Partner Article

A College Experience Between Florida and Marseille

Integrating French and American business cultures into one curriculum: This is the goal of the double degree program between the University of North Florida and KEDGE Business School in Marseille.
The Old Port of Marseille and in the distance, the steeple of the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica. © Elisa Schmidt

We live in an interconnected world where businesses seek opportunities in several countries, utilizing other languages, navigating diverse cultures, and managing different behaviors. While this is the reality of business professionals, most universities offer limited possibilities for students to acquire the essential skills for success in such an environment. In fact, obtaining a deep understanding of cultures and languages via an immersive career-focused experience can be challenging for most young people. The double degree program offered by the Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida (UNF) in Jacksonville and KEDGE Business School in Marseille provides an answer to the needs of our modern business world.

The KEDGE-UNF double degree gives students a unique learning experience that challenges most other business schools’ curricula. Students spend two years in each country, become conversational in French and English, gain experience in both business cultures, and complete an internship abroad, thereby learning how to live, study and work in a second culture. “My fondest memory of the UNF-KEDGE program was attending Viva Technology, an international innovation and start-up conference held in Paris,” says Giovanni Kague, an American alum of the program. “Participating in the event as a [member of the] press for my internship, my colleague and I interviewed numerous European and international entrepreneurs concerning their products and business operations.”

This program offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn and navigate Franco-American business cultures from a unique perspective and to develop an impressive array of skills young people need to succeed.

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The KEDGE Business School campus. © KEDGE

KEDGE is a top business school in France with triple international accreditation. Studying at KEDGE offers students a unique perspective of French business culture and access to some of the top companies in the country. Plus, Marseille is an international city and one of the leading logistics hubs in the Mediterranean, attracting many global companies and students from around the world. The Coggin College of Business at UNF is an AACSB-accredited business school located in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the United States. Jacksonville is home to an impressive array of international, national, and regional companies taking advantage of this booming market. The Jacksonville Port Authority and its transport connections to the rest of the country make the city one of the most important logistic hubs on the East Coast of the United States.

Upon finishing the four-year program, students obtain two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Business Administration from UNF and a Bachelor of International Business from KEDGE. The two schools have taken advantage of their long-term partnership to develop this program to better integrate American and French business communities and support students’ career goals. Our team is committed to delivering the best possible education.

Twenty-first-century business education is being defined by technology, which makes our world more interconnected every day. Business professionals must understand the impact of technology and be able to navigate across environments and cultures. Intercultural communication, adaptability, languages, and top business skills are essential attributes for success. This program offers college students the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in an unparalleled experience, which will define and enhance their professional careers.