You know about MBAs and MiMs, but have you heard of these fascinating courses? Associate Director Stephanie Mullins and colleague Kyle Grizzell at specialist business education PR consultancy BlueSky Education explore seven unusual programmes run by business schools.

When it comes to business education, you often hear people debating about the sort of candidates that embark on an MBA or a Master’s in Management, even those who seek a specialised Master’s route, an MSc in Finance or Business Analytics.

However, as well as these more prevalent and well-known business programmes, there are some schools which offer more niche courses, whether a Master’s, Bachelor’s or short course.

Here are seven business schools and some of the wonderfully curious courses they offer –

1. NEOMA Business School, France – MSc Wine and Gastronomy

If any business school was going to launch a programme with a focus on food and wine, it was going to be in France. The MSc in Wine and Gastronomy is a full-time Master’s degree offering a comprehensive approach to the study of food and drink marketing in one of the most renowned gastronomic countries in the world. It delves into the marketing and management dilemmas facing food, wine, spirits, and hospitality professionals. The campus is even situated in the Champagne region, less than an hour from Paris!

2. MIP Politecnico di Milano, Italy – Chess and Corporate Strategy Short Course

What does chess have to do with business? Apparently a lot more than you think. The Chess and Corporate Strategy course is a brand new three-week short course aiming to improve strategic thinking and decision-making skills, especially in times of extreme uncertainty and disruption, using parallels with chess. The course integrates content from fields such as game theory, the comparison between artificial intelligence and human strategic thinking, and the foundations of leadership – themes that both chess and business strategies have in common.

3. Athena School of Management, India – Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) – Luxury

When you think of luxury, you might think of Italy or France. Well, this Indian business school has taken the opportunity to team up with Renne School of Business near Paris, the fashion capital of the world, to offer a dual degree programme in Luxury and Brand Management. Students spend their first year in Mumbai and their second year at the Renne Campus. This results in two qualifications: the PGPM – Luxury from Athena and then an MSc in International Luxury and Brand Management from Renne SB. Students will learn to be global professionals in Luxury and Brand Management with a choice to pursue their career in the corporate sector or as entrepreneurs.

4. Copenhagen Business School, Denmark – BSc in Business, Asian Language, and Culture

Asia is an incredibly important region as it produces more and more of the world’s goods and services. The increasing global economic, cultural and political influence of Asian countries, especially China, requires companies to understand and adapt business activities to an Asian context. This Bachelor’s course at Copenhagen Business School aims to help students understand traits and traditions that shape Asian society and business. Most interestingly, the course also allows students to learn either Mandarin Chinese or Japanese. Although, of course, not the only languages in Asia, they are two of the principal Asian business languages, so key to gaining a deeper understanding of Asian culture.

5. Monash Business School, Canada – MSc in Food Science and Agribusiness

Agribusiness; a word comprised of ‘agriculture’ and ‘business,’ but what does it actually mean? It refers to the enterprises, industry, and study of value chains in agriculture. This course aims to increase students’ understanding and experience to work across public and private sectors of the food value chain. Graduates will become part of a network of professionals who develop and manage the supply of foods to meet individual and population-based needs, responsible for human survival and enterprise. The course includes the study of food production and human nutrition, global trade, consumer perspectives, and future trends.

6. Aalto University Executive Education, Finland – The Business of Culture

With BI Norwegian Business School as a co-operation partner, The Business of Culture programme is designed for leaders from the Art and Cultures sector in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The cultural sector, like many others, is facing challenges because of social, economic, and technological trends, something we have seen prominently during the pandemic. To strengthen the position of culture in society, leaders need skills to impact beyond their organisation. This calls for new business skills and a change in leadership mindset. Speakers on the programme have included museum directors, theatre CEOs, and dance school CEOs.

7. emlyon business school, France – MSc Sports Industry Management

Adidas, Patagonia, The North Face, Millet. In collaboration with these sport and outdoors companies, among others, emlyon business school in France set up an MSc in Sports Industry Management which provides students with the chance to study management in conjunction with the sports and outdoor industry. Students also have the opportunity to study in France and China to understand the dynamics of the international sports markets in Paris and Shanghai and meet top industry players.

We love hearing about these specialised programmes and find that they can really capture the media’s attention, as well as potential applicants, and we look forward to discovering and highlighting many more of these offerings from business schools!