Your application will be acknowledged within two working days of submission. If shortlisted, you will be invited for an interview. Interviews are conducted by members of the Admissions Committee or an EMBA alumnus. You will be notified of the final decision within ten working days of your interview.
Please note that all offers are made via email and given the varying time zones this e-mail may reach you outside of working hours.
The deadlines for the September 2024 intake are:
Round 1: Thursday 29 February 2024
Round 2: Thursday 28 March 2024
Round 3: Thursday 9 May 2024
Round 4: Thursday 6 June 2024
Round 5: Thursday 4 July 2024
We provide access to an online learning platform to support your return to education, introduce you to your future classmates and so you can learn more about LBS.
Please note the Admissions Committee will assess your application and may require further evidence to ensure you are ready to study. In addition to the required pre-programme work, they may recommend courses or diagnostics to be completed to help you maximise your learning.
Successful applicants typically have an average of 5 years of management experience, which includes managing teams, projects, budgets and/or resources.
Applicants are usually required to hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. If you do not have a degree, we may still consider your application depending on the quality of your experience to date and any other qualifications you hold.
The Executive MBA attracts students from approximately 40-50 countries. We select students with an international outlook, and/or those who can build on existing international exposure. You should demonstrate your ability to work with people from different backgrounds and in cross-cultural teams.
We place particular emphasis on working in teams. You should demonstrate flexibility and respect for different approaches. You must be able to aid the development of your fellow students and contribute to the lifelong learning environment of the School.
This is designed to be completed over several sessions. You can save your work as you go and submit this when you are ready. All supporting documents (transcripts, essays, etc.) can be uploaded as you complete the online form.
Please download and complete the Executive MBA essay template. These form an important part of your application, so make sure you spend a significant amount of time on them. Once complete, please attach this document to your online application following the instructions given on the web form.
Essay topics:
Question 1 (600 words max)
Please provide a personal statement explaining how you will contribute to the experience of others on the programme, and how the Executive MBA programme will benefit you.
Question 2 (600 words max)
Describe what it would mean to you personally to be an alumnus of London Business School, what you believe membership of the community represents, and how you would give back to London Business School in the future.
Your CV must be no more than one page in length. If you have any significant gaps in your employment history, give your reasons on a separate sheet. Attach your CV to the online application form.
Please provide details of one reference via the online application form. We will then send a specific form to them to complete and return. This reference should be from your immediate line manager, either in your current role or a previous role. If you submit a reference from a previous line manager we may ask for you to submit a company support letter a later stage.
Upload a copy of your academic documents with the application form. These should contain a list of courses completed, grades, degree subject and class ranking (if available). If a transcript is not available please supply a certificate.
If the original transcript is not in English, provide a certified or notarised English translation.
If you do not wish to submit your original transcript, we will accept copies that have been certified by a lawyer or Notary Public at the review stage. We will require an original document before enrolment.
We do offer GMAT/EA/GRE waivers to exceptional candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills covered by the test through academic achievements and work experience. If you feel you may be eligible for a waiver please send your CV and your reason for a waiver request to the EMBA London or EMBA Dubai Recruitment Team.
If you have not yet taken the GMAT we encourage you to consider the Executive Assessment, which has been designed with senior Executives in mind. Brought to you by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), creators of the GMAT® exam, the EA has been developed for time-sensitive executives. The assessment is easy to schedule, short in duration, and requires only modest preparation.
Practice the GMAT test with London Business School's GMAT simulator and prepare yourself for the test.
Our GMAT reporting codes are Z11-J7-23 for London and Z11-J7-36 for Dubai.
English language tests may be waived for those who have been working in an English-speaking environment for a substantial amount of time or who have studied at degree level in English. We will accept TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and Cambridge. If you take an English test, please remember to upload your test certificate as part of the application.
The application fee for the EMBA programme is £180. You pay online after submitting your application. Your application will remain incomplete until we receive the fee.
There is no fee for graduates of London Business School and Columbia University. You will need to produce your transcript as proof of graduation.
If you have a recommendation from a London Business School alumnus you may not have to pay the application fee. Alumni should email emba-admissions@london.edu, stating their relationship with the candidate and the reasons for the recommendation before you submit your application.
Pressed for time? Try the EA
The Executive Assessment (EA) helps us evaluate your business school readiness based on your career experience. Administered by GMAC, it is specifically designed for time-sensitive executives.
An initial decision will be made on your application upon its completion. If successful, you will be shortlisted for an interview. Prior to the interview, you will be requested to take the Kira video assessment as part of our holistic evaluation process. The Kira video assessment evaluates key traits like leadership, critical thinking and communication skills – which we can then discuss further with you in your interview.
All interviews are conducted on campus at London Business School with a member of the admissions team or with an EMBA alumnus. Please note, interviews may take place virtually over Zoom while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The final decision on your application will then be considered by the Admissions Committee, taking into account the feedback from your application, assessments and interview.
The decision made by the Admissions Committee may be:
1. Offer – The exceptional merits of your application and interview mean LBS would like to offer you a place to join the EMBA programme
2. Waitlist – LBS is not prepared to make an offer at this stage but remain open to gathering more information concerning your candidacy given the strengths of your application
3. Reject – Your application will come to an end for this year but the option to apply in the subsequent admission cycle is available.
If your application is not successful, please review the admissions criteria against your application and ensure that your experience and objectives are aligned with the admissions criteria. Remember that competition for places is high, and consequently we are not able to offer places to a number of entirely suitable candidates.
Begin your LBS journey
Submit your CV and fInd out more about your fit for our EMBA programmes in London and Dubai. We’d love to hear from you.
Executive MBA students normally have an undergraduate degree from a recognised university. However, we do occasionally consider non-graduate candidates. We would expect such candidates to have alternative professional qualifications and/or outstanding work experience.
We would also look at the GMAT or Executive Assessment more closely as an indicator of academic ability. Find out more on the GMAT website.
There is no minimum score requirement. The GMAT is just one of several pieces of information used by the School to assess a candidate's suitability, and just as a high score does not guarantee admission, a lower score does not eliminate a candidate.
In making an admissions decision, we consider all aspects of a candidate's background, knowledge and experience as demonstrated throughout the application process. If you are concerned about your test score, please contact a member of the admissions team at emba@london.edu or telephone +44 (0)20 7000 7512 (UK) or +971 440 193 01 (Dubai).
Only applicants with exceptional work experience and academic performance will be considered for a waiver and all requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Some eligibility criteria include: Candidates with C-level experience in a heavily quantitative role from a medium/large organisation Vice President, Senior VP in Business Services, Technology sector with demonstrated experience in leading a function for minimum 2 years Masters qualification and higher in a quantitative field Relevant Professional Qualifications ie: CFA Level 2, ACCA Level 4.
Please note that decisions will be made using a holistic approach. If you feel you are suitable for a waiver please email the EMBA London or EMBA Dubai Recruitment Team with a copy of your CV and the reason why you feel you meet the waiver eligibility criteria.
Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will be reviewed by the Admissions Team. We will then let you know within 7 working days whether your request has been successful.
All applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS, unless they have received a degree from an institution where English was the language of instruction, or have lived or worked in an English-speaking environment for a minimum of two years.
You cannot apply to more than one Masters programme at London Business School or our partner Schools at the same time, or in the same academic year. You cannot re-apply to the same programme within the same academic year.
Brought to you by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), creators of the GMAT® exam, the EA has been developed for time sensitive executives - the assessment is easy to schedule, short in duration, and requires only modest preparation.
London Business School, along with five other top-tier Executive MBA Business Schools have begun accepting the new Executive Assessment for admission to the Executive MBA programme.
We operate a rolling admissions process, which means the sooner you apply, the sooner you receive a decision. In most cases, you will receive a final decision within eight weeks of submitting your completed application. Find out more about application deadlines on the applying section
For graduates of Columbia Business School, the application fee will be waivered. This must be requested when you apply, and you must provide a copy of your college transcript.
Candidates recommended by London Business School alumni may also be exempt from the application fee. Alumni wishing to recommend a candidate should email emba@london.edu stating their relationship with the candidate and their reasons for the recommendation. Recommendations must be received before the application is submitted.
Candidates are required to submit academic transcripts from their undergraduate or graduate educational institutions. If the original transcripts are not in English, you must also provide certified translated copies.
We review applications within two weeks of receiving them. If you are successful, you will be invited to interview. Interviews are conducted by a member of the Executive MBA Admissions Committee. You will receive a final decision within six to eight weeks of submitting a complete application.
If your application is not successful, please review the admissions criteria against your application and ensure that your experience and objectives are aligned with the admissions criteria. Remember that competition for places is high, and consequently we are not able to offer places to a number of entirely suitable candidates.
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