What Does LBS (London Business School) Offer and Which Programme Should You Choose?

Updated

LBS stands for London Business School, a postgraduate business school rather than a general undergraduate university. It offers five main programme families — Masters Degrees, MBA, Executive Education, LBS Online, and PhD — and the right choice depends mainly on where you are in your career and whether you want a full degree or a shorter, focused course. If you are early-career and want a formal qualification, look at the Masters or MBA; if you are an experienced leader or an organisation, Executive Education is the more likely fit.

The five programme families at a glance

Programme family Who it is designed for What it is
Masters Degrees Aspiring students building a foundation Postgraduate degrees
MBA Aspiring students and future general managers One of the world's best-known MBA programmes
Executive Education Experienced leaders and organisations Short courses, open and custom
LBS Online Learners who want flexibility Online study options
PhD Those pursuing research careers Doctoral research degree

LBS describes its offerings as bringing together "world-class education, research and real-world business insights," with programmes and partnerships "designed for aspiring students, experienced leaders and organisations seeking meaningful change."

How to choose between them

If you are early in your career

A Masters Degree or the MBA is the natural starting point. These are full postgraduate qualifications aimed at people building toward management or specialist roles.

If you are already an experienced leader

Executive Education is built for you. LBS was ranked #1 in Open and #2 in Custom Executive Education globally by the Financial Times, according to the school's own site. Two named examples:

  • The Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy — an immersive one-year programme for becoming a world-class leader, taught alongside "high-calibre peers and world-renowned faculty who consult to major corporations, institutions and governments."
  • Women in Leadership — a programme for accelerating your next career move, building confidence to lead and a network of female peers from diverse backgrounds.

If you want flexibility

LBS Online sits alongside the campus-based options, letting you study without committing to the London campus format.

If you want to research or teach

The PhD is the research-oriented path.

If you are choosing on behalf of an organisation

Custom Executive Education is the relevant track — the same FT ranking places LBS at #2 globally in Custom programmes.

What makes LBS distinctive

  • Postgraduate focus. LBS is not a general university; everything is business education at the postgraduate level.
  • Global recognition in executive learning. The FT rankings above are specifically for Executive Education, not for every programme.
  • A London campus. LBS describes its setting as "dynamic, cosmopolitan, diverse," with the energy of London — its cultural richness and spirit of innovation — on campus, and offers a 360° tour if you want to see it before applying.

Next step

The programme families differ in entry requirements, format, and application steps, and those details are not covered here. Go to the official London Business School site (london.edu) and open the page for the specific programme you are considering to compare requirements and start an application.