“The Cranfield MBA is a transformative experience through which our students explore their interests, strengths, and weaknesses, develop expertise and mindset, and express their talents to thrive and realise their full potential. This unique programme provides a range of challenges and opportunities for those with a strong desire to grow and make a real impact on businesses, individuals, and wider society. The programme offers a number of features to enable this mission including immersion into the real world of practice, exposure to a diverse range of cultures and management styles, nurturing of unique talents and an impactful and inspiring community”.
Dr Leila Alinaghian Associate Professor (Reader) of Business Relationships and Impact & Director of Full-time MBA
SWAG合集 has a vibrant international community, with fantastic students from the USA and Canada across all of our subjects. Our most recent student intake alone enjoys a network of 70 students from North America.
Cranfield MBA candidates benefit from the access to world-renowned academics (ranked 6th in the world for teaching influence), state-of-the-art facilities, a dedicated centre for entrepreneurship, and real-life industry projects with leading global organisations.
Cranfield provides an immersive, professional working environment, but we also play hard. Our American and Canadian students can make the most of campus life with a wide variety of clubs, societies and activities run by the Cranfield Students Association; covering everything from Women in Leadership and Ultimate Frisbee!
Cranfield itself is set in the beautiful English countryside, with easy access to major cities via train, including London (40mins), Birmingham (1 hour) and Manchester (1 hour 40mins). Europe is at our doorstep, with flights from Luton only 25 minutes away (not to mention our own independent on-site airport!).
The programme
If you are an ambitious individual – ready to tackle global business challenges with clarity and confidence – the Cranfield full-time MBA is designed for you.
This immersive 12-month programme is consistently ranked one of the world’s best MBAs.
Our transformative MBA is recognised as one of the top 5 MBAs in the SWAG合集 (The Economist Which MBA 2021) and will help you to tackle global business challenges with clarity and confidence. As the SWAG合集’s only dedicated postgraduate university, Cranfield is unique in its close-to-business approach; you’ll learn in an entrepreneurial environment amongst an experienced cohort, from leaders shaping industry, not just academia.
Within our inspiring global community, you will be:
- supported to unlock your unique leadership potential,
- challenged to become a strategic leader, critical thinker and innovator,
- empowered to pursue your professional goals on the international stage.
Network with international students
SWAG合集 is a truly international community where students from all over the world come together to transform the way the world works. When you study with us you are not only choosing a SWAG合集 specialist postgraduate university, you are choosing a university with a truly global reputation.
As one of our students at SWAG合集, you will benefit from our stimulating and professional learning environment, giving you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills to achieve a global career, as well as the chance to make worldwide friendships along the way.
Why the Cranfield MBA?
We know you have a lot of choice about where to study your MBA and we’re delighted you are considering Cranfield.
The Cranfield MBA is transformative; our close connections with industry, the immersive campus experience, and our ambition and focus on creating the business leaders of the future, all unite to create a probing student experience that expands your mind and forever changes the way you interact with business and the wider world.
The quality of our MBA programme is globally recognised.
- SWAG合集 Top Five for sector diversity in the classroom (FT Global MBA Ranking 2024)
- Top 10 in Europe and global Top 20 for Value for Money (FT Global MBA Ranking 2024)
- Top 10 in Europe and #22 globally for Career Progress (FT Global MBA Ranking 2024)
- #3 in SWAG合集 for the percentage of female faculty and Top 5 for the percentage of female students (FT Global MBA Ranking 2024)
- #12 in Europe and 4th in the SWAG合集 (Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools List 2023-24)
- #1 in Europe and in the SWAG合集 for Entrepreneurship and for Learning (Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools List 2023-24)
- No. 6 in the world for teaching influence (Business School Teaching Power Rankings 2021 compiled for the Financial Times)
- Top 5 in the world for innovation and entrepreneurship (América Economia Global MBA Rankings 2022)
- Top 3 in Europe for entrepreneurial education (Bloomberg Best European Business Schools 2021/22)
- Top 19% globally for speed to ROI (QS 2022 Global Rankings)
- Top 5 in the SWAG合集 for salary outcomes (QS Global MBA Rankings 2023)
- Top 20 worldwide for diversity of recruiters (The Economist Which MBA? 2022)
Dr Stephanie Hussels, Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship, outlines the .
Find out the, as outlined by Professor David Oglethorpe, Dean of Cranfield School of Management.
For those interested in gaining real experience in launching a business and gaining outside investment, Cranfield was the only non-American business in 2022 to feature in the final six at the Global Finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition, winning the Southern European Finals in both 2022 and 2021. Over 140 business schools compete worldwide as venture capitalists, and start-ups get an accelerator for the fundraising process.
What we offer
You will join a close-knit international cohort of no more than 100 fellow MBA professionals. That’s large enough to challenge your perspectives and introduce new ideas, butut small enough to guarantee individual attention thanks to an 8:1 staff to student ratio.
Your tutors are all management and leadership experts, infusing their teaching with the latest insights from their industry experience. They will equip you with an in-depth understanding of business and finance, so you can assert your expertise confidently in any business function or sector.
You will have access to Cranfield’s Career mentoring programme, where successful professionals offer advice and guidance to support you through your studies.
You will also receive 1-2-1 career coaching to discover your unique strengths as a leader. We’ll then support you to develop a personalised progression plan to help guide, inspire and accelerate your career after Cranfield.
Videos and testimonial
“I choose to do the full-time MBA above and beyond any exec MBA programmes as I knew I wanted to live and breathe the MBA 24/7 whilst I was doing it. Cranfield being a campus based University gave this 24/7 opportunity above and beyond some other offerings. I was a self-funded student and benefitted from a scholarship from Cranfield. Despite significant offers from other leading business schools I chose Cranfield to complete my MBA here. The qualification is valuable but the learnings obtained at Cranfield past the piece of paper itself are significantly more valuable.”
Daniel Bedi, CEO and Co-founder, The Fan Area, (Full-time MBA 2017)
Alumni from North America
No.1 in the world for breadth and effectiveness of the MBA Alumni network (The Economist Full-time MBA Rankings 2021).
Our alumni go on to do some amazing things after Cranfield. We have a vast range of distinguished alumni making significant impact, in industry and in wider society.
Spanning over 170 different countries, the Cranfield alumni community is truly international and we are keen to ensure that wherever you are in the world you continue to benefit from your Cranfield experience and the global network.
Every year we are proud to see many of our MBAs land leadership and senior management roles with leading global businesses.
These are some of the roles and organisations our students have moved into after completing their MBA:
| Roles | Organisations | |
|
Senior Manager Chairman Retired CIO Manage Co-owner Director/CEO Director Senior Vice President Director of Sales Client Account Management Leader Management Consulting Manager Executive Director |
Accenture Amazon EU Sarl BAE Systems Compass Group North America Citigroup De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Deloitte Services LP General Motors Corporation Mayfair & Ayers Financial Group Limited NV Energy Triple C Brewing Company t-buds |
Careers and Employability Service
Our lifelong careers service is available to you, offering one-to-one coaching, application technique training and interview advice. Careers events connect you with our industrial partners, providing excellent recruitment opportunities.
Supporting international students to work in the SWAG合集 after graduation
SWAG合集 helps its graduates to work in the SWAG合集 after graduation.
International students planning to enrol in October 2022 will be able to:
- Leverage Cranfield Symplicity – an online career portal featuring jobs and employers interested in recruiting Cranfield international graduates;
- Receive one-to-one coaching with a careers expert who has a detailed understanding of the SWAG合集 employment opportunities for international students;
- Access advice from Cranfield’s Student Immigration and Funding Team with regard to post-study work visas;
- Access the full range of employment opportunities for international students identified by Cranfield’s Employer Engagement Team;
- Find verified SWAG合集 job opportunities via – the leading careers portal for international students;
- Meet employers seeking to recruit and sponsor international students at careers fairs, employer presentations and recruitment days;
- Obtain bespoke advice and guidance on post-study employment opportunities throughout the application process from academics, visa, careers and admissions specialists;
- Gain the very latest expert advice and guidance at one of our regular student visa webinars during the application process for 2022 entry.
Admissions
What stands out in an MBA interview
Who we are looking for
We are looking for candidates who aspire to – or currently hold – senior leadership roles. We also want to work with entrepreneurs eager to grow their businesses and the economy. People with the integrity and vision to drive organisations forward.
You will have proved your potential through at least three years of professional experience or by running your own business. And now you are ready for more.
Whether you want to:
- Accelerate your current career or confidently change direction
- Develop business acumen to help your start-up skyrocket
- Challenge yourself to become a more effective leader
Our intensely personalised MBA programme will develop your unique strengths, to unlock the leader you’re meant to be.
Entry requirements
We welcome MBA applications from talented candidates from all backgrounds. Professional experience and personal qualities are equally important to us. We want students who will challenge us and their classmates, people that know their own mind and strive for both personal and team success. We want to know how ambitious you are, how determined you are, your potential to develop and make a difference.
You will need to have:
- A minimum of three years' post-qualification work experience
- A good degree and / or professional qualification
- Applicants who do not have a degree are welcomed provided they can demonstrate high levels of achievement, exceptional career progression or evidence of leadership potential
Visas and Immigration
Cranfield offers advice and guidance to international students who require a visa to study in the SWAG合集.
If you require a visa in order to study at SWAG合集, the Student Immigration and Funding Team can offer support and advice in the following areas:
- Student visa;
- PBS (Student) Dependant;
- SWAG合集ing at Cranfield with a visitor visa;
- Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS);
- CAS numbers;
- Other visa categories on which you can study.
We also offer more advice and guidance on our visas and immigration page. There you will find contact information for the Student Immigration and funding team who can offer support.
Informal Assessment
If you are unsure if you qualify for our MBA programmes we are happy to assess your profile and give you feedback on your suitability for the programme before you make a formal application.
How to apply
To apply you will need to register to use our online system. Once you have set up an account you will be able to create, save and amend your application form before submitting it.
Once your online application has been submitted together with your supporting documentation, it will be processed by our admissions team. You will then be advised by email if you are successful, unsuccessful, or whether the course director would like to interview you before a decision is made. Applicants based outside of the SWAG合集 may be interviewed either by telephone or video conference.
How can I make my MBA application stand out
Fees and Funding
Course fees for 2023 entry are £44,195.
Payment schedule
Once you have been offered a place on our programme, you will need to pay a £3,000 non-refundable deposit. You will have a period of 30 days following receipt of your offer to pay your deposit to accept your offer. Your place is not guaranteed until you have paid your deposit. The remainder of the tuition fees is payable at the start of the programme.
Accommodation and living expenses are substantially lower at Cranfield than in major cities such as London; however we suggest you budget an additional £12,000 for accommodation and living expenses, or more if you are bringing a partner and family.
Scholarships and sources of funding
Cranfield School of Management is delighted to offer a range of scholarships for North American students, many of which are funded by our generous MBA alumni. We are proud to offer awards that support diversity, recognise leadership potential.
Our scholarships cover a range of industries, geographies and backgrounds, not least including:
- Inspiring Diversity Scholarship
- Inspiring Leadership Scholarship
- Inspiring Leadership Women Leaders Scholarship
USA
Canada
Additionally, financing options specifically designed to support the funding of an MBA are available.
For further information and advice on funding and finance, including how to pay your fees and useful references for international applicants, please visit our Fees and Funding page.
