How to Get into London Business School
1. London Business School Program Overview
2. London Business School Curriculum
3. LBS Statistics
4. London Business School Extracurriculars
5. Notable Professors at LBS
6. How to Nail the London Business School 2025−2026 Essay Prompts
7. Application Requirements for London Business School
8. London Business School FAQ
London Business School Program Overview
The London Business School (LBS) MBA program—one of the most prestigious in the world—has undergone a major redesign in recent years. We are hearing less about “the London experience” and finance—and more about “the world’s most flexible MBA” and “the London advantage” to launching your global career. Studying for a two-year MBA in the very center of London puts students in proximity to the resources and opportunities available in Europe’s tech and startup capital.
The LBS MBA program is designed for smart and ambitious people—those who know how to best utilize the school’s wide range of offerings both during and after their studies. The flexible curriculum allows for a tailor-made MBA journey; students can complete the program in 15, 18, or 21 months. LBS core courses are divided into two sections: the Business Fundamentals core, which includes 12 courses, and the Tailored core, where students choose from a menu of 14 courses and can pursue a specific area of interest. It’s not uncommon to see an LBS student changing their exit point halfway through the program if they have an opportunity to complete a second internship during the fall term of their second year; in such cases, they can take all electives offered in the intensive weeks to complete the required credits in the shortest time.
As LBS continues to develop its global reputation, more than half (55%) of the school’s 2024 graduates accepted jobs outside of the UK. The Global Experience, which LBS describes as a core curriculum highlight, is a week-long, in-market experiential learning opportunity that takes students to such cities as Johannesburg, Stockholm, and Lima, while its network of nearly 30 exchange partner schools is among the largest of any two-year MBA program in the world. Locally, students can take advantage of the school’s central location in London via the LondonCAP (Core Application Practicum) module, which allows them to work with real companies to apply their new skills.
The MBA program develops students’ leadership skills throughout their studies via Leadership Launch, during which students take skill assessment tests, attend class sessions, and receive Personal Development Plans to further develop what they have learned. The in-class skill sessions cover such topics as “Leadership in Action,” “Best Practice Presentations,” and “Emotional Intelligence.” Students also work on their writing skills during online modules and have an opportunity to learn a new language, with options ranging from German, Portuguese, and Russian to Japanese, Arabic, and Mandarin.
London Business School Curriculum
The LBS first-year curriculum is divided into four terms: the Pre-Term, which is held online and features the three introductory courses “Finance,” “Statistics,” and “Accounting”; Term One, which is described on the school’s website as a Business Fundamentals term and encompasses nine courses; Term Two, which includes three further Business Fundamentals courses and also allows students to choose from a menu of ten Tailored core courses; and Term Three, which offers students additional Tailored core courses. Students can also start taking some of LBS’s more than 100 electives in Term Three.
In the second year, students design their own curriculum using a mix of electives, Global Experiences, international exchanges, and internships. Taking advantage of numerous internship opportunities in London, many students choose to gain additional practical experience in the second year by using one term to take on full-time work and completing credits in other blocks of the year.
Flexibility is what sets LBS apart from many other two-year MBA programs: there are options to finish the MBA within 15 or 18 months (with the summer option) or 21 months (six full terms, similar in length to most top-ranked, US-based MBA programs). The shortest 15-month option, where one could graduate in February, still allows for a complete summer option (internship, summer consulting project, or Entrepreneurship Summer School) plus a semester exchange abroad and one or two Global Business Experience modules. Pursuing the 18- or 21-month option enables students to complete an international exchange in the spring term, with additional possibilities for Global Business Experiences/capstone projects and even internships.
The Leadership Launch program, whose sessions are intended to prepare students for post-MBA recruitment and leadership roles, is hosted during three terms of the first year and in the past has featured such topics as “Emotional Intelligence,” “Powerful Pitching,” “Best Practice Presentations,” and “Leading Through Conflict.” The LBS Language Programme and Career Management component run throughout the two years of studies. Language studies are optional, but LBS recommends that students gain competency in at least one language beyond English. Available language courses include German, Italian, Spanish, and Mandarin. Numerous career management resources—including employer presentations, career fairs, and networking—are available at the LBS Career Centre.
LBS Statistics
Class of 2026 Profile
Class Size: 431
Women: 45%
Nationalities: 65
Career Placement (Class of 2024)
- Consulting: 42%
- Finance: 26%
- Private Equity: 8%
- Investment Banking: 6%
- Investment Management: 4%
- Venture Capital: 3%
- Real Estate: 2%
- Central Banks/Ministries/Regulation/Public Finance: 2%
- Other Finance (includes Services and Products, Insurance and Pension Services, and Retail Banking): 1%
- Technology: 21%
- Information Technology: 7%
- Fintech: 6%
- Other Technology (includes Media–Publishing, Mobility, Telecommunications, Foodtech, and Proptech): 3%
- Internet/E-commerce: 2%
- Climate Tech: 1%
- Edtech: 1%
- Healthtech: 1%
- Diversified Industries: 11%
- Industrials: 4%
- Consumer and Retail: 3%
- Energy: 2%
- Health Care: 1%
- Other Diversified Industries (includes Law/Legal Services, Education/Training, Government, Social Impact, and Sports): 1%
Geographical Placement (Class of 2024)
- United Kingdom: 45%
- Africa/Middle East: 14%
- Asia: 12%
- North America: 10%
- Europe (excluding the UK): 9%
- Latin America (including the Caribbean): 8%
- Oceania: 2%
London Business School Extracurriculars
LBS offers more than 80 student-run clubs on campus, and more than 1,000 club events take place each year. Clubs range from professional, such as the Tech and Media Club and the Entrepreneurship Club; to regional, including the Middle East Club and the Latam Club; to general interest, such as the Photography Club, Sailing Club, and Foodie Club. The breadth of clubs means that there are major business conferences happening throughout the year in every relevant discipline, such as the China Business Forum, Africa Business Summit, and EQUALL (formerly the Women in Business Conference). The 2025 EQUALL conference took place with the theme “Lift as You Lead: Empowering Others Through Authentic Leadership” and featured such panel topics as “Trailblazers of Tomorrow: Women Pioneering Innovation for a Better World” and “Beyond the Bottom Line: Building a New Era of Purpose-Driven Finance.” In addition, various clubs organize professional and leisure treks to global destinations of interest to LBS MBA students.
Another notable aspect of LBS is the tight integration of the school’s substantial London-based alumni community. The Alumni Career Centre, as well as many professional student clubs, engage alumni as career mentors/coaches for current MBA students. On-campus sessions, which take place throughout the year, immediately open the door to tremendous learning and networking opportunities with alumni, enhancing “the London advantage.”
Notable Professors at LBS
Lynda Gratton
Professor Gratton, a Professor of Management Practice in Organisational Behaviour, is a recipient of the LBS Excellence in Teaching Award. She teaches the “Future of Work” elective course, which is reportedly one of the most popular at the school, and has hosted the Future of Work Consortium for more than a decade. Professor Gratton also leads the LBS executive education program Human Resource Strategy in Transforming Organisations, which takes place over the course of five days and is aimed at “senior executives who are responsible for setting or leading the people agenda in their organisations,” the school’s website states.
Herminia Ibarra
Professor Ibarra serves as the Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour at LBS, where she has taught since 2017. She has been ranked as one of the world’s top management thinkers by Thinkers50 and is also a bestselling author of such books as Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader (Harvard Business Review Press, 2015).
Alex Edmans
Professor Edmans joined LBS in 2013 after a six-year tenure at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he won 14 teaching awards. He is now a professor of finance and has won numerous awards at LBS as well, including Best Teacher six times. In 2021, Poets&Quants named him Professor of the Year. In addition to teaching, Professor Edmans serves as a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Tips for Your London Business School 2025–2026 Application Essays
According to London Business School (LBS), what makes its program so unique and valuable is its continued business impact, global growth, and world-class people. LBS is particularly proud of its multinational students who hail from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds. The school’s application includes two mandatory essays and one optional essay.
Question 1
- What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
Question 2
- What makes you unique? (200 words)
Question 3 (Optional)
- Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (500 words)
Click here to read our advice on London Business School’s essay questions.
Application Requirements for London Business School
Undergraduate degree OR career record
LBS accepts applicants with undergraduate degrees, but a degree is not a requirement. “We are happy to consider non-graduates who have an excellent career record,” the school states on its website.
Resume
All LBS applicants must submit a one-page resume with their application. “Admission may be granted to candidates with less than three years work experience if they can demonstrate superior academic credentials and truly outstanding evidence of leadership through professional and personal experiences,” the LBS website states. The school also notes that significant gaps in employment should be explained in a separate note alongside the resume.
Recommendations
LBS requires one recommendation letter from each applicant. In business school applications, obtaining a recommendation from a direct supervisor or a manager is usually the best option. If you do not have a current direct supervisor or manager, consider past supervisors, colleagues, or clients, based on your work situation. Family members, friends, and professors are typically not suitable recommenders.
Test scores
LBS accepts the GMAT and the GRE to fulfill the test score requirement. “Just as a high score does not guarantee admission, a below average score does not always eliminate a candidate. You should however note that the minimum score we will accept is usually around 555,” the LBS website reads. International applicants are also required to provide a TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge CPE, CAE, PTE Academic, or Duolingo English Test score.
Anything else?
An interview and two essays are also required of LBS applicants. Interviews are conducted on an invitation-only basis by alumni or senior admissions officers in the applicant’s region. These are some common questions and prompts in LBS interviews:
- Take me through your resume.
- What has led you to work at your current company/role?
- Why an MBA? Why LBS?
- When have you taken responsibilities beyond your current role? How successful was the result?
- What research have you done to know that your post-MBA career is the one you’d like to pursue?
London Business School FAQ
What is LBS best known for?
The London Business School name carries prestige worldwide and invites applicants to its flexible program in a buzzing metropolis. The school sends graduates to a wide range of roles and takes pride in its diverse, global alumni pool.
How much does tuition cost?
Estimated cost of attendance for the LBS full-time MBA program is £119,950. This includes program charges for the full length of the program, regardless of whether the program is completed within 15, 18, or 21 months.
Although London Business School does not release application or acceptance rates, the school is known to have a very selective acceptance policy.
LBS is known as an international powerhouse that attracts applicants from around the world due to its customizable, global MBA program. However, do not let a school’s reputation steer you elsewhere if it doesn’t seem like a perfect match right away! Visiting campus and speaking with alumni and current students can give you a better idea of whether a school is right for you.
Are you considering applying to LBS? Whether you are looking for comprehensive MBA admissions consulting, hourly help, or perhaps interview prep, we at Stratus Admissions Counseling can help you! Sign up for a free consultation today!