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Studies > France > Aix-en-Provence > IAE Aix-en-Provence > Review by moniquinha
Contact: +33 (0)4 42 28 08 08
Accreditations and rankings:
EQUIS

IAE Aix-en-Provence

Institut d'Administration des Entreprises, Aix-en-Provence, Clos Guiot - BP 33, 13540 Aix-en-Provence, France
3.85 / 5 based on 72 reviews.
Description:
IAE Aix is the only French public university entity to receive dual international accreditation: the European standard of excellence EQUIS in 1999, and the AMBA accreditation in 2004 for its MBA Change & Innovation, in 2005 for its Master's programmes and in 2007 for its Executive Part-time MBA and its Euro*MBA.

Programme Highlight: MBA Change and Innovation
Created in 2000 and accredited by the AMBA in 2004, the Change & Innovation MBA program offers a one-year, full-time programme delivered entirely in English. The MBA Change & Innovation approaches management complexity by preparing managers to integrate opposing dimensions: local and international, short-term and long-term, cooperation and competition, shareholder value and stakeholder value, practical tools and critical thinking. Albeit these management intricacies, the IAE Aix en Provence provides strategic understanding and tools to analyse, channel, implement and drive innovation within any type of organisation.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
81% of students recommend
72 reviews
Housing
3.9/5
 All experiences (72)
Student life
3.8/5
 5 stars (12)
Academic
4.3/5
 4 stars (42)
Languages
4.1/5
 3 stars (18)
Expenses
3.3/5
 2 stars (0)
Overall
4.3/5
 1 star (0)
“Please try and live with a francophone - it makes your life so much easier. Try and get there early, round June to look for somewhere to live - housing is scarce. Beware of dodgy landlords. Southerners are notorious in France for swindling.” Read Review
moniquinha, United Kingdom

IAE Aix-en-Provence review by moniquinha

Review by moniquinha, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Language, Erasmus
HOUSING    
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - I had no other choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? The best way to live with native speakers and integrate yourself in the culture - my French came on in leaps and bounds.
Personal comments:
Campus accommodation is dire - there is very little security. Aix has a high rate of violence towards women on campus. Plus it is incredibly dirty, although very cheap. I was very lucky and lived in a house with my landlady and a French student. We got on well, and I had a ready-made network of French friends, thanks to my flatmate.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Student life dominates the city
Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal comments:
Best place is a little bar tucked away behind ther Place de la Mairie, called l'Unplugged. Cool boho atmosphere, loads of French and very few foreigners. Otherwise it's impossible to anywhere without hearing English - loud and annoying Brits and Yanks everywhere (and I'm a Brit!).
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC       3.0 / 5
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
If you do either German or Portuguese, the courses are fantastic. Advanced Portuguese teaching excellent and the politics course very interesting. Take advantage of the History/Politics/Culture module laid on for Erasmus students. Fantastic.



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
none

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French
How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Personal comments:
Very good. Having lectures in French everyday helped to tune my ear in. By the end I started to get my head round their approach to language.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Government assistance
Other sources of funding:
Family
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits:
The cost of living is very high in Aix - it is the second most expensive place to live in France after Paris.
Food, Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was more expensive than at home.
Telephone: was the same price as at home.
Travel: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
none
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
How expensive, the extent of the anglophones.
In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
Beautiful city, good uni, but there are other good unis in France with fewer anglophones about. I was lucky, but it's really difficult making French friends. They're not generally impressed with Brits and Yanks - and it's easy to see why.



FINAL COMMENTS

Please try and live with a francophone - it makes your life so much easier. Try and get there early, round June to look for somewhere to live - housing is scarce. Beware of dodgy landlords. Southerners are notorious in France for swindling.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No


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