Supply chain and maritime logistics master's in France: EM Normandie vs KEDGE

I did this route myself, so I will declare the bias up front. I hold an MSc in International Logistics and Port Management from EM Normandie and I now work as a marine surveyor in France. That makes me useful on the detail and worth double checking on the recommendation.

Anyone writing to me about a French logistics master's is asking two things at once: which programme is worth the tuition, and which fits my rank, my budget and where I want to end up. Brochures answer neither, because they exist to sell one institution rather than to compare three.

The three at a glance

EM Normandie: International Logistics and Port Management

Le Havre, taught entirely in English, one or two years. Of the three programmes here, this one overlaps most directly with what you already know.

Tuition is €15,500 for 2026 to 2027, plus a €50 application review fee and €105 CVEC. Entry requires a four year degree or Master 1 equivalent, B2 English (IELTS 6, TOEIC 790 or TOEFL 83), then a file review and a motivational interview. The school holds CGE label, EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditation.

The curriculum covers integrated supply chain management, operations and quality management, strategic procurement, supply chain analytics, sustainability, international logistics, transport operations, port economics and performance, strategic shipping management, and maritime innovation and digital transformation. Practically, there are two business case competitions, Cargowise software certification, a four to six month industry internship and a professional thesis.

Outcomes: 90% net employment, 100% employed within six months of graduating, average gross starting salary €46,400. Recruiters include CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Bolloré, CEVA and Airbus. Typical roles are container fleet manager, port operations officer, marine berth planner and international transport coordinator.

EM Normandie: Purchasing

Same city, same duration, same fee structure. The difference is specialisation: procurement rather than port and maritime logistics.

It carries CGE label plus accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, with a pathway to CIPS Level 5 after three years of work experience at no extra cost. That is a genuine addition rather than a brochure line.

Outcomes are the strongest of the three on paper: 100% net employment, 81% on permanent contracts, average gross starting salary €53,800. Recruiters include Saint-Gobain, Safran, Airbus, Amazon, Sanofi and Danone. Typical roles are purchasing manager, supply chain lead, logistics project manager and operational cost manager.

Note what that list tells you. These are largely non-shipping employers. If leaving the maritime sector entirely is acceptable or even the goal, this is the highest earning route here. If you want to stay in shipping, it is the wrong one.

KEDGE: MSc ISLI Global Supply Chain Management

Bordeaux, English taught, one or two years, around €20,400 with a 5% early bird discount if you apply before 28 February 2026. Entry is a three or four year bachelor's degree, or VAPP entry, with rolling admissions, an academic file review and a motivational interview. It is CGE accredited and recognised by the French Ministry of Higher Education.

It is ranked first in France for logistics by Eduniversal 2025 and second worldwide for supply chain and logistics by Best Masters 2025, which is the strongest independent ranking of the three.

The curriculum is broader and more technology heavy: global supply chain strategy and architecture, cross border transport networks, warehouse and distribution network design, port automation and smart container tracking, green logistics, digital procurement, and IoT, AI and robotics in supply chain. There is a six month consulting project with partners including LVMH, Sonepar, Lectra, Airbus and Cdiscount, plus the annual ISLI Forum with 300 or more industry leaders.

The cohort typically spans 15 or more nationalities and 95% of graduates work internationally. Average starting salary is around €43,500, lower than the EM Normandie Purchasing figure despite the higher tuition and ranking, which is worth noticing.

Which one fits you

My candid view

With a Chief Officer or marine surveying background, the EM Normandie port management track has the most direct overlap with vessel and port operations, and your existing experience does real work in interviews and internships.

KEDGE is a broader, higher ranked, more expensive degree with less maritime content. That is the right call if your goal is corporate supply chain leadership beyond shipping. It is not the wrong call if your goal is shipping specific, but you would be paying more for less overlap with what you already hold.

Admission is the easy half

Getting an offer is the starting line, not the finish. The heavier work comes after: Campus France, the visa file, and the French administrative system that starts the day you land. That is the part where university admissions offices stop helping and generic study abroad agents were never much help to begin with.

A realistic timeline from first conversation to settled is about six months. Months one and two for shortlisting and applications, three and four for visa processing and Campus France interviews, four and five for accommodation and guarantor preparation, five for a pre departure briefing, and six for arrival and post arrival documentation including OFII validation, Sécurité Sociale, CAF and CVEC.