London Business School (LBS) MBA Guide
Last verified: July 18, 2026
Cycle label: August 2027 applications are expected to open later in August 2026; the published August 2026 cycle is closed.
Scope: The flagship full-time London Business School MBA. This page does not cover the One-year MBA, Executive MBA, or other LBS programs. Requirements and figures change; confirm the current official LBS pages before applying.
London Business School’s flagship MBA is a full-time, in-person London program with flexible 15-, 18-, or 21-month completion options. The curriculum combines Business Fundamentals, tailored core choices, more than 100 electives, experiential learning, and a second-year structure that can include exchange, Global Experiences, internships, and business projects.
Contents
- At a glance
- Program structure and curriculum
- Experiential learning and career resources
- Entrepreneurship, private capital, and research
- Community, location, and inclusion
- Class profile and employment facts
- Application Requirements and Written Fields
- Interview facts
- Fees, scholarships, and visas
- Official sources and maintenance
At a glance
| Item | Published/current information | Cycle or source note |
|---|---|---|
| Location | London, United Kingdom, near Regent’s Park | Official MBA page, accessed July 18, 2026 |
| Format | Full-time, in-person MBA | Current program page |
| Duration | 15–21 months, with 15-, 18-, and 21-month exit points | Current program page |
| Curriculum | Business Fundamentals, tailored core, 100+ electives, experiential learning | Current curriculum page |
| Class profile | MBA2027: 514 students, 44% women, 66 nationalities | Existing official class-profile figure; refresh annually |
| Work experience | Average about 5.5 years | Current MBA application FAQ |
| Test guidance | GMAT or GRE accepted; LBS reports an average GMAT around 645 and typical range 555–805; GRE scores above 160 in verbal and quantitative are preferred | Current MBA application FAQ |
| Tuition | £123,950 for the 2026 intake; £400 Student Association fee | 2026 fee page; refresh for 2027 |
| Employment report | Class of 2025: 88% received an offer and 86% accepted an offer within three months | Existing official employment-report figure; refresh annually |
| Application fee | £200 for the published cycle; fee-free exceptions include LBS alumni and current active military candidates | Current application FAQ |
| Recommendation | One professional referee | Current application page |
| Application status | August 2026 formal deadlines have passed; August 2027 applications expected later in August 2026 | Current application page |
Program structure and curriculum
Pre-program preparation covers finance, accounting, and quantitative methods. Year one begins with Business Fundamentals including accounting, finance, macroeconomics for managers, marketplaces, strategy, the science of people in organizations, marketing, and operations management. Tailored core options and electives allow later specialization. Current published curriculum pages describe more than 100 electives and a second year that may include Global Experiences, international exchange, business projects, internships, and language study. Course names and availability are cycle-sensitive.
The program offers LondonCAP and other experiential projects. Internship timing, exchange eligibility, credits, and exit-point requirements are administrative details that applicants must confirm with LBS for their intake.
Experiential learning and career resources
LBS describes LondonCAP, internships, Global Experiences, international exchange, business projects, the Entrepreneurship Summer School, employer presentations, career fairs, and student-led club events. The Career Centre provides coaching, sector specialists, recruitment preparation, employer engagement, and alumni support. Availability, eligibility, and outcomes are not guaranteed and should be checked against the current student and careers pages.
Entrepreneurship, private capital, and research
The Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital covers venture creation, family enterprise, private equity, venture capital, and investor education. LBS also publishes resources through the Data Science & AI Initiative and the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development. These are factual resources, not application-positioning recommendations.
Community, location, and inclusion
The MBA is based in London and uses a multinational class, student association, clubs, speaker events, and alumni connections. LBS publishes inclusion, belonging, and student-support information on its official site. London living costs, immigration status, work authorization, and travel requirements are personal and time-sensitive matters; this guide does not provide individualized immigration or financial advice.
Class profile and employment facts
The figures in the at-a-glance table are labeled by cycle because LBS updates class and employment data. The 2025 employment headline is a reported aggregate, not a prediction for an individual. See the current employment report for sector, function, geography, salary, and methodology details.
Application Requirements and Written Fields
Verified July 18, 2026 for the published MBA2026 materials; the MBA2027 portal was not yet open. The official application page says the online form can be completed over multiple sessions and currently lists the following components:
| Component or field | Who completes it | Type/status | Current evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program and intake selection | Applicant | Portal selection; required | Official application page |
| Personal, contact, citizenship, and demographic fields | Applicant | Portal fields; required or portal-dependent | Exact current labels require an open portal; do not infer narrative fields |
| Education institutions, degrees, dates, grades, transcripts, and explanations | Applicant | Entries plus uploads; required | Official application page requires transcripts from each university |
| GMAT or GRE and official score report | Applicant | Required before submission; score less than five years old | Official application page |
| English-language evidence or waiver request | Applicant | Required unless an official exemption applies | Official English-language guidance |
| One-page CV | Applicant | Required upload; significant employment gaps explained on a separate sheet | Official application page |
| Employment history | Applicant | Portal entries; exact labels are portal-dependent | Current public page confirms work-history review but not every label |
| Career goals and program rationale | Applicant | Substantive written content appears in Essay 1; additional portal fields are unconfirmed until the portal opens | Official Essay 1 prompt |
| Main Essay 1 | Applicant | Required; 500 words | “What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?” |
| Main Essay 2 | Applicant | Required; 200 words | “What makes you unique?” |
| Optional Essay | Applicant | Optional; 500 words | “Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School?” |
| Referee identity and contact details | Applicant | Required professional referee entry | Official application page |
| Online recommendation form | Referee | Required after invitation; current exact questions are not publicly displayed | Official reference instructions link; current form is portal-controlled |
| Application fee | Applicant | £200 for published cycle; exceptions apply | Official FAQ |
| Funding and scholarship fields | Applicant | Portal- or scholarship-specific; no universal current free-text inventory publicly confirmed | Confirm in the open portal and scholarship forms |
| Integrity, consent, and AI disclosures | Applicant | Required declarations and cycle-specific disclosures | Official FAQ says AI checking/editing is permitted only with full disclosure; interview and video stages prohibit AI/external assistance |
| Uploads | Applicant | CV, transcripts, test taker copy, English evidence, and any requested supporting documents | Official application page |
No additional current short-answer prompts were publicly verifiable before the MBA2027 portal opened. Any portal-only narrative field must be labeled as current only after direct verification; historical fields must retain their intake label.
Interview facts
LBS interviews candidates by invitation. Official FAQ material says interviews may be conducted by alumni or admissions staff and that the same assessment criteria apply. Current public materials also state that candidates may complete a video submission and that AI, external resources, and assistance from another person are prohibited during interview and video stages. A current universal duration, blind/partially blind status, and current impromptu-presentation format were not publicly confirmed; those points are labeled as reported or historical in the companion guide.
Fees, scholarships, and visas
The published 2026 tuition is £123,950 plus a £400 Student Association fee. LBS publishes scholarships, loans, and named awards separately; automatic consideration versus separate forms varies by award. International students may need a UK visa. Use the official UK government and LBS visa pages for current requirements.
Official sources and maintenance
- LBS MBA program
- LBS MBA application
- LBS MBA FAQs
- LBS MBA curriculum
- LBS fees, financing, and scholarships
- LBS career impact
- UK student visa guidance
Refresh admissions fields when the MBA2027 portal opens, and refresh annual class, employment, tuition, scholarship, curriculum, and club data. Corrections should identify the section, source, access date, and whether the claim is official, historical, or personal experience.