FAQs

Candidates must have a qualifying masters in management, or an equivalent masters level degree covering the main disciplines of business, in line with the seven subject areas of the School. Candidates will need to show they have studied, in their masters qualification, a minimum of five courses from the seven disciplines of business below. These must the include the quantitative courses, specifically finance, accounting and data analytics.

• Accounting
• Data analytics
• Economics
• Finance
• Marketing
• Organisational behaviour
• Strategy

If there are topics the candidate did not cover during their masters qualification, they will be expected to take relevant online courses, as recommended by London Business School, prior to joining the programme.

Masters qualifications must have been obtained three or more years ago and be from a university/business school approved by the accreditation bodies EQUIS and/or AACSB, UK Russell Group universities, or from a University of London member institution.

The One-year MBA is designed for candidates who graduated three or more years ago with a rigorous masters in management and are looking to build on their existing knowledge. The Masters in Management or equivalent must be from a University of London member institution, or a university/business school approved by the accreditation bodies EQUIS and/or AACSB. 

If you have not studied a Masters in Management or equivalent, you can complete your MBA with London Business School in 15, 18 or 21 months.

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The One-year MBA is designed for people with a deep-rooted ambition to continuously challenge and evolve their mindset and knowledge relating to contemporary business issues. You’re at a critical junction in your career path with focused career goals and recognise the transformative value of an MBA experience, but having already obtained a management masters, you want to minimise your time away from your career in pursuit of those ambitions.

The highly international nature of our programme will also appeal if you are looking for a career with global mobility. Above all, the One-year MBA prepares you for a career with a global outlook rather than a US-centric or Euro-centric one.

We host talks and tours on campus, as well as a large range of online events. Please visit our events page to browse all events. 

You can also explore a virtual tour of the school here.

There will be online pre-programme materials that will be completed in the Summer before the programme commences. The programme will begin in early August at our London Campus with Orientation. Students will then go into a specially designed programme of orientation briefings to support the transition into the programme and the specialised core courses. 

This is followed by three study periods: Autumn term (August to December), Spring Term (January to March), and Summer Term (April to July). Exams take place throughout the year, and these may be scheduled over weekends.  

Core courses run Monday - Friday and you will also spend time throughout the week in a variety of classes, tutorials and personal and professional development sessions. You will have access to the elective portfolio from the Autumn term where you will build your own learning journey, choosing electives around your professional goals. In addition, there are a number of block weeks, where you will be brought back into your cohort group to complete core courses. Students may also be required to complete a range of exams, assignments and project work over the break periods. 

We recommend you see your study at London Business School as a continuous period of education from August through to July, with vacations involving consolidation, preparation and project work. 

The short core has been designed specifically for One-year MBA students to build upon their general business management knowledge, already gained through a Masters in Management or equivalent. These courses will provide an opportunity to further refresh student learning of core topics and concepts while also applying them to important contemporary business issues. The core is split into three parts on the themes of: Navigating the New Business Environment, Rethinking Corporate Purpose and Individual Agency and Entrepreneurship 

No. All students will complete the same required pre-programme materials and core courses. Students will then design their own journey with their elective and experiential learning choices.

Yes. Faculty consulting and research activities are brought into the class in the form of case studies. Faculty frequently share their latest thinking in electives as well as through additional lectures. A small number of students may also have the opportunity to apply for an elective and work on a research project with guidance from a faculty member.

You will usually take four courses at any one time. You should expect to spend about two and a half hours in private study, group meetings and group work for every hour in the classroom. You will also participate in Career Centre sessions, workshops and activities throughout the term.

The programme is taught by members of London Business School (LBS) faculty. For some skills teaching, LBS faculty are assisted by external specialists in management skills development.

As well as pursuing research in their own fields of interest, members of faculty often act as consultants and advisers to industry and government. Many hold directorships in a range of organisations or in some cases run their own businesses. 

These activities help to maintain the practical relevance of the School's teaching and research. Much of the School's research is supported in some form by donor organisations with which the School maintains especially close relationships. For example, in the finance and accounting area these include BAA, Bank of England, Barclays, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Solomon Brothers International, Tokai Bank and SG Warburg Group. 

We have a duty to you, our alumni and future students to maintain the integrity and standard of the degrees we award through a rigorous assessment system. The purpose of the various assignments and examinations we ask you to complete is not simply for assessment: these are also intended to help you to structure your learning to help you gauge your progress through the programme. 

The assessment system makes use of elements like course assignments, projects, group work, class participation, examinations and simulations. You will be expected to prepare for and attend class and participate actively in discussion both in class and in your group. The precise assessment model for each course - for example, whether class participation and oral report presentations count towards your final grade - will be set out clearly from the outset. 

You must successfully pass all core courses. Your grades will be adjusted to a grade curve from A+ to C, with a maximum of 10% of the class achieving A+. The decision to Pass or Fail is a matter of academic judgement, and there is no obligation to fail any students. 

To earn your degree, you must complete all the requirements of your programme. This includes both courses and programme elements. 

Electives are courses that help you fine-tune your skill set, following on from your pre-programme materials and core courses. The elective portfolio lists more than 80 electives, drawn from across a variety of subject areas. You will choose the elective courses that suit your professional goals and the schedule to complete them that suits you.

Over the year, you’ll complete a minimum of eight full credit electives to fulfil your programme credits. 

Electives are usually taught in three-hour lessons once a week, over 10 weeks. There are also a number of intensive week-long block electives that are taught outside term time as well as evening and 5-week courses. 

The elective portfolio is open to all London Business School degree students so you will be studying alongside students from the Masters in Finance, Masters in Management, Executive MBA (EMBA), EMBA-Global and Sloan programmes, as well as students from more than 30 exchange schools and our partner institutions. 

Elective courses and the spaces on them are subject to availability. Initially, you will use the School’s elective bidding system to express your elective preferences. Then you will be able to amend these preferences continuously during your studies, and tailor it to your interests and career goals. 

Most teaching takes the form of structured lectures and case studies. The style is participatory and classes frequently include case analysis and discussions. There are also many projects and group work, field investigations and visits, as well as individual research and simulations.

Teaching faculty are there to support you through your One-year MBA journey and are available outside class times to discuss academic issues. Students will also have an opportunity to interact more closely with faculty through their involvement in experiential courses and the optional Business Project elective course.