distance learning, in-person learning, and pedagogical support

To best suit the needs of elite athletes, students will be able to organize their classes to be up to 80% online and up to 35% in person. To optimize student success, asynchronous online classes will be accompanied by four levels of pedagogical support: webinars with professors, pedagogical forums with dedicated educational coaches, individual sessions with tutors, and cohort follow-up by the community manager.

Vincenzo Vinzi, Dean and President of ESSEC Business School: “This unique program is a major step forward for talented and passionate young athletes. True to our pioneering spirit and history of excellence, ESSEC is happy to join forces with leading partners to offer elite athletes the chance to “reconcile the irreconcilable” and achieve both athletic and academic success, thanks to this multidisciplinary program designed to suit their needs”.

Romain Soubeyran, President of CentraleSupélec: “The programs offered by CentraleSupélec aim to encourage rationality and science and to share key engineering skills. They are for any talented individual, regardless of their background and their profile. That’s why we are delighted and proud to participate in the HEPTA Bachelor’s, which will allow young athletes to better prepare for their professional future”.

Jeanne Lazarus, Dean of the Sciences Po University College: “Sciences Po’s commitment to create the HEPTA Bachelor’s degree alongside our prestigious academic partners aligns with our existing programs for elite athletes, including the Certificate for Elite Athletes and the University College. It also highlights our willingness to innovate in how we reconcile demanding sports practice with a top academic program. As a result of this Bachelor’s program, students will learn how to understand the time in which they’re living and have an impact on the world”.

Fabien Canu, Director of INSEP: “INSEP’s focus on elite sport performance does not overshadow the importance of school and university training as part of personal development and a successful career transition. The creation of this academic pathway, the HEPTA Bachelor’s degree, brings together three prestigious French institutions (ESSEC, Sciences Po and CentraleSupélec) and is an incredible opportunity for French athletes”.

For more information, or to speak to someone from ESSEC Business School, contact Jonny Stone at jonny@bluesky-pr.com or call 01582790704.

ESSEC, founded in 1907, is one of the world’s top management schools and holds the “triple crown” accreditation from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. With 7,400 students; a faculty comprised of 154 full-time professors and 25 emeritus professors, in France and Singapore, recognized for both the quality and influence of their research; a wide range of management training programs; partnerships with the world’s best universities; and a network of 69,000 alumni, ESSEC continues to foster a tradition of academic excellence and a spirit of openness in the fields of economics, social sciences and innovation. In 2005, ESSEC opened a campus in Asia. ESSEC’s operations in Asia Pacific, strategically located in Singapore, present the perfect foothold for ESSEC to be part of the vibrant growth of Asia and to bring its expertise to the expanding region. Additionally, in 2017 ESSEC opened a new campus in Rabat, Morocco. ESSEC’s international expansion allows students and professors to study and understand the economic forces at work in the different regions of the world.

For more information, please visit www.essec.edu or www.essec.edu/asia.

About CentraleSupélec

CentraleSupélec, a Public Institution of a scientific, cultural and professional nature, was created by the merging of Ecole Centrale Paris and Supélec in January 2015. Today, CentraleSupélec consists of 3 campuses in France. It has 4,300 students, 3,200 being engineering students and includes 17 laboratories or research teams. As an international School, CentraleSupélec is also located in China, India and Morocco. CentraleSupélec is a reference center in the field of engineering sciences and systems and a leading School in higher education and research, ranked among the best institutions in the world. CentraleSupélec is a founding member of Paris - Saclay University and chairs the Ecole Centrale Group.

About Sciences Po

Since 1872, Sciences Po's mission has been to shape free minds capable of understanding the world, in order to transform it. It places academic excellence and social inclusion at the heart of its values. Its unique academic objectives are defined by a multidisciplinary approach rooted in the humanities and social sciences, a strong international perspective, and the ability to combine fundamental knowledge with professional expertise thanks to its 290 research professors and 4,600 part-time lecturers.

A world-class research university with 11 research centers, Sciences Po takes social responsibility seriously, proposing solutions to major contemporary issues including environmental and digital transformations, changes in public policy, and the fight against inequality and discrimination. The defense of academic freedom – an essential condition for democracy and social progress – is also at the heart of our academic project.

Each year, Sciences Po trains 15,000 students, 50% of whom are international, on seven campuses (Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers, Reims) within the Undergraduate College, and in seven schools at Master's level (international affairs, public affairs, law, journalism, management, research, urban planning). 3,500 professionals also receive continued professional training.

About INSEP

A key player in the national and international sports ecosystem, INSEP is home to most of the Olympic and Paralympic federations, 19 resident federations, and thus supports 800 athletes and 150 coaches dedicated to performance. The institute is a unique place, not only for training and living, but also for research and studies on sport, where resources are mobilized to develop a tailor-made program for each athlete. Dedicated to innovation in sport science, INSEP is positioned at the heart of this exciting international event, creating a unique preOlympic and Paralympic opportunity for the scientific community. www.INSEP.fr

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