It was founded in 2009 as a result of the merger between the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (ESC), Lille and CERAM Business School [fr], Sophia Antipolis, for economic reasons.

[5] It offers programmes such as a BBA in Global Management, Master of Science (MS and MSc), EMBA,[6] doctorates in Business Administration.

[7] The merger was announced on 30 June 2009, and they now form a single non-profit organization confirmed by their respective governing bodies (the General Assembly of the French Riviera Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors of ESC Lille).

In spite of some criticism due to the heterogeneity level regarding student selection, the official ceremony and announcement of the new name took place on 16 November 2009.

The new school name, SKEMA, is derived from the Greek, skhêma (shape, figure, formation of an object) meaning schema in Latin.

[9] Since its beginnings in 2009 as a result of the merger between ESC Lille and CERAM Business School, SKEMA has been a global business school with the same ambition for its French and international campuses: to train mobile and adaptable leaders and managers, able to contribute to the knowledge economy and generate sustainable performance with an appreciation for the values and challenges of society, the environment and the economy.

Grandes écoles are elite academic institutions that admit students through an extremely competitive process, and a significant proportion of their graduates occupy the highest levels of French society.

[13][14] The degrees are accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Écoles[15] and awarded by the Ministry of National Education (France).

[17][18] Those levels of study include various "parcours" or paths based on UE (Unités d'enseignement or Modules), each worth a defined number of European credits (ECTS).

[22][23] Skema announced the opening of a new campus in Cape Town (South Africa) at the beginning of academic year 2019/2020.

Its programmes are recognised in France (Visa, Master's degree, RNCP, CGE label), as well as in the USA (licensing), Brazil (certificação) and China.

[33] SKEMA's Master in Management is a two-year multi-campus programme offering a wide range of specialisations and a variety of learning paths.

This programme is a real springboard to help executives achieve strategic missions inside their company, reorient their career path or launch their own business.