Oxford MBA 2024–25

Prepare to make an impact

www.sbs.oxford.edu/mba
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Contents

The Oxford MBA

Why Oxford?

The world in your classroom

Career outcomes

Alumni stories

Your Oxford MBA programme

A year in Oxford

Fees and financing

How to apply

The Oxford Saïd global community

‘When you join Oxford Saïd, you benefit from truly

excellent teaching and research at one of the best
universities in the world. What you learn on the Oxford
MBA will help you transform business, and therefore
society, for the better, and equip you to lead with impact.’
Soumitra Dutta
Dean, Saïd Business School
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The Oxford
MBA
A transformational role in a
global business? Founding
and growing your own start-
up? Making change happen
through finance or consulting?
Solving problems from
the ground up in a social
enterprise?

The Oxford MBA is an

intensive and flexible one-
year programme focused on
helping you to achieve career
success and to make a lasting
impact, wherever you work.
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Why Oxford?

A global mindset Skills to navigate a complex

We select MBA candidates from across the world
environment
and from every sector. This results in a highly diverse
No matter where you work you will come up against
cohort, with no one nationality in the majority. You will
the system-level challenges of sustainability, the climate
be exposed daily to a range of different perspectives,
crisis, proliferating AI, and geopolitical tensions. Our
experiences, and cultural expectations, fostering a truly
MBA programme will ensure that you have the critical
global mindset. And you will leave as a lifelong member
skills needed to influence and lead your organisation
of a global network of Oxford business alumni.
through them on a responsible, adaptable, and resilient
path.
A place for leaders
Our MBA students come to us as already highly
The experience of a lifetime
motivated people, leaders who are determined to
Oxford is one of the world’s great universities, with
turn ideas into action and to accelerate change. These
centuries of tradition, beautiful buildings, a distinctive
characteristics are honed further throughout the year,
collegiate structure, and a diverse and fascinating
through teamwork, reflection, academic study, and
population. A year spent here is unforgettable, and you
through listening to the world leaders who come to
will leave with an abundance of professional contacts
Oxford to speak directly to our students.
and new friends.
A world of opportunity
Building on the solid foundation of business skills
provided by our core curriculum, you can choose
from a plethora of electives and co-curricular courses
to strengthen your CV and broaden your vision. Our
specialist careers team support you from day one to
customise your personal curriculum to achieve your
goals.
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The world in your classroom

The class represents a breadth of diversity, a multiplicity of perspectives and

expertise, along with a willingness to interchange ideas and concepts that will
expand your horizon.

313 Geographical diversity

Class size

64
Nationalities

93%
International students

5 years
Average work experience North America 21%
South Asia 18%
Europe 16%

690 Africa 14%

East Asia
South East Asia
10%
8%
Oceania 6%
Median GMAT score
Latin America & the Caribbean 4%
Middle East 3%

48%
Female Participants *Statistics taken from 2022-23 Oxford MBA cohort
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Career outcomes

This year in Oxford is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to redefine and pursue your career ambition.
Whatever our students do before the MBA, they complete it with a determination to use the skills, tools, ideas,
and contacts they have made to inject new energy into their careers. Some accelerate along the path they were
taking before; others move country, sector, or function. Or all three.

Job location and average salary

Class of 2022
Where are they now?
Switched location – 66%
Switched sector – 58%
I/D = Insufficient data points. MBA CSEA standard Switched job function – 64%
requires that values should not be displayed where
Switched location, sector, and job function – 27%
there are less than 3 salary data points in a category
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Alumni stories

The Oxford MBA programme lasts for a year, but its influence is felt for decades,
by our impressive alumni and by the organisations they work for and lead.

Oluseye ‘Bayo’ Owolabi (Oxford MBA 2017–2018)

Pre-MBA role: Technical Sales in Energy Exploration and Production

Post-MBA role: Principal at Boston Consulting Group, Climate and Sustainability Practice

‘Oxford was critical to my pivot towards a career dedicated to working on the energy
transition from a business angle. In addition to the standard course work that
broadened and consolidated my ability to think critically across a range of business
problems, being able to choose specific electives relevant to my next role meant I
arrived with a firm grasp of the key issues having researched and debated them with
diverse colleagues with a rich variety of perspectives.’

Juan Camilo Chipatecua (Oxford MBA 2019–2020)

Pre-MBA role: Equity Research Analyst – Banks, Oil & Gas, Porvenir Pensiones y
Cesantías

Post-MBA role: Associate, Boster Group; then Manager, Portfolio Financial Performance,
Big Society Capital

‘The Oxford MBA was instrumental in my career journey, empowering me with a

diverse network of like-minded individuals from various backgrounds, whose unique
perspectives and experiences enriched my personal and professional development. I
gained exposure to a wide range of career paths and opportunities that enabled me to
confidently explore and navigate my professional trajectory with clarity and purpose.’

Sophie Fry (Oxford 1+1 MBA 2021–23)

Pre-MBA role: Private Secretary to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, HM Treasury

Post-MBA role: Director of ESG Policy Development, Barclays

‘At Oxford, I could learn from leading experts across the University in fields as diverse
as climate change, philosophy, and AI, and I had the opportunity to publish research
on financial regulation and net zero. I’ll continue to learn in the years ahead from a
deep network of diverse peers working globally on the key challenges facing society.’
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Tailored to your career success Your career pathway

Our Career Development Centre is there to help you We have developed five pathways to help you to
define your career goals, build career management navigate your way through the programme. These are
skills, and market yourself to potential employers. It deliberately careers-oriented, to allow you to make
offers help and guidance every step of the way, starting informed choices, both curricular and co-curricular,
before you even arrive in Oxford. through the year. These are not prescribed routes,
you are able to move between them depending on
Support includes: your aspirations and interests, which we know from
experience can change during your year in Oxford.
The online Oxford Saïd Careers Academy, open to
you from the start of the pre-arrival programme,
and accessible whenever you need it. Develop skills
including networking, job searches, applications and
interviewing, and understand your strengths and
development opportunities.

Experienced career coaches and external industry

advisors from a variety of sectors, including consulting,
energy, finance, healthcare, marketing, retail, impact
and technology, provide one-to-one and group coaching
throughout the programme.

Employer presentations and recruitment events

throughout the year, with employers from all sectors
interested in offering internships or full-time roles to
Oxford MBAs.

Reflect Discover Develop Activate Reconnect

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Consulting
Electives such as Corporate Turnaround and Business
Transformation; Business Strategy and Politics;
Regenerative and Circular Economy. Practical
workshops; recruiter-led case events; access to online
resources and tools; links with consulting recruiter events
and networking sessions; and opportunities to connect
with practising consultants from a variety of firms.

Entrepreneurship, Innovation
and Impact
Electives such as Innovation Strategy; Entrepreneurial
Finance; Strategies for Impact; Impact Investing.
Programmes, workshops, conferences and co-curricular
engagement through the Skoll Centre for Social
Entrepreneurship; Oxford Saïd’s Entrepreneurship
Centre; the Oxford Seed Fund; and initiatives such as
Creative Destruction Lab.

Finance
Electives such as Corporate Valuation; Diversity,
Inclusion and Finance; Financial Management for Banks
and Insurers; Mergers, Acquisitions and Restructuring.
The Oxford Saïd Finance Lab; Asset Management
Masterclass; Impact Finance Lab, practical financial
modelling and valuation training; mock interview
practice with careers advisors and specialist industry
advisors from private equity, investment banking, and
asset management; connections and networking with
other industry experts and practitioners.

Global Industry
Electives such as Global Strategy, Global Sustainable
Business, Political Economy for Business Leaders,
Politics, Economics & Business in Africa. Panel
discussions and networking with alumni and
practitioners from a range of sectors, events focused
on high impact career paths and locations, one to one
support, group sessions and mock interviews from
specialist career coaches and expert industry advisors.

Technology
Electives such as AI and Analytics Project in Marketing,
Digital and Social Media Strategy, The Business of
Big Data, Machine Learning for Business, Leading
Digital Transformation. Practical skills development;
Skill drills in Product Management, Strategy and Ops
and Analytics; courses in SQL and Python; networking
events with global organisations; one to one support,
group sessions and mock interviews from specialist
career coaches and expert industry advisors.
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Your Oxford MBA programme

As a one-year programme, the Oxford MBA is busy and intense, aiming simultaneously to broaden your mind and
allow you to focus on your goals. Placed firmly within the current global context, it has been structured carefully
around a core that gives you a thorough grounding in all key business skills and functions. You then pick electives,
co-curricular courses, and student-led activities to customise your experience around your own interests or to
follow a particular career pathway.

Jun – Jul Aug – Sept Michaelmas Term

Pre-arrival Pre-programme Core courses

Oxford Saïd Launch

Careers
Academy

Hilary Term Trinity Term Long vacation

Core
Electives (4) Electives (6) Electives (2)
courses

OR
Capstone

Internship for credit

OR

International Strategic consulting

electives project
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Pre-programme
Ease yourself back into academic
work and get up to speed with
core quantitative, leadership, and
business concepts so you can
hit the ground running on your
arrival in Oxford; and start thinking
about your post-MBA career path
through engaging with the online
Oxford Saïd Careers Academy. This
programme is compulsory but self-
directed, so you can move quickly
through the areas where you are
already skilled and take more time
over the subjects where you might
be weaker. All the classes are
virtual and self-paced.
Hilary Term core courses
Strategy
Firms and Markets
Four electives
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Launch Michaelmas Term core courses
Get to know your classmates Accounting
while placing your MBA studies
within the context of the Technology and Operations
individual, organisational, and Management
societal challenges now facing
business leaders. Through Organisational Behaviour
lectures, simulations, case
Analytics
discussions, and a debate you
will explore issues ranging Marketing
from sustainability and diversity
to global complexity, new Business Finance
technologies, and corporate
purpose. And you will be
introduced to approaches for
addressing them – including
systems analysis, entrepreneurial
thinking, ethical reasoning,
corporate diplomacy and non-
market solutions, alongside
more traditional business and
management frameworks.
Electives
Oxford Saïd offers a wide range of electives that enable you to customise
your MBA programme to fit your own interests and career goals. The
structure of the programme allows you plenty of space to advance in new
directions or to dive deeper into subjects touched on during Launch or in
the core courses.
Example electives include GOTO (Global Opportunities and Threats,
Oxford), which explores how global organisations can address some of
the world’s most pressing challenges; the Entrepreneurship Project,
which involves developing a complete business plan and presenting it
to a panel of invited venture capitalists and other practitioners – making
sure the numbers add up, patents are in place, the competition has been
understood and a winning strategy developed; and Global Strategy, which
builds on the core Strategy course by considering the opportunities and
risks of global expansion and giving you the tools needed to successfully
implement a global strategy.
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A year in Oxford
Oxford is one of the most famous universities in the
world. Many students arrive with high expectations of
dining in Hogwarts-style halls, punting picturesquely on
the river, and enjoying earnest late-night conversations
with brilliant fellow students.
The good news is that reality is likely to match your
expectations. As an MBA student, you will belong to
one of the University’s 39 autonomous colleges. Each
has a self-governing academic community of students
and faculty with its own distinctive history and identity.
The collegiate system allows you to connect with
students from other disciplines. Your college will
provide you with the chance to establish a new circle
of friends, access to a range of varied social and
sporting activities, and opportunities to participate
in a lively intellectual community.
Accommodation
All MBA students are required to live within the city
of Oxford. You can either rent privately or apply for
accommodation through your college, with some
offering accommodation to individuals, couples and/
or families. This may be within the college grounds
or located around Oxford (see each college entry for
specific details).
Clubs and societies
In addition to the community, cultural and sporting
clubs offered by the colleges, and some university-
wide societies such as the famous Oxford Union
debating society, Oxford Saïd students can access
a variety of business-focused networks, clubs and
alliances, including Oxford Africa Business Alliance,
Oxford Women in Leadership Alliance, and the sector-
specific Oxford Business Networks and Clubs.
Pastoral and academic support
Your college is your home in Oxford, and all colleges
have teams dedicated to pastoral support and student
wellbeing. Within the School, the MBA Programme
team will always be on hand to provide help and
support wherever you need it. Where necessary, the
School also offers extra academic support and revision
sessions, particularly for quantitative courses.
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Fees and financing

Tuition fees for the MBA programme starting in
September 2024 are £78,510. This includes the course
fee and life-long membership to the Oxford Union.
Funding for the MBA is extremely competitive, but
we offer a wide variety of opportunities, including
scholarships, loans and external funding.
Our scholarship programme is based on three
principles:
• we want to attract the brightest and the best
students, future leaders with the potential to
change the world
• funding should not be a barrier to anyone who will
benefit from the Oxford MBA, and
• maintaining the diversity of our student community
is important to us, as it is the source of so many
rich exchanges
Scholarships are awarded for academic achievement,
as well as for specific groups of people. For example,
there are scholarships for students from Africa,
scholarships for women, and for people working
in certain sectors.
For most, if you meet the eligibility criteria, all you need
to do is submit your programme application by the
funding deadline to be automatically considered. Some
scholarships require additional application. View the
Scholarships and Funding page on our website for
further information.
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How to apply

Application requirements
• At least two years of full-time work experience,
demonstrating career progression, international
exposure, and leadership potential
• A post-MBA career plan, showing how the
programme will equip you with the skills to reach
these goals
• Undergraduate degree
• Competitive GMAT/GRE score
• Certificate of proficiency in English (if appropriate),
such as TOEFL or IELTS

Admissions process
Complete application form and submit with supporting
statement, references, and online assessment by your
chosen deadline. If you are short-listed, you will be
invited to an interview.

Once all interviews have taken place, the admissions

committee decides whether you will receive an offer
to join the Oxford MBA.

Application deadlines

Stage one: Wednesday 27 September 2023

Stage two: Friday 5 January 2024
Stage three: Wednesday 20 March 2024

Start your application today

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The Oxford Saïd global community

World-class faculty
At the heart of Saïd Business School is an emphasis on
high-quality academic research. Our world-class faculty
identify the most important and interesting challenges
facing the business world, attempt to make sense of
them and propose innovative, evidence-based ways
to tackle them.

Collaborative centres and initiatives

12 research initiatives, including:

• Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative

• Oxford Initiative on AI×SDGs
• Oxford Initiative on Rethinking Performance
• Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative
• Private Equity Institute
• Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

High-profile speakers
There is no shortage of global business leaders sharing
their insight with the School. Whether in class, at an
Oxford Business Network event, or one of our regular
event series such as the Future of Business or Oxford
Smart Space, you’ll have access to some of the most
recognisable names in business.

Conferences and forums

• Oxford Africa Business Forum
• Entrepreneurship Forum
• Responsible Business Forum

A global alumni network

• 27,000+ members, comprising School degree
programme alumni, current School post-graduate
degree programme students, University of Oxford
alumni interested in business and qualifying
Executive Education on campus participants
• 20 alumni-led chapters across the world
• Speaker events, seminars, social events,
mentoring and introductions
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Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford blends the best of new and old. We are a vibrant and
innovative business school, but yet deeply embedded in an 800-year-old world-class university. We create
programmes and ideas that have a global impact. We educate people for successful business careers, and as
a community seek to tackle world-scale problems. We deliver cutting-edge programmes and ground-breaking
research that transform individuals, organisations, business practice, and society. We seek to be a world-class
business school community, embedded in a world-class university, tackling world-scale problems.

Taught Programmes Open Executive Education Custom Executive Education

• MBA We provide leaders and We offer bespoke learning solutions

• 1+1 MBA
• Executive MBA
• MSc in Financial Economics
• MSc in Global Healthcare
Leadership
• MSc in Major Programme
Management
• MSc in Law and Finance
• Executive Diploma in Artificial
Intelligence for Business
organisations a place to evolve – to to enable organisations to address
step back from the intensity of day- critical business challenges and drive
to-day operations and to think about change.
the future in both on-campus and
online programmes.
To learn more visit:
Our programmes cover a broad www.sbs.oxford.edu/custom
range of topic areas:
• Digital Transformation
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance

• Executive Diploma in Financial • Social Impact

Strategy • Innovation
• Executive Diploma in Global • Leadership
Business • Strategy
• Executive Diploma in • Sustainability
Organisational Leadership
• Executive Diploma in Strategy
To learn more visit:
and Innovation
On-campus
• BA in Economics
www.sbs.oxford.edu/oncampus
and Management
Online
www.sbs.oxford.edu/online
Research Programmes
• DPhil in Management
• DPhil in Finance

Saïd Business School

University of Oxford
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Oxford, OX1 1HP
United Kingdom All information is correct at the time of
going to press. Please check our website
for the most up-to-date information.

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