FAQs

The Sloan Masters programme began at MIT in 1931. It was the brainchild of Alfred P Sloan Jnr, Chairman of General Motors, who believed that the best kind of leader was one who had a cross-functional understanding of management, and that this was best acquired after some years' real-world experience. Today’s Sloan Fellows share a breadth and depth of expertise gained in senior positions worldwide.

Three world-class business schools offer programmes that share this great heritage: Stanford, London Business School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). LBS Sloan Fellows join a powerful international network. The LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy is the only specialist masters of its kind in Europe.

The LBS Sloan Masters challenges and prepares experienced senior managers moving towards leadership positions to realise their global leadership ambitions. It is a 12-month, full-time degree programme leading to an MSc in Leadership and Strategy. The curriculum combines core courses in leadership and strategy with a choice of electives, and includes a Global Business Assignment.

When you graduate you will receive a Masters in Science (MSc).

The full-time MBA is a general management degree aimed at people who are at a relatively early stage in their career. The LBS Sloan focuses on leadership and strategy and has been designed for senior executives with significant management and strategic experience, who would like to study with a group of peers with similar depth and breadth of experience.

We hold many events throughout the year where you can find out about LBS, our programmes and our community. Please visit our events page to find out more about the in-person as well as online events.

You can explore a virtual tour of the School here.
 
Any other questions? Email us at sloan@london.edu.

• You could attend a global information session - we organise regular events around the world. To see the cities we visit, and to reserve a place at an event, see our events page.
• We can have a telephone conversation with you. Either call us at a convenient time on +44 (0)20 7000 7500 or email us at sloan@london.edu with the number you would like us to call you on.
• We can put you in touch with current students or alumni. If you would like to speak directly with students or alumni, send your CV to sloan@london.edu so that we can match you with a suitable contact. We are unable to put you in touch without viewing your CV.
• Any other questions? Email us at sloan@london.edu.

The LBS Sloan Masters starts once a year in December. We recommend candidates apply early so they have enough time to make practical arrangements before starting the programme.

The LBS Sloan Masters is a full-time 12-month programme run over three academic terms. The core curriculum runs throughout the year with courses connected to the three main themes: Leadership, Strategy and Business Fundamentals. This is supported by electives and a Global experiential course.

You will be assigned to a group of approximately five people at the beginning of the programme for core course study. We aim to make each group as diverse as possible in terms of cultural, educational and professional backgrounds to ensure your learning experience is as rich as possible.

LBS Sloan Masters core classes balance the theoretical elements that underpin the behaviour of individuals, firms, markets and economies, and many applied and practical aspects of the various business disciplines. They are designed to give you an update on key aspects of business and equip you with the crucial knowledge that all leaders must possess.

Each course on the LBS Sloan Masters is assessed using some or all of the following tools: individual projects/essays/reports, examinations, class participation, group assignments/reports and class presentations.

Sloan Fellows have experience of working at strategic levels and, typically, they have more than 18 years’ management experience. The diversity of their backgrounds means there is no such thing as a typical Sloan Fellow.

Take a look at our Class Profile for more information.

LBS Careers provides support in 4 ways:

• Career Development – you will develop the skills necessary to manage your individual career strategy; whether that is a conducting an effective job search, accelerating in your organisation or setting up your own entrepreneurial venture.
• Career Coaching – one-to-one tailored support to give you a better understanding of who you are, what you have to offer and what is right for you
• Career and Networking Opportunities – you will have the opportunity to explore and examine different sectors, companies and roles through meeting practitioners and professionals.
• Career Insights – you will build on your own research by accessing up to date information on employment trends, hiring practices, as well as geographic, sector and company insights

When companies recruit at executive level, they usually seek a specific profile of experience, personality and fit for their organisation. Only a handful of candidates will meet their criteria and they will not use structured business school recruitment as a means to find them (as is typical for MBA hiring).

For senior positions, recruiters do not limit their search to Business Schools. Career Centre focuses attention on helping individual students develop a strong personal brand, effective self-marketing tools, and a clear job search strategy to enable them to secure conversations with organisations who will value their particular profile.

All students have access to all that the Career Centre has to offer. Most of the workshops and resources apply whether you are looking for new roles or wishing to enhance your progress within your own organisation. For students wanting to move onwards and upwards in their own organisation, our Career Acceleration tools and techniques are particularly relevant.

Students choosing to enroll onto the LBS Sloan are experienced executives reaching the peak of their career, each with a unique profile. Working with a dedicated Career Lead students can plan their individual career strategy. Some will hope to change their career path, others will want to move industry, some may experiment with entrepreneurship, while some will leverage the programme learning to accelerate their career within their current organisation.

At executive level we understand that you are in the leagues of being the ‘expert one’ and hiring works differently at this senior level. For this reason, the emphasis is not on recruitment, but rather on empowering you to plan your own individual career progression strategy, working with you to craft your personal story and target organisations where you could add value.

During your time at London Business School, you will be given the opportunity to immerse yourself in the career and professional development programme, exclusively designed for Sloan Fellows. The programme involves a wide range of activities and consists of four interrelated components:

• Career workshops and insight sessions
• Career coaching sessions
• Professional development sessions
• Leadership coaching sessions 

As a member of our alumni community we hope that you continue to engage with us for your career development needs.

We run an annual programme of webinars, events and workshops to support you in your career and professional development. These cover a range of topics, from developing your personal brand to becoming a Non-Executive Director.

We provide access to a range of resources and also offer alumni the opportunity to work with a career coach.

We operate a rolling admissions process, with applications reviewed in the order in which we receive them. The admissions process usually takes up to eight weeks: the sooner you submit your application, the sooner you will receive your final decision. 

We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible to provide yourself with plenty of time to finalise arrangements with your organisation and colleagues and, if necessary, to arrange relocation to London with your family. 

Once the class is full, we operate a wait-list system with priority given according to the order in which applications are received. Many wait-listed candidates are successful in securing a place on the programme. We will do everything we can to help you with the application process. 

For further information, contact: sloan@london.edu

The Executive Assessment has been developed by a consortium of business schools as a diagnostic of proficiency in key areas specifically for executive calibre candidates. It is shorter than the GMAT test, and designed to be taken with modest preparation.

You can read more about scheduling, content and preparation by going to: Executive Assessment. Remember you can fast-track your application by applying with the minimum application form, CV, essays and one reference.

We do not set a minimum test score, but pay attention to performance, educational background and skills and responsibilities in your career and current position.

A high score does not guarantee admission; equally, a below-average score does not automatically discount your candidacy.

Timing is critical. Take advantage of the application fast-track option to get a stronger sense of your candidacy, then you have an agreed time to work on tests with the confidence of knowing your place is reserved.

Candidates who are not UK/EU nationals should build in time to take the test and complete the process in time to apply for their visas to the UK. You can only take the test once in the same month. Forward planning will allow you to retake the test if you're not happy with your score.

Every year we welcome students that have retaken their test. It is worth at least booking your test, to have a date to work towards.

Visit http://www.mba.com/global/the-gmat-exam/ to obtain more information about available test centres and dates.

On the day itself, try to relax, drink plenty of water and let us know how you got on.

In order to comply with the institutional policies related to the student visa application, you may be required to take TOEFL/IELTS or any other authorised English competency test if English is not your first language and you have not studied a degree or worked for more than two years in an English-speaking environment approved by the UKVI (please see the full criteria here).

Please ensure that you have documentation or evidence to support your residency and employment history in the English-speaking country for the specified duration. 

All applicants are required to have one reference submitted on their behalf, which can be from a current or previous manager, a colleague, someone who knows you well at work, or in a professional capacity.

You should apply online and send your supporting documents, including references and academic transcripts, to the Sloan admissions team.

If your application is not successful, please review the admissions criteria against your application and ensure that your experience and objectives are aligned with the admissions criteria.

Remember that competition for places is high, and consequently we are not able to offer places to every suitable candidate.

Please read our policy document.

The School does not have any arrangements for students to transfer between its programmes or to/from a programme at another institution.

The application fee for the LBS Sloan Masters is £160.

You pay online after submitting your application. Your application will remain incomplete until we receive the fee.

Graduates of London Business School and the University of London do not have to pay the fee.

Tests are used as part of multiple criteria to assess an applicant since they provide useful information about quantitative and verbal reasoning abilities.

They also offer a useful benchmark to judge applicants across degree subject, academic institution and nationality.

London Business School Sloan GMAT reporting code: Z11-J7-18.

Candidates may submit their applications pre-GMAT as part of the fast-track process (application form, essays, 1 reference).

Make use of the many preparation and study aids available. It's important that you prepare early. We recommend practice sessions with a preparation textbook or software, and being rigorous on timing.

If the concepts are unfamiliar, you may benefit from a tuition course. The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) offer a range of tools to help you prepare at http://www.mba.com/.

In exceptional cases, the GMAT, GRE or EA can be waived. We will consider a waiver if your work experience, professional status or prior degree/training indicates a high level of analytical or quantitative ability.

Conditions for waivers include but are not limited to the following:

• CEOs
• CFOs
• Managing Directors
• Division Heads or individuals who can prove their experience in managing major budgets or investment portfolios
• Treasurers
• Chief Accountants
• CFAs or candidates with advanced training in quantitative fields of study.

If you feel you merit a waiver we invite you to speak with an admissions officer for more information.

Requests for waivers will be considered after you have submitted your online application. Fast-track candidates should submit their transcripts if they believe they may be suitable for a waiver.

The Admissions Committee may require you to take the GMAT, GRE or EA at its own discretion, and may also ask that you complete an alternative test or an online course in order to meet the conditions of admission.

Graduates of fellow University of London colleges, Columbia University and the University of Hong Kong can apply for free.

You must request a fee waiver when you apply, and provide a copy of your college transcript.

Candidates recommended by LBS alumni may also be exempt from the application fee.

Alumni wishing to recommend a candidate should email sloan@london.edu stating their relationship with the candidate and their reasons for the recommendation.

Recommendations must be received before the application is submitted.

You will need to submit academic transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate educational institutions.

If the original transcripts are not in English, please also provide certified translated copies.

You will receive an initial decision on your application within one week of submission.

If shortlisted for an admissions interview, you will be requested to take the Kira video assessment as part of our holistic evaluation process.

You will then be invited to attend an interview with senior admissions staff or LBS Sloan alumni.

Following this, you should receive a final decision within one week with a deadline in which the offer must be accepted.

The whole process generally takes four to six weeks.

The fee for the LBS Sloan Masters 2025 is £93,500. In addition to the School fees, there is a Student Association Fee of £180 that covers the Student Association (SA) subscription, enabling students to participate in our vibrant community.

Fees for the LBS Sloan Masters include: Tuition/core course materials/some elective course reading materials.

All candidates are asked to pay a commitment fee of £8,900 when they accept their offer of a place on the programme. Self-sponsored students are required to pay the remainder in three instalments as per the fee schedule. Companies sponsoring an employee pay the balance in one payment before the first term starts.

If you are not based in London, you should budget for living expenses, which will vary according to your circumstances and lifestyle. You will need to budget £30,000-£45,000 for a family or £25,000-£30,000 for a single person if sharing accommodation. There is no accommodation available at London Business School.

Please see our scholarships and funding tool here.

Key loan options include: Federal Stafford Loan Programme, MBA Private Loans and the The Prodigy Finance Loan Programme.