The First Business School in Europe with Full ACBSP

The first step in your future career is choosing the right business school. How do you choose? It is certainly not easy. Reputation, success of alumni, and location are all factors which must be taken into account. But the real question which you need to answer is, "What should a business education give me?". "How well will the business education prepare me for a successful career?"

Official recognition of the school you choose will also be important. Business School Lausanne is the only business school in Europe to have its BBA and MBA programmes accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) in the USA. BSL is also a member of FEDE (Fédération Européenne Des Ecoles)

In the end, the only way to choose a place to study is by getting to know the school first hand. At BSL we actively encourage this. Not only to visit the school, but to take part in the programme and talk to the current students. This will give you the real feel of what business
learning should be.

Success in business can never be guaranteed, but with a solid foundation as a start, a whole range of exciting opportunities can be opened up to you. The BSL programmes will equip you for the big, wonderful, but tough world outside the classroom.

The BSL Approach 

Business success comes not from what you know, but from knowing how to use it.

The BSL approach to business education can be summarised in three words, pragmatic, practical, realistic. In business you have to do things, you cannot just theorise. There are many examples of businesses which have spent a great deal of time putting together extensive, detailed plans and failed. Why? Because the plans were largely theoretical and never really put into action. 

Our objective is to equip BSL graduates to be the people who will be formulating AND executing the plans - the business leaders of tomorrow. From the very beginning they are able to show that they can make an immediate, and significant contribution to business success.

They leave BSL with an approach to doing business - set of tools. A set of tools, which they can use to shape the business world around them. A set of tools, which can be adapted to the dynamic environment they will find themselves in. A set of tools, which will not become outdated in a few years. 

How can this be achieved?

The people who teach at BSL not only have high academic qualification, they are all current, successful business practitioners "What we did in a situation like this" is a phrase often heard inBSL. 

But it is not just a question of injecting a sense of reality into the learning. These business practitioners also demonstrate the high enthusiasm which comes from being involved. And, they have the skill to communicate this to the students.

Learning by participation

We do not automatically and easily remember everything we hear. In fact, within a few hours most of what we intently listened to is forgotten.

In all BSL classes, active student participation is demanded. This doesn’t mean just answering questions posed by the professor, but also contributing to the learning process by voicing ideas and opinions.

For some people, especially those used to a passive learning environment or from a culture which demands silent respect in the classroom, this is not a natural process, and they are, at first, reluctant to say anything. Personality also plays a role, and some people can be difficult to stop talking once they have started. It is part of the job of our faculty to encourage the shy and teach the extroverts to use their words more economically if they want others to follow what they are saying.

The first step in making a contribution to a discussion is learning how to formulate ideas so that they can be easily understood. Statements will be challenged by faculty and other students. Attack and defence of ideas are important tools for a successful career in business.

We feel so strongly about this aspect of business learning that participation is built into our grading system. Each student in every course is judged on both how much they said, and how valuable their contribution was to the discussion. Being assessed on your abilities to participate is part of business life, pass/fail examinations are not.

Multicultural Advantages

Looking at business problems through different eyes

The decisions faced by business people today involve many complex and uncertain factors. Complex because they require a large number of independent and interdependent aspects to be considered simultaneously. Uncertain because business today is in a permanent state of change and everyone is trying to predict what will happen in the future.

A business school has an obligation to equip its graduates with the abilities to not only survive in this environment, but also to make decisions which will have a chance to lead to business success.

There are always a number of different ways to solve a problem. We have to teach people that, in business, there is rarely one perfect solution - so it is no good searching for it! Being prepared to take different approaches, and combine and adapt the best parts of other solutions are characteristics of successful business people. One of the best ways to learn how to do this is by studying in a multicultural environment.

BSL students come from literally the four corners of the world - currently 30 different
nationalities are represented in the school. They bring with them centuries of cultural heritage which affects the way they view problems, and therefore the solutions they propose. Combined with BSL’s learning-by-participation method this means you will be exposed to a wide variety of problem solving approaches. Only by taking different approaches will you be able to find those creative and innovative solutions so necessary in today’s business.

Studying in Lausanne

Business School Lausanne is located in Switzerland, an ideal place to begin the learning
experience which will lead to business success.

The banking and commercial infrastructure of Switzerland is known and respected throughout the world. Many companies have chosen the country as the site for their headquarters, and these companies are always looking for dynamic, young people to join their international teams.

Switzerland’s reputation for stability and tolerance comes not only from the fact that it is the centre for world organisations such as WHO, UNHCR, ILO, but from the attitude of the Swiss people. This creates an environment in which everyone can feel safe; allowing you to get on without your studies with having to worry about strikes, civil unrest, or discrimination.

Its location in the centre of Europe has given Switzerland a unique cultural heritage. Which
other country has four official languages and all the special characteristics which come with them? From the sound of cow bells in the mountains to rock concerts in Geneva, you’ll find it all here.

Lausanne is 35 minutes from Geneva and its international airport. Across the largest Alpine lake, Lake Leman, there are spectacular views of the mountains, and some of the best skiing in Europe in less than one hour away. As might be expected in a city which is home to the International Olympic Committee, Lausanne has extensive local sporting and recreational facilities. You will certainly find plenty to do - if you have time during your studies!

Employers

The job market for new graduates is as competitive as business itself. In this situation you are the product, and you must be able to differentiate yourself from the rest if you are to sell yourself. The programmes at BSL will give you the advantage you need.

A career starts with an interview. Prospective employers are interested in the transitional bridge between education and practice being as short as possible. They are looking for people who will quickly be able to make a profitable contribution to business success. The BSL pragmatic approach in the classroom equips graduates to talk real business during the interview. They can show that they understand the opportunities and constraints of today’s business environment.

Some of the top companies in the world have already found out that BSL graduates perform well on challenging assignments. They quickly fit into and make contributions to project teams. And they are not afraid to present creative and innovative ideas in an easy to understand manner.