London Business School

London Business School (LBS) is a leading postgraduate business institution and a constituent college of the University of London. It was established in 1964 as the London Graduate School of Business Studies and became officially recognised by the University of London in 1965. In 1986, LBS was incorporated by Royal Charter, allowing it to award its own degrees. The School is located at Sussex Place, near Regent’s Park in London, with additional facilities at the Sammy Ofer Centre (Marylebone Town Hall) and a secondary campus in Dubai.

LBS offers a range of postgraduate programmes including the full-time MBA, Executive MBA (London and Dubai), EMBA-Global (in partnership with Columbia Business School and the University of Hong Kong), Masters in Finance (full-time and part-time), Masters in Financial Analysis, Masters in Management, and a full-time PhD programme across seven disciplines. It also offers various Executive Education programmes.

The School places strong emphasis on global exposure and international exchange, with partnerships with over 30 business schools worldwide. Its curriculum integrates academic learning with real-world experience through business immersion weeks and international field trips.

The institution has received global recognition for academic excellence. Its MBA, Masters in Finance, and Masters in Management are consistently ranked among the best in the world by the Financial Times and QS. LBS is also known for its research output, ranking third in the UK for business and management research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

The School is supported by over 42,000 alumni worldwide and has raised substantial funds to enhance facilities, scholarships, research, and technology. As of August 2024, Sergei Guriev serves as Dean.

London Business School (LBS) was established in 1964 under the name “London Graduate School of Business Studies.” The institution was created to provide high-level management education in the United Kingdom, and it officially became part of the federal University of London in 1965. Dr Arthur Earle was appointed as the founding Dean. In the same year, the School was registered as a company and recognised by the University of London as an institution with accredited teachers.

In 1966, LBS launched its first Executive Development Programme and the Senior Executive Programme. The School also began its full-time MSc degree in the same year, enrolling Sheila Cross as the first female student. In 1968, LBS introduced the Sloan Fellowship MSc programme, marking the first such course offered outside the United States. This programme was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and began with 17 students.

The School awarded its first PhD in 1974. The doctoral programme had been established in 1969, and by the early 1970s, female students represented over 15% of the student body. In 1970, Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the School’s Regent’s Park campus.

In 1983, the first part-time MBA programme was introduced. In 1986, the institution officially adopted the name "London Business School" and was granted a Royal Charter, giving it the authority to award degrees. In 1992, the School received the Queen’s Award for Export in recognition of its international educational services. The following year, it introduced its Masters in Finance programme, and in 2001, LBS began the EMBA-Global programme in partnership with Columbia Business School.

In 2007, the School expanded to the Middle East, establishing a campus in Dubai to offer Executive MBA and Executive Education programmes. Two new academic programmes were added in 2009: the EMBA-Global Asia (in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong and Columbia Business School) and the Masters in Management (MiM). In 2012, the School acquired the Marylebone Town Hall, now known as the Sammy Ofer Centre, to expand its teaching facilities by 70%. The building was reopened in 2017 following renovation, funded partly through donations, including one from the Ofer family.

A significant £100 million funding campaign was launched to support the School’s growth. By 2016, it had raised £125 million. The funds were allocated towards the development of the Sammy Ofer Centre, scholarships, research, the endowment, and technology improvements. Major contributions came from alumni such as Jim Ratcliffe and Idan Ofer.

In 2016, the School launched the Masters in Financial Analysis (MFA) programme, aimed at recent graduates. The same year, it acquired the lease to the nearby Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, with plans to occupy the site in 2020.

In terms of leadership, London Business School has been led by a series of Deans since its inception. Notable figures include Sir James Ball (1972–1984), Sir George Bain (1989–1997), and Sir Andrew Likierman (2009–2017). François Ortalo-Magné served as Dean from 2017 until 2024. In August 2024, Sergei Guriev, a Russian economist and former Provost of Sciences Po, assumed the role of Dean and joined the School as a professor of Economics.

The main campus is located at Sussex Place on the edge of Regent’s Park. Alongside the Sammy Ofer Centre, the School continues to use nearby facilities and maintains its presence in Dubai.

London Business School offers a wide range of postgraduate programmes aimed at individuals at different stages of their careers. These include degree programmes in management, finance, and business administration, as well as doctoral-level research programmes. 

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is the flagship programme at LBS. It is a full-time programme lasting 15 to 21 months. Students complete a set of core modules and choose from around 70 electives. The class is divided into streams of approximately 80 students for core coursework. The programme includes personal development workshops, global business experience, and an international exchange opportunity with one of over 30 partner schools, including institutions such as Columbia Business School, MIT Sloan, and IESE.

LBS offers several Executive MBA (EMBA) options. The EMBA (London) and EMBA (Dubai) are part-time programmes lasting 16 to 20 months. The EMBA-Global Americas and Europe is delivered jointly with Columbia Business School and allows students to study in both London and New York. The EMBA-Global Asia is a tri-partite programme offered in partnership with the University of Hong Kong and Columbia, with sessions held across all three institutions.

The Masters in Finance (MiF) is available in both full-time and part-time formats. It is aimed at professionals with work experience in finance and covers key topics in financial analysis, markets, and instruments. The curriculum includes core courses, electives, and optional international assignments.

The Masters in Financial Analysis (MFA) is a one-year full-time course for recent graduates with less than one year of work experience. It includes 12 core courses across five pillars: accounting, corporate finance, asset management, financial markets, and financial econometrics. Students participate in a business immersion week, select electives, and take part in an international field trip to destinations such as Silicon Valley, Mumbai, or Shanghai.

The Masters in Management (MiM) is another one-year programme designed for recent graduates with little or no work experience. It includes three terms of core courses, two electives, a business immersion week, and a global study trip. The curriculum focuses on accounting, finance, marketing, economics, and decision-making.

Finally, the PhD programme is a five-year full-time programme supporting around 60 fully funded candidates across seven disciplines: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management Science and Operations, Marketing, Organisational Behaviour, and Strategic and International Management.

London Business School (LBS) maintains a consistent position in both global and regional rankings across its postgraduate business programmes. In the 2025 QS Global MBA Rankings, LBS is placed 5th in the world and 1st in Europe, reflecting the institution’s strong performance in international business education. Similarly, the 2025 Financial Times Global MBA Rankings position LBS at 8th globally and 4th within Europe.

Specialised programme rankings also reflect LBS's standing in various fields. In the 2023 QS Global MBA by Career Specialisation Rankings, the School ranks 6th in the world for Consulting, 12th for Finance, 18th for Entrepreneurship, 9th for Information Management, and 7th for Technology. These subject-based rankings evaluate the School’s performance in graduate employability and academic reputation within each area.

The QS Business Master’s Rankings further highlight LBS’s offerings in specific programmes. The Master’s in Business Analytics is ranked 5th globally, the Master’s in Finance is ranked 4th globally, and the Master’s in Management holds the 4th global position.

The 2024 Financial Times Rankings place the Master’s in Finance (post-experience) at 1st in the world, while the general Master’s in Finance programme ranks 10th globally. The Master’s in Management is ranked 6th globally, and the MBA programme is positioned 8th globally and 4th in Europe. In the Executive Education category, LBS is ranked 2nd in the world for its open programmes and 7th for custom executive programmes.

In terms of research, London Business School was placed third in the UK for business and management research according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). This ranking is based on the quality and impact of research conducted by academic institutions in the United Kingdom.

Previously, London Business School was named the top business school in Europe for three consecutive years (2014–2016) by the Financial Times. Additionally, in the 2022 QS World University Rankings, the School was ranked third globally for Business and Management Studies.

London Business School reports strong employment outcomes across its degree programmes. According to the latest available data, 93% of MBA graduates accepted job offers within three months of graduation. The Masters in Management (MiM) programme also shows high employability, with 96% of graduates securing employment within three months of completing their studies. Graduates from the Masters in Financial Analysis (MFA) programme achieved a 95% employment rate within the same period.

The Masters in Finance (MiF) programme similarly maintains a strong job integration rate. Approximately 88% of full-time MiF graduates accepted offers within three months post-graduation. Students benefit from the School’s dedicated Career Centre, which supports internships, full-time placements, and networking opportunities across sectors including consulting, finance, technology, and consumer goods.

These outcomes reflect the School’s structured career development support, access to global recruiters, and strong alumni network of over 42,000 professionals worldwide.

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