In a ranking table often dominated by US schools, the second most-represented country in the rankings is the UK, with eleven online MBA programmes featured this year, including three in the top 10. The UK has long been one of the most popular countries for undertaking a full-time or executive MBA but is now proving to be a leading provider of distance and online options as well.
You can expect world-class teaching at all the institutions in the UK listed in the rankings, with the added advantage of their home campuses being in a country renowned for its role as a global business centre, particularly in the fields of finance and technology.
So, what institutions made it into the top three in the UK? Read on to find out.
1) Imperial College Business School
The Global Online MBA programme at Imperial College Business School is ranked first not only in the UK but in the world. It’s a 24-month course as standard, although it can be completed in 21 months or extended to 32 months if necessary. The tuition fees for the upcoming intakes, September 2024 and January 2025, are £50,500 (around $63,250 USD).
Imperial received a perfect score for class experience and employability. Most of the teaching during the programme is conducted through The Hub, a virtual learning platform developed by Imperial’s award-winning Edtech lab. Students complete pre-study modules in topics such as accounting, careers, sustainability, data analysis, finance, maths, plagiarism and social innovation, then attend a five-day compulsory in-person induction week, as well as four core module periods followed by an optional global experience week. The course ends with a capstone business game.
Professor Markus Perkmann, Academic Director of the programme, said: "We find that our candidates are highly employable but also highly promotable for several reasons. First, our programme is selective, hence our MBA candidates are all high-calibre professionals, working in top companies around the globe. Secondly, the brand recognition of Imperial as a global top-ten university means many employers will trust in the expertise of our graduates.
"Our teaching is highly interactive and focused on practice-oriented assignments, often as group work which enables our students to not only learn basic knowledge, but also critical thinking and communication skills."
The Global Online MBA cohort is the second-most international on the list, with 85 percent international students and 62 nationalities represented. 36 percent of candidates are women.
As you would expect from such a highly-ranked programme, Imperial’s online MBA has quite strict entrance requirements. You would usually need a minimum of three years’ relevant consecutive professional work experience with evidence of career progression and experiences that can be shared with peers.
In terms of academic achievement, you will need at least a second-class honours (or international equivalent) in an undergraduate degree. Students may also be admitted if they have full membership at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the UK and Ireland, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Alternatively, or associateship or fellowship at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
International students must also prove their proficiency in English Language. They need a minimum overall score or 7.0 in the IELTS test with a minimum of 6.5 in each element of the test, a minimum overall score of 100 in the TOEFL test with a minimum of 22 in all elements and an overall score of 125 in the Duolingo English Test with no less than 115 in any band.
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