Full Time MBA

An MBA challenges how you think and act in business. Employers want more from their managers than knowledge and strategic thinking – they also seek leadership skills, commitment and creativity. The Leeds MBA equips you to meet these challenges.

Ranked among the world’s best (The Economist Which MBA? Ranking 2022), this MBA programme integrates business and management theory with practice, but also emphasises your personal and professional development. You’ll study the foundations of business management, such as marketing, accounting, finance, operations and human resource management.

Importantly, you’ll also enhance key qualities expected of leaders including commercial awareness, interpersonal skills, a genuine understanding of the fundamental business functions and a critical and questioning outlook. You’ll gain an international perspective and build valuable connections, helping you become a global leader.

Our full-time MBA is a one-year intensive programme based on campus in Leeds. Drawing on the strengths of this vibrant city, you work closely with resident academics and MBA colleagues from across the globe to develop your skills through study, coaching and practical application of the latest academic theory.

Practical focus

An integral part of the Leeds MBA is the opportunity to put the knowledge and skills you learn into practice with opportunities to work with a range of organisations. As well as considering a range of business case studies and hearing from guest speakers, you’ll apply your skills through the completion of two live challenges.

The New Venture Challenge allows you to generate ideas for new commercial opportunities and turn them into viable business plans, often for a high-profile global organisation. The Consulting Challenge gives you the chance to provide consultancy support to an external business, usually a social enterprise or voluntary sector organisation. Find out more about the MBA live challenges.

Professional connections

The Leeds MBA will connect you to a network of corporate partners, practitioners and alumni, with plenty of opportunities to build your own professional network. Your project work will bring you into contact with some of our many partners. We have relationships with Marks & Spencer, IBM, Yorkshire Bank, Asda-Walmart, Lloyds Banking Group, KPMG and the NHS, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, charities and social enterprises.

You’ll meet prominent external speakers and connect with local business professionals through networking events such as our guest speaker lecture series. Studying alongside MBA colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds will also broaden your perspective and provide you with a close support network that will extend beyond graduation.

You may also have the opportunity to take part in an international study tour, enabling you to extend your global awareness and experience first-hand the challenges and opportunities facing organisations around the world. Find out more about our international study tours.

Accreditation

The Leeds MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs.

The Leeds MBA begins with an induction that will ensure you gain the most from your MBA experience. You are introduced to the learning culture and the study skills you’ll need to succeed.

Through a variety of taught modules, you’ll gain an understanding of the key components of business management – marketing, accounting, finance, operations and human resource management, etc. Alongside these subjects we explore how to manage and lead people in organisations, through modules in decision making, organisational behaviour, strategy, entrepreneurship and leading in practice.

You’ll also build your appreciation of the wider business environment through modules such as international management and the economics of strategy. During the programme you’ll apply your new skills and knowledge as you complete two live challenges.

The course culminates in your MBA Project, giving you the opportunity to turn your knowledge into practice that relates to your own ambitions. Your project can be desk-based if you want to research a topic in-depth, or you can work on a live management issue with an external organisation to develop links with employers and industry. If you’re planning to start your own company, you could even put together a comprehensive business plan.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Full Time MBA in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning and tutorials. Your interactions with other students are also a key element of your learning experience.

Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills. Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. They include formal exams, group projects, essays and written assignments, group and individual presentations.

Entry requirements

Work experience

More than three years of postgraduate work experience is required before you apply. Five years minimum of postgraduate work experience is usually desirable. All work experience must include at least three years appropriate management responsibility (projects, teams, divisions, business units etc.) and show significant career progression.

If you don't have the required amount of work experience, you might like to consider our MSc Management.

Academic

A good Bachelor degree (equivalent of a UK 2:1 hons degree), or an acceptable professional qualification.

A GMAT score is not a mandatory requirement in most cases; however, if your degree qualification is below a 2:1 (hons) or overseas equivalent, or you don’t have a formal or professional qualification, you may be asked to complete a Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) with a minimum score of 600 (GMAT scores should be valid for the year of entry). These applications are considered at the discretion of the Programme Director.

We do encourage candidates who have undertaken the GMAT examination to submit their scores to enhance their application. Please upload a copy of your official GMAT score report in the qualifications section of your online application – we do not accept paper copies by post.

International qualifications

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Business Management and Enterprise (6 weeks) and Language for Business: Business Management and Enterprise (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Places for the full-time Leeds MBA programme are limited. We operate a staged admissions process with various application deadlines throughout the year.

Find out more about how to apply for the Leeds MBA and look at our FAQs.

Apply

Documents and information you need

As part of your application you will need to submit:

• A completed application form
• An up-to-date CV, showing evidence of the required amount of work experience (More than three years of postgraduate work experience is required before you apply. Five years of postgraduate work experience is desirable. All work experience must include at least three years appropriate management responsibility and show significant career progression)
• Original academic qualification transcripts, certificates and certified translations (if your documents are not in English)
• Two references, one academic and one professional. It may be appropriate to select referees from your professional area of work if you have been out of education for more than 5 years or are applying with evidence of work experience. (see below guidance for references)
• If you have a GMAT result, please upload a copy of your official score report as part of your online application
• A copy of your passport showing passport number and expiry date
• Evidence of your English language qualifications, if English is not your first language. You can apply for the MBA before you take an approved English language test
• If you have previously studied in the UK on a student visa then you need to provide official evidence of this including CAS, visas and BRP

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £33,000 (total)
• International: £33,000 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

International study tours are optional. Therefore they are not covered by the basic course fees and you will have to pay extra for them. Prices will vary depending on the location and duration of the tour.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

We award a range of scholarships to particularly deserving candidates.

Leeds University Business School is offering a number of MBA Excellence Scholarships for those starting their MBA in September 2023. Scholarships will be awarded to candidates who can demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, career progression, and potential to contribute to the MBA programme.

Read more about scholarships and funding for the Leeds MBA.

Whether you want to progress in your current role, move into senior management or change direction, the Leeds MBA is a decisive step in your career.

You are an individual with your own career aspirations and goals, so we take a person-centred approach. We encourage you to develop your self-awareness, understand your strengths and weaknesses, refine your career objectives and grow as an individual.

Away from the day-to-day pressures of work, you will be supported to reflect upon and refocus your career. We work with you to consider your career preferences and goals, developing strategies to help you achieve them.
Enhance your career through:

• One-to-one career coaching from our specialist career coach, during your studies and for one year after you graduate

• Career development workshops

• The benefits of AMBA membership

• A range of networking opportunities

• Talks from leading practitioners

• Working on real consultancy projects

• Joining our global alumni network.

Read more about Career Development on The Leeds MBA.

If you’re thinking of starting your own business, you’ll also benefit from the support of Spark – our specialist team will be there to support and encourage you in turning your business idea into a reality.

MBA students may have the opportunity to take part in a one or two-week international study tour.

Typically, we try to offer a variety of tours. You’ll have the chance to visit local companies and partner business schools, enjoy business seminars and networking opportunities with local students, businesses and leaders and still have time to explore the culture, history and sights of the region.

Please note these tours are optional and are not covered by the basic course fees.

Read more about MBA study tours.