Embedded at the core of the Master cycle of the Grande École Programme, the Consultant Project places students in a consulting role with partner companies. Over the course of one semester, this collective assignment mobilises functional expertise, project management skills and client relations around concrete business challenges.
Designed as a direct extension of the Master specialisations, the Consultant Project aligns with the EMLV’s approach to hybridisation and professional development.
The Consultant Project: a scheme grounded in business reality
The Consultant Project is a real-life assignment entrusted to a group of students enrolled in the initial track of the Grande École Programme. Working in teams of two to five, participants address a strategic, operational or organisational issue defined jointly with the partner company.
This experience mirrors the conditions of a consulting assignment: scoping the client’s needs, conducting analysis, producing deliverables and presenting recommendations.
It enables students to apply the knowledge they have acquired in their specialisations—finance, marketing, digital, management, or information systems—while developing a professional consulting posture.
A structured and supervised academic framework
The Consultant Project is based on a clearly defined organisation that combines autonomy with close supervision. Each team benefits from dual support: an academic coach from EMLV and a company representative.
The semester begins with a launch session on the Pôle Léonard de Vinci campus, followed by an in-person kick-off meeting at the partner company. Throughout the project, students alternate between asynchronous collaborative work, regular exchanges with the company and pedagogical mentoring sessions.
This structure supports a methodical progression, from initial diagnosis to the formulation of well-argued recommendations.
The role of coaches: a structuring factor in the Consultant Project
In interviews with Molly Headley and Étienne Maraval, Consultant Project Coaches, supervision emerges as a key driver of the success of the assignments carried out by Grande École Programme students.
Drawing on both academic and corporate backgrounds, the coaches provide continuous guidance to the teams throughout the semester, working closely with company contacts. Their role is to frame the assignment from the early stages, structure the working methodology and secure the relationship with the partner organisation, while gradually encouraging greater student autonomy.
This support establishes a demanding working environment aligned with consulting practices and fosters a professional posture grounded in initiative, accountability, and the ability to present structured recommendations to external stakeholders.
“Coaching helps guide teams towards a more professional posture, supporting the transition from a student mindset to a consulting logic based on initiative and responsibility.”
Molly Headley, Academic Coach, EMLV“The coach’s role evolves throughout the project: it is highly structured at the outset, then progressively allows more autonomy, while maintaining a role of oversight and risk management.”
Étienne Maraval, Consultant Project Coach
A timeline aligned with professional standards
The Consultant Project took place from September to December 2025, with a dedicated schedule every Tuesday. This regular rhythm anchors the assignment over time, in line with consulting practices.
Key milestones structure the semester: submission of an interim report at the end of October, an individual feedback and assessment session in early November, and final delivery in December. The end-of-semester presentation, held at EMLV, concludes the project with an oral defence before the client and the academic tutor.
Juliette and Romane, enrolled in the Master’s programme in Marketing and Communication, worked as consultants for Paris On The Way.
Clear and professional learning outcomesThe objectives of the Consultant Project cover several dimensions: end-to-end management of a company assignment, analysis of real business issues, time and deliverable management, teamwork and compliance with deadlines.
Students are required to mobilise their specialised expertise while adopting a consulting posture: understanding client needs, structuring analyses, synthesising insights and proposing operational solutions.
This experience contributes to strengthening the level of professional maturity expected at the end of the Grande École Programme.
Examples of projects carried out as part of the Consultant Project
The assignments delivered within the framework of the Consultant Project cover a wide range of issues encountered by organisations, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises and structures in a phase of development or transformation.
Atelier Daniel Boisot
Finance and Management Control – Profitability management and commercial strategy for an artisanal workshop
This assignment focused on supporting an artisanal workshop specialising in glass and lighting, facing profitability-related challenges.
Students worked on structuring cost monitoring, designing financial dashboards and defining an appropriate pricing policy. The project also included a reflection on commercial strategy and communication consistency to align the offer, pricing, and overall visibility of the business.
Les Galets Rouges Lodge & Spa
Digital Marketing & Data Analytics – Optimisation of organic and paid search for a hotel establishment
Conducted for a 4-star lodge and spa, this project aimed to improve digital visibility and website traffic.
Students implemented an SEO audit, keyword analysis, and competitive benchmarking before formulating recommendations for both organic and paid search optimisation. A SEA strategy was also defined, supported by operational deliverables designed to enhance digital performance over the medium term.
Claire de Lune
International Business – Development of digital presence and social media strategy
This assignment focused on creating and optimising a company’s online presence by developing website content and structuring a social media strategy.
Students addressed issues related to SEO, editorial consistency and visibility, and proposed concrete recommendations to strengthen digital impact and brand awareness.
A lever for employability within the Grande École Programme
Beyond its academic dimension, the Consultant Project is fully embedded in the EMLV Grande École Programme’s professionalisation strategy. It enables students to test and consolidate acquired skills, strengthen their professional network and enhance their academic pathway through a concrete experience that can be directly leveraged on a CV.
This real-world immersion reflects the EMLV’s pedagogical approach: preparing managers capable of addressing complex issues, in close alignment with business expectations and the evolving demands of professional roles.
