Executive MBA

Entry requirements

All applications to the Executive MBA are considered on their individual merits. We look for a combination of academic ability, work experience and professional status. To be eligible to apply for the programme you would normally have:

• Applicants will typically have a minimum of ten years' relevant postgraduate work experience; however, candidates with over eight years' relevant experience can be exceptionally considered. This should include significant management experience, which may include line, project or matrix management;
• Minimum five years' management experience;
• At least a Lower Second Class Honours degree OR international equivalent OR recognised professional qualification; and
• English language test results (if applicable).

Months of entry

February

Course content

The Imperial Executive MBA is a 23-month part-time programme designed for leaders in a technology-driven world. It will give you a thorough knowledge of essential business disciplines, opportunities to specialise in your areas of expertise and experiences to develop your global perspective on business. The flexibility of the programme allows students to develop both hard and soft skills as well as practical, relevant knowledge whilst continuing to be an effective employee.

A blended learning approach

In 2017, Imperial College Business School launched one of the world’s first blended Executive MBA programmes. Building on their highly skilled in-house Edtech Lab and applying the learnings for the innovative Global Online MBA, Imperial created a unique blend of teaching for executive students which combines online preparation with in-class learning.

This interactive and integrated approach to the Executive MBA means you can break down your learning into manageable parts in the most efficient way possible to adapt to a busy and demanding lifestyle. The award-winning Edtech Lab and online tutors ensure that you are supported through your whole learning journey.

The 23-month programme is designed to give you a thorough knowledge of all the essential business disciplines, as well as the opportunities to specialise in areas that will directly benefit your chosen career path. You will graduate with a unique grasp of leading innovation in the workplace.

Year one

The Executive MBA programme at Imperial has been designed with interactivity in mind. The programme enables regular interaction with your peers, whilst you continue to excel in your demanding career. You will attend lectures at our campus in South Kensington, London for approximately one weekend (Friday and Saturday) per month.

Students will work through around 16 hours of material for each module online, split into one-hour cells, using our highly interactive online learning tools before each of your in-class sessions. The interactive integrated preparation cells are online and available for you to take when it suits you in the run up to each in-class visit. In the online preparation periods, you will cover key concepts and theories supported by teaching assistants.

View the full list of core classes here.

Year two

Electives

The Imperial Executive MBA electives allow you to specialise in areas of particular interest, developing your expertise with your future career objectives in mind. The elective options also feature many modules that are offered online, ideal if you have a less flexible work schedule or commute long distances.

Supported by experienced faculty, many of the electives include guest lecturers from industry and other academic institutions who impart their insights and real-world experience to the class. Elective classes are also shared across all of our MBA programmes, giving you the opportunity to increase your network beyond your Executive MBA cohort.

View the full list of electives here.

Final Project

The Individual Final Project is an opportunity to create value for your employer at the highest strategic level in a tangible and measurable way as a culmination of your learning experience. It requires you to approach a real problem or opportunity, analyse it and develop a recommended strategy and implementation plan, while applying some relevant concepts and frameworks from the programme.

International Residencies

During your time with Imperial College Business School, you will study three core modules that will see you visiting top business schools worldwide. These modules will expose you to three of the most important economies in the world, outside of our base in London.

You will gain first-hand experience in how the theories you learn in class are applied in various international contexts and how different countries and cultures can affect business strategies and consumer needs and wants. Each module will combine lectures and company visits that focus on local applications of key topics, for example, manufacturing in China, commercialisation of technology in Germany, and the role of financial institutions in the United States.

Enhancing your leadership skills and career impact

Imperial grows responsible leaders who make an impact in their companies and drive a positive attitude towards change and people development. As part of this process, the Executive Leadership Journey will run throughout your studies. You will be exposed to different tools, conferences and experiential learning situations, including the Impact Lab approach, which all contribute towards getting to know you better, gaining in confidence and ultimately changing behaviour to make the step from manager to leader.

Graduating from Imperial’s Executive MBA will set you apart from the crowd. The skills and connections that you pick up along the way will set you on an accelerated path towards a senior leadership position within your chosen sector.

Studying and working simultaneously means that you will immediately apply your learning to your organisation by using new and innovative solutions to solve business problems, benefitting from cutting-edge business research. The collaborative, discussion-based format of classes stimulates networking and idea sharing that will have direct impact on your career.

Information for international students

Students who are not native speakers of English, or were not awarded their degree in a qualifying English speaking country, must demonstrate their proficiency by completing an approved English language qualification (including GCSE English, IELTS or TOEFL) at the required level.

Fees and funding

Imperial College Business School offers significant scholarship funding to the most talented applicants of the Executive MBA. A range of scholarships are available and all self-funded candidates are automatically considered for all scholarship schemes for which they meet the eligibility criteria and application deadlines. View the full range of scholarships here.