Global Online MBA
21, 24 or 32 months
Applications for January 2025 entry are now closed
£50,500
Online
21, 24 or 32 months
£53,500
Online
Developing innovative thought-leaders with a global mindset
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is crucial for business leaders to develop a global mindset that allows them to effectively communicate with people from all over the world. Our part-time Global Online MBA is delivered via The Hub, our bespoke online learning environment which offers a rich and diverse learning experience for high levels of personal and professional growth. In this multicultural setting, you will be exposed to a wealth of knowledge, experience and industry insights to test your existing perspectives and challenge the status quo.
Our Global Online MBA has two start dates – January and September. You will also have the option to graduate in 21, 24 or 32 months, so you can fit the programme around your life and learning pace. Graduate with a prestigious qualification from a world-renowned Business School while enjoying the freedom to learn when and where suits you best.
Study your Global Online MBA at a world-leading university
Programme content
Our Global Online MBA offers the choice of two start dates - September and January. Studying via our online learning platform, you will be taught by world-class faculty at the Business School, whose academic excellence and industry knowledge will enrich your MBA experience. Deep-dive into your areas of interest by personalising your learning through concentrations, flexcore and elective modules. Enhance your international impact through the Global Experience Week, and build deeper connections across the MBA community.
All modules have been carefully designed for online study via The Hub and are taught over 10 weeks. This will include recorded and live lectures, reading, assignments, group discussions and activities, case studies, projects and careers support. You can expect to spend around 20-25 hours of study for a typical week which can be demanding when working full-time. However, you will receive ongoing support from our dedicated programme team and your cohort to help you thrive.
Download an example Global Online MBA timetable.
January 2025: Programme structure is subject to change and will be confirmed prior to the programme start date.
Online pre-study modules
Before the start of your programme, you will be expected to complete online pre-study modules, delivered via The Hub, our bespoke virtual learning environment. These include primers in key areas including accounting, careers, corporate sustainability, data analysis, finance, maths, plagiarism awareness, and social innovation and ethics.
Please note that some modules are compulsory while others are strongly recommended.
Induction week
Your first opportunity to meet your programme team and cohort will be during the compulsory induction week at our campus in London where you will lay the foundations of your MBA experience. You will have plenty of time to meet and connect with your classmates through various activities and events. During your five-day induction, you will also attend several lectures, discussions, and exercises introducing you to the programme. Sessions with our Career's team will also be available, helping you plan and develop your career goals.
Watch our video to learn more about induction week on campus.
Corporate Finance
This module provides a framework for analysing financial markets and showing how they interact with the key decisions of firms. It will enable you to understand the role of assets, pricing, and the interaction between the economy and financial variables.
The module:
Provides information regarding the two key financial instruments (stocks and bonds)
Introduces the key derivatives markets (futures and options)
Examines Portfolio Analysis and the risk return trade-off
Introduces the concepts of risk and return in financial markets and the relevance of diversification
Explores how return is related to risk through the Capital Asset Pricing Model.
Corporate Finance will extend your understanding of company valuation and investment appraisal, introducing the concept of the cost of capital and how it can be calculated. It shows how companies are financed and how to decide between different types of finance.
Financial and Management Accounting
This module will focus on the use of accounting for financial management and reporting, explaining the techniques of financial and management accounting, and examining their relevance to the broader issues of decision-making and management control in organisations. The module gives you insights into the way that business performance is measured using financial analysis, and how strategic business decisions can be structured and analysed using accounting information.
Managerial Economics
The purpose of this module is to:
Introduce economic concepts encountered in business contexts
Provide a framework for modelling the interaction between consumers and producers
Study firms' pricing decisions and the principles of strategic interaction
Understand how macroeconomic forces affect the economic environment facing firms.
This module covers themes in both macro- and micro-economics. The module starts with microeconomics, building models of supply and demand and how they interact to determine market prices. We will explore situations in which governments typically intervene to change market outcomes, such as with environmental policy. We will study price-setting by firms with market power, and strategic interaction using the approach of game theory. The module then analyses the macroeconomic backdrop against which businesses and government operate. We will show how the decisions of firms and consumers interact to generate the aggregate outcomes that macroeconomists focus on: total output (GDP), employment, inflation, and the balance of payments. The module concludes by discussing the role of monetary policy in steering the economy.
Marketing Management
Among business disciplines, marketing is the primary contact point between a business and its customers. Nearly everybody will, at some point in their career, wear a marketing hat. Understanding marketing will help you whether you are an accountant, a consultant, a programmer, a banker, or a museum curator. Appreciating customer needs and how to marshal the resources of an organisation to meet those needs are crucial skills in today’s business world.
This module develops a general management viewpoint in planning and evaluating marketing decisions, from both strategic (e.g. market selection, firm objective, etc.) and tactical (e.g. promotion, pricing, etc.) perspectives. The module will also help you to understand how marketing decisions are affected by organisational and environmental influences.
Organisational Behaviour
What is organisational behaviour? Do organisations really 'behave', so to speak? Or do they sometimes also misbehave? What’s the difference?
Any time you put people into any kind of division of labour and related structures for integrating their efforts, predictable behavioural tendencies arise. Some of these tendencies make for effective organisations; others are challenges to overcome. Add in competition among organisations, changes in the environment, and competing demands from multiple stakeholders, and you have a set of problems and solutions called organisational behaviour.
This module covers major factors that shape organisational behaviour and effectiveness with the aim of developing your ability to address these factors, particularly as leaders. Specifically, we cover material that spans the three major levels at which organisational behaviour is studied:
1. The micro or individual level of analysis
2. The meso or organisational level of analysis
3. Macro levels of analysis such as industries and markets or cultures and nations.
We’ll be examining how activities at all three levels either come together or not to enable organisational performance and effectiveness.
Strategy
Strategy, at its most general, refers to the purposeful allocation of resources in a competitive environment over relatively long periods of time in the pursuit of specific goals. Strategy is shaped by the underlying market conditions as well as the resources available to management (including the firm’s internal structure, systems, and culture). This integration of the external and internal perspectives provides the basic framework for strategic thinking.
The strategy module gives you a holistic view of the firm, helps to develop your ability to think beyond day-to-day business activities and challenges you to ask the right questions about a firm’s future. These skills are essential to being an effective general manager.
You will study flexcore modules from the third term of the programme if you choose the fast-track (21 months) option, and from the second year if you choose the standard (24 months) or extended (32 months) options.
Business Analytics
Managers are faced with a wealth of data. This module is about turning that data into actionable insights, leading to well-informed decisions for complex business problems.
We show how to build a model of the business situation that recognises its essential features and takes account of uncertainty. These models can be used first to understand what is happening, second to predict what will happen, and finally to make good management decisions, that take into account risks arising from management actions.
Throughout the module we will use Excel spreadsheets– so that you will build your skills in this area. The applications are multi-disciplinary with links to finance, marketing and operations.
Corporate Innovation
Management of technology and innovation plays an important role in shaping firms’ competitive positions. However, in an increasingly complex global environment where technological change is endemic and unpredictable, continuously bringing innovations to market successfully is a formidable challenge. Established firms, in particular, struggle to remain creative, flexible, adaptive and resilient when rapidly changing business and technological environments render their existing competencies less valuable or even useless. Facing this challenge, organisations are recognising the critical role that an entrepreneurial mindset and innovative thinking play in creating opportunities for growth and renewal.
In this module, we focus on the theory and best practices associated with the process of creating new technologies, products, and businesses, within the boundaries of a large, established corporation. In particular, we will examine:
Types and sources of innovation
The diffusion of innovation
Standards and entry timing
The management of innovation portfolios and R&D management
Corporate venturing and open innovation
Designing innovative organisations
This module will provide students with a rich understanding of the complexities of managing innovation in established companies.
Entrepreneurship
The entrepreneurship module introduces you to the different aspects of entrepreneurial thinking, specifically when it comes to innovative businesses. You will be introduced to the concepts of design thinking, technology and innovation, business modelling in nascent markets, entrepreneurial finance and leadership and legal arrangements such as term sheets and shareholder agreements.
Leadership
The leadership module will help you become more aware of your personality traits through diagnosis (questionnaire assessment exercises), strengths and weaknesses as a leader through insight (introspection and reflection on one’s traits, habits, and behaviours) and to build on this knowledge to improve your leadership practice through self-development (plans to learn and change to more effectively tackle future challenges).
You will complete four elective modules, unless you take more than the required two flexcore modules. In the latter case, the number of required elective modules reduces accordingly. You will study electives from the third term of the programme if you choose the fast-track (21 months) option, and from the second year if you choose the standard (24 months) or extended (32 months) options.
Please note that students can choose electives across different areas.
Analytics and Operations
Advanced Financial and Sustainability Reporting (On-campus)
Data Analytics and Visualisation for Business
Operations
Operations Management
Big Data, AI and Machine Learning (On-campus)
Project Management (On-campus)
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Venture Capital Finance
AI Ventures (On-campus)
Digital Business Model Design (On-campus)
Digital Technologies and Digital Transformation (On-campus)
Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital (On-campus)
Entrepreneurial Journey
Leading Social Innovation (On-campus)
Mastering Foundational Entrepreneurial Skills
Digital Opportunities: Insights from the Startup Nation (IB Glocal elective)
The Future of Cities (IB Glocal elective)
Wicked Problems, Systems Dynamics, and Entrepreneurial Innovation
Finance
Advanced Corporate Finance
Asset Management and Alternative Investments (On-campus)
Finance in Cleantech
Finance for Net Zero
Mergers and Acquisitions
Pricing Strategy
Private Equity
Venture Capital Finance
Asset Management (On-campus)
The Fintech Revolution: New Markets, Models and Opportunities (On-campus)
Clean Technology Investment (On-campus)
Sustainable Finance and Investments (On-campus)
Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital (On-campus)
Blockchain and Applications (On-campus)
Leadership and Organisation
Decision Making for Leaders
Family Business (On-campus)
Leading and Executing Strategic Change (On-campus)
Leading Social Innovation (On-campus)
Strategy and Leadership in a Digital World (On-campus)
The Future of Cities (IB Glocal elective)
Marketing
Applied Strategic Marketing
Brand Management
Digital Marketing
Marketing Analytics
Marketing Analytics: Leading with Big Data (On-campus)
Market Research
Pricing Strategy
Consumer Behaviour (On-campus)
Sales Management and Leadership (IB Glocal Elective)
Strategy
Advanced Strategy in a Stakeholder Economy
Business Problem Solving
Digital Business
Breakout Strategy (On-campus)
Climate Change and Business Strategy (On-campus)
Energy Business (On-campus)
Global Strategy (online)
Management Challenges in Healthcare (On-campus)
Strategic Networking (On-campus)
Strategy and Leadership in a Digital World (On-campus)
Strategy in Volatile and Uncertain Environments (On-campus)
Sustainability and Competitive Advantage (On-campus)
Sustainable Transformation Made in Italy (IB Glocal Elective)
Independent project
This elective module allows you to put the theory taught on the MBA into practice. You’ll develop specialised expertise by researching a real business issue and influence real commercial outcomes, if your recommendations are implemented by a sponsoring organisation. This module counts as a double-weighted elective. The start date of the Independent Project depends on your programme duration (21, 24 or 32 months).
Entrepreneurial Journey
The Entrepreneurial Journey is your opportunity to work an idea into a product or service and pitch your proposition to a panel of venture capitalists to compete for a monetary prize. As an elective, the Journey is an optional module. The start date will depend on your programme duration (21, 24 or 32 months).
The journey is suitable for both those wanting to innovate as intrapreneurs from within an organisation or start their own ventures. You will develop a value proposition, carry out customer discovery research, validate the product or service, and create a fully-fledged business proposal. Throughout the Journey, you will be able to collaborate with the Imperial Enterprise Lab to connect with investors and receive coaching support.
Analytics and Operations
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Finance
Leadership and Organisation
Marketing
Strategy
Induction week
Your first week on the Global Online MBA will be spent at our campus in London, where you will meet with the rest of your cohort, faculty and teaching/programme staff. This five-day induction will lay the foundations of your Global Online MBA experience.
By starting your programme on campus, you will be able to develop strong bonds in person through activities and events. You will also meet your study group for the first year of your programme, who will play a significant role in your learning. During this week, you can also speak to a member of our Careers team who will help you develop a plan to achieve your career goals.
The programme induction week is a compulsory element of your Business School programme and we expect you to attend on campus in London.
Capstone
The Capstone module takes place over a seven-day period at our London campus. Alongside a series of lectures on innovation, design and entrepreneurship, you will analyse the innovative needs of a large multinational and develop a business case to help the company grow. This provides you with a practical opportunity to apply what you’ve learnt during the programme, enabling you to think more strategically when faced with the challenges of bringing new ideas to market.
Global Experience Week
Global Experience Week is an unforgettable opportunity that MBA students look forward to each year. You’ll learn about the challenges faced by local organisations, and how a country’s business environment affects the way they operate.
Past Global Experience Weeks have included the Nordics, where students explored how businesses can be transformed to tackle climate action.
You will choose from the following locations aligned with our key topics:
Brazil – Market Trends in the Marvellous City
Kenya – How can business address inequality?
The cost of this trip is not included in your tuition fees.
Anyone choosing to complete the programme in 21 months is not eligible for this trip due to timings.
IB Glocal Electives
The IB Glocal Electives teach students how to explore contemporary global business problems with a local perspective. You will gain a deeper insight into international issues in a particular geography and will benefit from the in-market exposure and teaching the trips provide.
Led by Imperial College Business School faculty in collaboration with partners at global locations, these intensive four-day study abroad programmes give students who want to enrich their academic curriculum a stimulating experience. Previous locations have included Houston, Milan, Singapore and Tel Aviv.
Global exchanges
The optional Global Exchanges programme allows you to increase your international exposure and build your network by taking advantage of specialised electives at one of our partner schools.
Personal Leadership Journey
The Personal Leadership Journey is a Careers-led module that runs throughout the programme. It is designed to enhance your leadership and career management skills and equip you with the tools to succeed in today's competitive world of work. The module is built around four key themes:
- Personal impact and networking
- Executive communication
- Leading in a complex and connected world
- Managing your Career
It is delivered through a combination of reflective exercises, psychometric assessments, group sessions, webinars and one-to-one meetings. You will work with your personal MBA Careers Consultant to shape and navigate your leadership journey, maximising your prospects of achieving career acceleration, career change or launching your own venture.
Your online learning experience
We’ve invested heavily into our bespoke learning technology, The Hub, which is continually refined to ensure we deliver a superb online MBA teaching experience. The way the programme is designed, with the community on hand, allows everyone to contribute to a learning experience that places engagement and technology at the forefront. All MBA modules have been through a rigorous process to optimise them for online delivery.
As a Global Online MBA student, we recommend a minimum of 20-25 hours of study for a typical week, depending on your pace of study and academic goals. This will include recorded and live lectures, reading, assignments, group discussions and activities, case studies, projects, and Careers support.
Admissions
Applications for September 2025 entry are now open.
Discover our admissions process for the Global Online MBA including entry requirements, how to apply and key dates and deadlines.
We operate a staged admissions process with several deadlines throughout the year. This programme is highly competitive, so early application is advised; this will put you in a stronger position to be considered for a scholarship, and provide access to exclusive admitted students events.
Fees and funding
Choosing to pursue an MBA is one of the most important decisions you will make and is a substantial investment in yourself.
Many of our students fund their studies through multiple funding sources. We offer a wide range of awards, including a number of full scholarships to the most talented applicants. We’ve also provided information about the different financing options available to you.
What our students say
“The programme's high-quality content and the rich cultural diversity in the Business School community will stimulate a mindset shift that will endure long after the programme is completed. Choosing an MBA programme at Imperial College Business School will equip you with the tools and networks necessary to achieve your goals. It is one of the best decisions you could make for your professional and personal development.”
Class of September 2023 and January 2024
Meet the classMastering the MBA Application Process
8 January 2025
12.00 - 13.00
Online, webinar
Gain insider knowledge from our MBA Recruitment & Admissions team on how to craft an application that shines.
Whether you're aiming for our Full-Time MBA or exploring part-time options, this session will equip you with the tools and strategies to navigate the admissions process with confidence.
Next steps
Career impact
Imperial College Business School Careers provide world-class support that is tailored to your own individual career aspirations, and is an integral part of our MBA programmes. A number of personalised services are provided before you start your programme, throughout your time at the Business School, and after you graduate, to support you both in securing a job in the sector of your choice and with ongoing career success.
Employment outcomes below refer to the class of 2020.
average salary increase (in UK £)
changed roles
changed sectors
What our students say
“I have found Careers a good companion for accountability along my journey. It is very easy to let the time slip by, but if you utilise all the resources afforded to you, you can have a really enriching experience here. I am exploring various technology startups at present. I have found the MBA runs alongside this nicely in terms of foundational academic knowledge gained and the practical aspects of putting together a business.”
Meet the faculty
Our faculty are thought-leaders in the field of business. They combine theoretical knowledge from their cutting-edge research with the latest practical insights from their extensive work with industry and government. All MBA faculty members are doctorate degree holders, many of whom have extensive industry experience at leading companies such as Accenture, BT, Bank of England and the Boston Consulting Group.
James Barlow
Penny Hoffmann-Becking
Michael Nowlis
Kevin Corley
Richard Green
Omar Merlo
Markus Perkmann
Maurizio Zollo
Start your MBA journey
Frequently asked questions
The Global Online MBA is a 24-month programme taught online via our innovative learning platform, The Hub. We would recommend a minimum of around 20-25 hours of study for a typical week, depending on your pace of study and academic goals. This will include recorded and live lectures, reading, assignments, group discussions and activities, case studies, projects and careers support.
This will vary for each student, but the expected commitment hours per module is usually around 190 hours (for the total module) taking into account taught classes and individual study around the classes, which means around 20-25 hours a week. This will also vary more in the second year, depending on which elective modules are chosen.
Each module has a different weighting of coursework, exams and projects. Most modules will have some coursework as part of the module assessment with an exam towards the end of the module. The Global Online MBA has the Capstone at the end of the second year of study. There is also the option to do the Independent Project as part of an elective.
You will begin the programme with the assumption that you will complete the 24-month version of the programme, however, if you wish to opt for a longer or shorter programme, you will make this decision in the second term.
As with choosing the length of the programme, you will also choose your concentration in the second term.
The Capstone will take place on campus.
The programme induction week is a compulsory element of your Business School programme and we expect you to attend on campus in London.
There will be five to eight live sessions per module, delivered between10.00-18.00 for 60-90 minutes. At least one session per week can be expected, but there will likely be more. Ad-hoc classes may also be scheduled, depending on the module.
Live sessions will take place around 10.00 and 18.00 UK time to accommodate different time zones.
All applications to our postgraduate programmes are made online – we do not accept paper applications.
Please refer to the how to apply section of our Admissions page to see which documents you are required to submit with your application.
To be eligible to apply for the programme, you would normally require:
- Five years’ relevant postgraduate work experience; however candidates with a minimum of three years’ relevant experience can be exceptionally considered
- At least a Lower Second Class Honours degree OR international equivalent OR recognised professional qualification
- English language test results (if applicable).
More information about entry requirements can be found here.
We accept a wide range of international qualifications for postgraduate study at Imperial.
We've provided general guidance in the country and region index on how qualifications awarded by public institutions overseas may satisfy our minimum academic admission requirements.
We review our requirements annually. Updates usually happen in September each year before the next academic year of entry.
If your country or region is not listed, please contact the relevant Admissions team for further information.
We have a series of admissions rounds throughout the year, with decisions typically released four weeks after each application deadline.
For more details about application and decision deadlines please refer to our key dates and deadline.
Please email the Global Online MBA Admissions team at: gmbaadmissions@imperial.ac.uk if you would like to request feedback on your application. Please note that whilst limited feedback can be provided, the decision of the academic selectors is final and it will not be possible for your application to be reconsidered.
GMAT / GRE is not required for admission to this programme.
However, if you have if you have already sat or intend to take GMAT (old or new test) or GRE, you are welcome to submit your results as a good score overall can add weight to your application – particularly if you feel that your degree performance does not reflect your academic potential.
To submit a GMAT score, you must request for it to be sent to Imperial College Business School using the code S22-7S-16.
For information on the fee and deposit amount, please visit our Admissions page.
Tuition fees are the same regardless of your chosen duration.
There are a number of scholarships available to MBA candidates. To be considered for an award, you must have submitted your MBA application by the deadline(s) listed on the Fees and funding page. Please be aware that you do not need to submit a separate scholarship application to be considered for an award; all applications received by the stated deadline will be considered provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
Scholarship decisions will be made in conjunction with MBA application deadlines which can be found on the Admissions page.
Please contact the Tuition Fees team with any queries you have regarding the Careers and Professional Development Loan.
If you are being sponsored by an organisation that will be responsible for paying your tuition fees, you must provide acceptable proof of the award.
Satisfactory evidence of sponsorship is usually regarded as an original, dated and duly authorised letter from your sponsor on headed paper which includes the following:
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Your name and College Identifier Number
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The programme for which you have been offered a place
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The amount of fees which will be paid by your sponsor (please report in GBP)
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The address to which the invoice should be sent
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Any Purchase Order Number required
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Confirmation that the fees will be sent directly to Imperial College
Sponsorship letters should be emailed to both the Global Online MBA Admissions team and Tuition Fees team to the following email addresses: gmbaadmissions@imperial.ac.uk and tuition.fees@imperial.ac.uk
For information on what the fees do and do not cover, please visit the Admissions page.
Yes.
Note: this process is subject to admission to the Global Online MBA programme via our standard admission process. Successful completion of the Executive Education programme does not guarantee admission to the Global Online MBA.
If you have completed and successfully passed the Mergers & Acquisitions or Private Equity programmes offered by Imperial Executive Education within the last three years, you can have your certificate accredited towards a Global Online MBA. If credited, this will replace one elective module option. You will be entitled to a discount of 5% (stackable to a maximum of 10%) applied to the Global Online MBA fees.
The Global Online MBA was awarded the following rankings in the QS Online MBA Rankings 2023:
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2nd in Europe
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3rd in the world
The programme was ranked 3rd in the world in the Financial Times Online MBA Rankings in 2023, and 1st in the world for Career Progress as rated by our alumni.
The strength of our Business School is reflected by our high position in rankings and we’re delighted to see in the past ten years, Imperial College London has consistently ranked in the top universities both in the world and in Europe:
- 3rd in Europe Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023
Read the latest list of rankings
Our research is ranked first for the percentage of research activity assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2014).
On completion of the Global Online MBA, you will receive an Imperial MBA certificate. Your degree certificate will not mention the mode of study.
The same quality standards apply to our online MBA format as our on-campus and blended MBA programmes.
Imperial's Global Online MBA ranked #3 in Europe for the FT Online MBA Ranking 2023, which demonstrates the world-class reputation of this programme and its faculty, teaching and employability.
The Business School holds online information sessions throughout the year to give you the opportunity to learn more about the programmes from the Programme Director, current students and alumni. Please refer to the Recruitment events and webinars page to find out when the next event is being held for the Global Online MBA.
The Business School is located in the South Kensington Campus of Imperial College London. Please refer to the location page for our address and guidance on how to get here.
Meet the Global Online MBA class of 2024-26
We’re pleased to welcome the Global Online MBA 2024-26 cohort to Imperial College Business School.
My Global Online MBA Capstone experience
Mangala Prasetia , a Global Online MBA student, reflects on his experience of the Capstone module. The Capstone takes place over a seven-day period across our South Kensington and White City campuses.
How to navigate 'The Hub' and excel with online learning
Ukachi Carol Okere is a student studying the Global Online MBA at Imperial College Business School. In this blog, she highlights the unique features and benefits of The Hub, our exclusive online learning environment developed by the IDEA Lab.