New partnerships have been struck with Dublin City University (seen here) and with the NEOMA Business School of France.

Brock University students in the Goodman School of Business dual degree program will soon have the option of studying in France and Ireland, in addition to Niagara.

When business students start their careers, global experience helps a resumé stand out. So what could be more eye-catching than earning two degrees at once – and gaining work experience in Canada and in Europe?

At Brock University, the success of the Goodman School of Business dual degree program with Germany’s prestigious EBS Business School has led Goodman to expand its co-op dual degree program to universities in France and Ireland.

New partnerships have been struck with Dublin City University and with the NEOMA Business School of France, rated by the Financial Times as France’s most highly-regarded business school. The development creates 20 new spots for Goodman undergraduate students, and opens an additional 20 spots for students from the partner schools to study at Goodman.

The Goodman/EBS dual degree co-op program currently attracts more than 300 applications and accepts only 20 students.

Goodman is Canada’s only business school to offer an undergraduate co-op dual degree program. The partnership lets undergraduate business students earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Brock as well as (a) a Bachelor of Science in Management degree from EBS, or (b) a Bachelor of Arts in Global Business from DCU, or (c) the Diplôme du Centre d’Etudes Supérieures Européennes de Management from NBS. Students also gain European and Canadian co-op work experience, and those studying at NEOMA complete their degree in French.

Don Cyr, Dean of the Goodman School of Business, says the addition of two partnerships creates new opportunities that benefit students and employers.

“Organizations value employees who understand the dynamics that are at play globally, and how they impact a business’s strategy,” says Cyr. “Expanding our program means more business school graduates, from Goodman and from our partner schools, are better prepared to deal with today’s corporate challenges.”

Jörg Schönfelder studied the first half of his degree at EBS, one of Germany’s top 3 business schools, then completed his degree at Goodman in 2012. He said it made him a better manager and leader, and gave him invaluable international experience.

“Students are forced to leave their personal comfort zones,” said Schönfelder, “and that’s a skill that cannot be overrated in today’s business world. They get to know new cultures and different ways of thinking.”

The two new dual degree programs will begin accepting applications in the fall of 2015 for classes in September 2016. Students who have already been accepted to Goodman’s dual degree program with EBS will have the option to study at one of the new partner schools.