[3] It is considered as one of the 3 leading Swiss business schools, alongside the University of St. Gallen, and the IMD (International Institute for Management Development), also based in Lausanne.

This period was strongly influenced by Léon Walras (1834–1910), the founder of the Lausanne School and creator of the general equilibrium theory.

On April 15, 1911, the "Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales" (HEC) was founded by Léon Morf and Georges Paillard within the Faculty of Law.

The first two years consist of a common core curriculum in which students learn to master modern management tools and develop their critical thinking.

HEC Lausanne Masters of Science (MSc) include two to three semesters and a thesis that can be associated with a three- to six- month internship.

Since 1979, HEC Lausanne offers an MBA programme designed for managers and professionals who want to evolve or acquire new competences and responsibilities in their career.