Our Weekend MBA programme allows you to accelerate and develop your career as a working professional. Studying at Imperial one weekend a month in one of the world’s top business hubs offers an unrivalled setting for your studies; boasting leading multinational companies, inspiring startups and a diverse network of business professionals.
During this transformative 23-month programme you will develop strong leadership skills, master key business concepts and gain real-world business experience. You will emerge as a confident, innovative business leader, ready to shape the future of your industry, and capable of steering any organisation towards success, even in the most challenging of times.
in Europe (Imperial College London, Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024)
2nd
in the world (Imperial College London, QS World University Rankings 2025)
#1
city for students (London, QS Best Student City Rankings 2025)
Study alongside your career
The part-time nature of the Weekend MBA means you can continue working and earning in your current company while gaining new skills to take your career to the next level. You can also apply your learning to your current organisation to demonstrate your potential and add value to your existing company.
Your MBA, your choice
Shape your programme through our wide range of elective modules, developing your expertise with your future career objectives in mind, whilst networking with students across our MBA portfolio.
Your international business view
In your second year, our Global Experience Week offers a unique hands-on learning opportunity to travel and explore business in an international context while our IB Glocal Elective is your chance to analyse global problems from a ‘ground level’ local perspective.
Networking opportunities
At Imperial, you will have many opportunities to connect with other MBA students, alumni, faculty and business leaders throughout your programme, from admitted student events, to elective modules, events, and more.
Leadership skills
The Weekend MBA will develop and refine your leadership skills, while also helping you understand how your awareness of societal, ethical, and diversity issues affects every decision you make.
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Programme content
After an initial induction, you will attend lectures at our campus in South Kensington, London for Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings approximately once a month. In the second year of study, you will then complete your electives, Capstone Consulting Experience and Global Experience Week. You will be required to take 32-46 days out of the office in a 23-month period, depending on your choice of electives.
Programme structure is subject to change and will be confirmed prior to the programme start date.
Through a combination of online pre-study modules and induction week, you will be ready to hit the ground running when your programme begins. This comprehensive preparation not only prepares you for the academic rigour ahead but also ensures you're thoroughly equipped to maximise the benefits of your programme.
Online pre-study modules
December/January
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. Some of these modules are compulsory while others are strongly recommended as they will help you prepare you for the remainder of your programme.
Induction week
23-25 January 2025
The Weekend MBA induction will take place on our South Kensington Campus in London, where you will meet with the rest of your cohort, faculty and programme staff. Please note attendance of your induction week is mandatory.
This two-day induction will lay the foundations of your Weekend MBA experience. As well as a programme introduction, you will partake in several lectures and activities to give you a taste for the programme, as well as attending a special welcome dinner.
Our core modules will build rapidly on your previous experience, while introducing new and challenging disciplines. You will cover the general functions of management, explore essential business topics and acquire the skills to be an effective and inspiring leader. When studying your core modules, you will spend two and a half days on campus (Friday, Saturday and a half day on Sunday) every three-four weeks.
Decision Analytics
February-June
This module explores the basic analytical principles that can guide a manager in making complex decisions. You will learn how to identify the underlying analytical structure in a seemingly complex and amorphous decision problem and the role of uncertainty and risk in the decision-making process. You will be able to analyse data to understand relationships and predict future outcomes, while building models, decision trees and simulations to help understand problems with more clarity.
Financial and Management Accounting
February-June
This module will contribute to your managerial potential by explaining the techniques of financial management accounting and examining the relevance to broader issues of decision-making and organisational control. You will also examine the uses of financial and management accounting information for a wide range of decisions relating to financial performance, corporate social responsibility and governance and business sustainability.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
February-June
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship module offers you a unique opportunity to build your knowledge, skills and experience in this important topic which covers innovation, entrepreneurship and design as core elements. The module introduces you to the themes that are relevant if you want to clearly define problems in the market place and develop unique solutions to address these problems. It enables you to understand how to introduce these solutions into the market and analyse the financial feasibility of the overall business case.
Managerial Economics
February-June
This module introduces basic economic concepts of practical value in business life, providing a conceptual framework for assessing the interaction between firms and markets, and identifying the ways in which profit opportunities arise in markets and can be effectively exploited. It will provide a framework for modelling the interaction between consumers and producers, study alternative market structures ranging from monopoly to perfect competition, and enable students to identify and analyse strategic interaction between market participants.
Organisational Behaviour
February-June
This module will give you a practical yet theoretically grounded collection of tools you can use to be an effective leader and manager of people—one who earns the respect, appreciation and gratitude of the people who work with and for you in your future career. You will learn how modern organisations work (and fail). The module will show how your success as a leader, manager and professional depends on how well you work in organisations with and through people to deliver good results.
Corporate Finance
July-December
By undertaking this module, you will gain a market-oriented framework for analysing the major types of financial decisions made by corporations. It will provide an introduction to the objective function of the firm, present value techniques, asset valuation, capital budgeting principles and problems, the capital asset pricing model, the operation and efficiency of financial markets and the financial decisions of firms.
Global Macroeconomics
July-December
This module provides a basic framework to help you understand how macroeconomics explains global events. At the end of the module, you will appreciate how business, government and the global economy interact, which will give you the understanding required to make more informed managerial decisions. It aims to provide a practical understanding of the workings of a modern economy as a basis for interpreting the factors that influence aggregate expenditure and the impact of changes in this demand on employment, inflation and the trade balance.
Marketing Management
July-December
Effective marketing management requires a clear understanding of consumers and the market in general. This module will help you to understand how marketing contributes to a business’ competitiveness and survival and provides you with critical marketing insights, tools, and techniques. It will cover concepts associated with brand management, promotion and services marketing.
Strategy
July-December
Strategy is about how an organisation achieves an advantage in a competitive, fast paced environment by harnessing its resources and competencies over relatively long periods of time, in pursuit of specific goals. Integration of external and internal perspectives provides the basic framework for strategic thinking. The module will give a holistic view of the firm, developing your ability to think beyond day-to-day business activities and challenging you to ask the right questions about its future.
With a choice of six electives on the Weekend MBA, you can explore your interests and develop your expertise with your career objectives in mind. Shared across the full MBA suite, you will have the opportunity to learn alongside the wider MBA community, connecting with people from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.
Analytics and Operations
Big Data, AI and Machine Learning
Business Analytics
Project Management
Data Analytics and Visualisations for Business
Operations Management
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
AI Ventures
Digital Business Model Design
Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital
Entrepreneurial Journey
Idea SMARTCamp
Leading Social Innovation
Venture Capital Finance
Finance
Asset Management
Finance for Net Zero
Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital
Finance in Cleantech
Mergers and Acquisitions
Pricing Strategy
Private Equity
The Fintech Revolution: New Markets, Models and Opportunities
Topics in Asset Management
Venture Capital Finance
Leadership and Organisation
Decision Making for Leaders
Family Business
Leadership
Leading and Executing Strategic Change
Leading Social Innovation
Managing Negotiations
Strategy and Leadership in a Digital World
The Future of Cities (IB Glocal elective)
Marketing
Brand Management
Consumer Behaviour
Technologies in Marketing
Marketing Analytics
Pricing Strategy
Applied Strategic Marketing
Digital Marketing
Market Research
Strategy
Advanced Strategy in a Stakeholder Economy
Breakout Strategy
Business Problem Solving
Climate Change and Business Strategy
Digital Business
Energy Business
Global Strategy (online)
Strategic Networking
Strategy and Leadership in a Digital World
Strategy in Volatile and Uncertain Environments
Sustainability and Competitive Advantage
Our MBA programmes encourage you to adopt a global perspective, offering several opportunities to immerse yourself in the business environment of another country.
Global Experience Week
Summer
| Compulsory
Taking place over the summer term, 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 included in your tuition fees.
IB Glocal Electives
Summer
| Optional
The IB Glocal Electives are intensive four-day study abroad experiences where you are able to explore contemporary global business challenges with a local perspective. You will gain deep insight into international issues in a particular geography, benefitting from the in-market exposure and teaching the trips provide. Previous locations have included Houston, Milan, Singapore.
Sustainable Transformation Made in Italy
The Future of Cities
Sales Management and Leadership
Global exchanges
Summer
| Optional
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.
Practical experience is an integral part of all Imperial MBA programmes, ensuring our students can apply their skills to real-life scenarios.
Independent Project
Spring-Summer
The Independent Project can be selected as a double-weighted elective as part of the Weekend-MBA experience, and involves researching a real business issue for an organisation of your choice. You may choose to do your project for your current company or you can be sponsored by another organisation. You will submit a report of up to 15,000 words which includes a critical, evaluative or analytical element. Projects range from consultancy assignments to theoretical analyses, giving you the opportunity to develop analytical expertise.
Entrepreneurial Journey
Spring-Summer
| Optional
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.
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.
Capstone Consulting Experience
June-December
| Compulsory
The Capstone Consulting Experience (CCE) gives you the opportunity to solve a complex/strategic problem facing a real client with a team of your peers from the Weekend MBA programme.
This module focuses on developing your skills in managing a real consulting project from inception to completion, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved in other modules and in the Personal Leadership Journey. Clients, based in the UK or abroad, include large multinational companies, SMEs, governments, entrepreneurial ventures and NGOs.
Admissions
Applications for the January 2025 intake are now closed. If you missed the final deadline, but are still interested in joining us in January, please get in touch to discuss your options.
Discover our admissions process for the Weekend 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.
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.
“Imperial’s core modules have not only broadened my knowledge base but strengthened my interest in promoting financial inclusion initiatives in developing economies in a more equal, inclusive, and sustained way. The Personal Leadership Journey has been really beneficial in exploring more about myself, my goals and learning about key skills that will push me along my career path.”
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 2023.
77%
77%
changed role
33%
33%
accepted a role in a new sector
45%
45%
average increase in salary
“Imperial’s focus on entrepreneurship really grabbed my attention. I want to develop my own business in the future so the Weekend MBA will give me insight into the early years of that journey. Imperial’s global reputation in STEM subjects highlights exciting opportunities in entrepreneurship and the programme structure has given me the opportunity to continue working for my final year in the army.”
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.
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James Barlow
Chair in Technology and Innovation Management - Academic Director, MBA Suite
To be eligible to apply for the programme, you would normally require:
Seven years’ relevant postgraduate work experience; in exceptional circumstances, we will consider candidates with a minimum of three years of continuous relevant full-time work experience
You will need at least a UK Second Class Honours or international equivalent or an acceptable professional qualification
English language test results (if applicable).
More information about entry requirements can be found here.
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.
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.
At Imperial, we work with admissions rounds. By submitting your application into an admissions round, you will be able to plan around the next steps in the process and see the timeline for decisions to be made. If you wish to be considered, please follow the dates listed on the key dates and deadlines page.
Please email the Weekend MBA Admissions team 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.
The Imperial Weekend MBA is a 21 month long programme, taught on long weekends once a month. Please refer to the Admissions page for more information on when you will be required to attend classes at the Business School.
For information on the fee and deposit amount, please visit the Admissions page.
Self-funded students will have the option of selecting to pay their fees in instalments. This option will be made available at the time of responding to your offer. For further information about the instalment plan, please contact our Tuition Fee team.
There are a number of scholarships available to Weekend MBA candidates.
To be considered for an award, you must have submitted your MBA application by the final application deadline listed on the key dates and deadlines page.
Please note that specific scholarship schemes may have earlier application deadlines, so please ensure that you check the details on the scholarships page carefully before applying.
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. Scholarship decisions will be made in conjunction with Weekend MBA application deadlines.
Please contact the Tuition Fees team with any queries you have regarding the Careers and Professional Development Loan.
Please contact the Tuition Fees team with any queries regarding your deposit or tuition fee invoice.
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:
Your name and College Identifier Number
The programme for which you have been offered a place
The amount of fees which will be paid by your sponsor (please report in GBP)
The address to which the invoice should be sent
Any Purchase Order Number required
Confirmation that the fees will be sent directly to Imperial College
Sponsorship letters should be emailed to both the MBA Admissions team and Tuition Fees team to the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]
A student visa is not required for this programme. A short-term study visa is required for the on-campus periods of the programme if you are an international student from a country outside the EU or EEA. If you are made an offer for a place on the Executive MBA, our team will provide all the relevant visa information and guide you through the process.
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 Meet us page to find out when the next event is being held for the Imperial MBA.
The Business School is located on the South Kensington campus of Imperial College London. Please refer to the location page for our address and guidance on how to get here.
Features
Meet the Weekend MBA class of 2024-25
This year, we welcomed the Weekend MBA class of 2024-25 to Imperial College Business School.
Starting Imperial’s Weekend MBA was a strategic move for Olumide Akintunde, who finished the programme last year. In the blog, he explores the reasons behind his decision to study at Imperial and highlights the unique offerings that stood out to him.
London: the perfect backdrop for your business education
Richie Kim, a MSc Strategic Marketing student shares his experience studying in London, his favourite facilities at the Business School, and how this environment has propelled his personal and professional growth.
