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EnglishWhat Programs Does London Business School Offer?
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London Business School (LBS) offers five main programme categories: Masters Degrees, MBA, Executive Education, LBS Online, and PhD. The right choice depends on where you are in your career and what you want to change. If you are early-career and want a specialist qualification, look at Masters Degrees. If you want a general management degree, look at the MBA. If you are an experienced leader who cannot pause your career, look at Executive Education or LBS Online. If you want to pursue academic research, look at the PhD.
The Five Programme Categories
| Category | Who it is for | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Degrees | Early- to mid-career students | Postgraduate specialist degrees |
| MBA | Career switchers and general managers | Flagship general management degree |
| Executive Education | Experienced leaders and organisations | Short courses and leadership programmes |
| LBS Online | Working professionals needing flexibility | Online learning programmes |
| PhD | Aspiring academics and researchers | Doctoral research degree |
LBS describes itself as delivering "postgraduate business education offering one of the world's best MBA programmes, Masters and PhD degrees, plus short courses for executives." That single sentence maps directly onto the categories above.
Masters Degrees
These are postgraduate degrees for students who want depth in a business discipline rather than a broad management qualification. They sit alongside the MBA as the school's degree offerings for aspiring students.
Choose this route if you are relatively early in your career, you know which function or industry you want to specialise in, and you want a credential that signals that focus.
MBA
The MBA is LBS's flagship general management programme and the one most people mean when they search for the school. It is designed for people who want to move into or advance within general management, often with a career switch involved.
Choose this route if you want breadth across functions, a cohort-based experience, and a degree with strong general recognition.
Executive Education
Executive Education is aimed at experienced leaders and at organisations seeking change, not at students seeking a first degree. LBS groups its offerings under this heading for "aspiring students, experienced leaders and organisations seeking meaningful change."
Two named examples from the school's own materials:
- Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy — an immersive one-year programme for people aiming at senior leadership. LBS describes it as designed to help participants "discover your true purpose and unlock your potential," taught by faculty who consult to major corporations, institutions and governments.
- Women in Leadership — a programme for accelerating a next career move, focused on building confidence and a network of female peers from diverse backgrounds.
LBS also reports being ranked #1 in Open and #2 in Custom Executive Education globally by the Financial Times. Treat that as the school's own statement of its standing in this category, not as an independent recommendation.
Choose Executive Education if you are already experienced, want a defined leadership or functional upgrade, and prefer a shorter commitment over a full degree.
LBS Online
LBS Online is listed as a distinct category alongside the campus-based programmes. It exists for people who need flexibility that a full-time London programme does not provide.
Choose this route if location or schedule rules out relocating to London, but you still want an LBS-affiliated programme. Check the individual programme page for format and duration, since these vary by offering.
PhD
The PhD is the research route. It is for people aiming at academic careers or research-intensive roles, not for those seeking a management credential.
Choose this route only if your goal is to produce original research and you are prepared for a multi-year doctoral commitment.
How to Decide
Work through these questions in order:
- Do you want to do research? If yes, the PhD is the only fit.
- Do you want a full degree or a shorter intervention? Degrees point to Masters, MBA, or PhD. Shorter interventions point to Executive Education or LBS Online.
- Do you want general management or a specialism? General management points to the MBA. A specialism points to a Masters.
- Can you attend in London full-time? If not, LBS Online or a part-time executive format is the realistic option.
- How much experience do you have? Early-career leans Masters or MBA. Senior leans Executive Education, including the one-year Sloan Masters.
Getting the Details That Matter
The homepage confirms which categories exist and gives a headline example (the Sloan Masters) plus one named executive programme (Women in Leadership). It does not list application requirements, tuition, deadlines, or class profiles.
For those, go to the individual programme page under the relevant category — Masters Degrees, MBA, Executive Education, LBS Online, or PhD — and read the admissions section there. Requirements and dates differ by programme, so do not assume they carry across categories.
One practical note: LBS runs a 360° virtual tour of its London campus if you want to assess the environment before committing to a campus-based route.