Double Degree Program with Rennes School of Business
The double degree program will provide the opportunity to graduate students from both institutions to simultaneously pursue the Master degree from ZHAW School of Management and Law (ZHAW) and Rennes School of Business (Rennes).
Upon successful completion of the double degree program, the following degrees will be awarded by the partner institutions:
ZHAW: Master of Science in International Business
Rennes: Master of Science in one of eight specializations
/ MSc in International Negotiation & Business Development
/ MSc in Geopolitics & Business
/ MSc in International Finance
/ MSc in Logistics, Supply Chain and Purchasing
/ MSc in Digital Marketing Management
/ MSc in Data & Business Analytics
/ MSc in Luxury Marketing & Brand Management
/ MSc in Financial Data Intelligence
Within the program, students will stay the first year at the home university and the second at the host university.
About the Double Degree Partner – Rennes School of Business
Rennes School of Business (Rennes SB) is a prestigious and renowned business school in Europe. It is triple accredited by the leading institutions of Higher Education: AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA. During the past years, Rennes has continuously reached high positions in national and international business school rankings. In the Financial Times Ranking 2024-2025, Rennes ranked 56th under the category “Best European Business Schools” and 92nd under the category “Best Master in Management Programs” in 2025.
Program Structure
The intended period of study for the double degree program is two years (4 semesters). Double degree students will spend their first year at the home university, the second year at the host university. Full information shall be provided to the host university on the courses that participants have taken at their home university and vice versa.
Double degree students shall have access to courses and enjoy the same rights and privileges and be subject to the same rules and regulations as the regular graduate students in the corresponding Master study track of the host university. They will be registered as degree students at the host university only for the parts of the study program that will be carried out under the responsibility of the host university. Students admitted for the double degree program will complete the study program details as set out below.
Study Program for the Double Degree
Master Thesis and Internship Requirement
In addition to the mandatory coursework at both institutions, double degree students are required to complete a Master’s thesis at ZHAW. The Master’s thesis is completed as part of an extension of the second semester at ZHAW and before transferring to Rennes School of Business (Rennes SB). The Master’s thesis is worth 12 ECTS credits and is recognized by both ZHAW and Rennes SB.
The Master’s thesis is supervised by a faculty member at ZHAW and may be reviewed by a faculty member from Rennes SB. The language of the Master’s thesis is English.
As part of the completion of the Master’s thesis at ZHAW, students must successfully defend their thesis. The defense is conducted in English.
ZHAW students may additionally be required to complete an internship after finishing their coursework at Rennes School of Business if their prior work experience is not validated by Rennes SB. This requirement applies equally to both employed and self-employed students. In such cases, students will be informed directly by Rennes SB. The final semester at Rennes SB usually ends in April, and the internship must be completed by mid-September in the same semester (extension of the fourth semester). Depending on the timing of the submission of the internship certificate, completion of the internship may result in the postponement of graduation to the following year (N+1).
The internship requirements are as follows:
- Duration: a minimum of 16 weeks and a maximum of 6 months
- Timing: the internship must be completed by mid-September
- Content: the internship topic must be related to the student’s chosen master’s programme specialization
- Internship report: an internship report must be completed; the report does not award any ECTS credits
Selection and Documents
Candidates for the double degree program will be selected by their home university according to selection criteria jointly defined and agreed upon by Rennes and ZHAW. Due to the higher workload compared to the ordinary Master study tracks at the partner universities, only highly qualified students shall be selected for the double degree program. Each institution has the right to admit up to 5 students per year to the double degree program.
The double degree candidates must satisfy all admission requirements of the host institution, including:
- language proficiency requirements – all double degree candidates must provide evidence of a satisfactory level of English language proficiency Level C1 according to the requirements of the Common European Framework (CEF). Please refer to the MSc in International Business website for further details.
- good knowledge on Bachelor level of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Statistics.
Fees
All students on the double degree program that are admitted under a bilateral arrangement must register and pay tuition and other required fees at their home university. The host university will provide incoming double degree students with tuition fee waivers.
The students are responsible for paying any other pertinent fees required for regular degree students at each university, including the administrative fees at Rennes and ZHAW.
The host university has the right to not accept a double degree candidate from the home institution for academic rationales or any other substantial reasons.
Important Information – Double Degree Rennes School of Business
Please note that only students already enrolled on the ZHAW MSc in International Business can apply for a Double Degree with Rennes School of Business. The specific application arrangement for the Double Degree will be confirmed by the ZHAW degree program head.