“London doesn’t love the latent or the lurking, has neither time, nor taste, nor sense for anything less discernible than the red flag in front of the steam-roller. It wants cash over the counter and letters ten feet high.” – Henry James
It could be argued that London is the quintessential—or at least the original—international destination. Both defiantly English and seamlessly accommodating for an international community, London is a city in a state of constant reinvention.
Oscar Wilde once said London was composed of “beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics,” which makes perfect sense that the city is presently and almost always the world’s global financial center (close but no cigar, Singapore). It’s no secret that the city leads the charge when it comes to gold, silver, derivatives, foreign exchange, money markets, debt securities, and international insurance. And London’s strategic location means it can stay connected to both the East and West at all times.
These reasons and so much more make London perhaps the definitive choice for b-schoolers who aspire to cut deals that bridge cultures and cross borders. For prospective MBAs with international ambitions, opportunities to interface with every conceivable industry abound in London, as do opportunities to collaborate with non-UK companies with London hubs.
We took the liberty of giving you the skinny on four London-area business degrees that will set you on a global path. Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?
London Business School
The London Business School EMBA-Global Americas & Europe degree is a multinational collaboration that imparts the “insight, network and international perspectives” that today’s globally focused executive needs. The program—a partnership between LBS, Columbia, and the University of Hong Kong—is available in two distinct paths for entrepreneurs, managers, or executives. EMBA-Global Americas & Europe students earn two MBAs as they study in New York and London, while EMBA-Global Asia students bridge the gap between East and West as they study in Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, and London. Forbes ranked LBS’ international degree first overall in terms of its return on investment, as its 2012 class earned average salaries of $119,100 and paid back their investment in 3.4 years.
Imperial College London
The ICL’s Global Online MBA is a two-year, part-time degree that combines “innovative thinking and insight with new technology to develop practical solutions to real world issues, benefiting business and improving society.” The Global MBA is structured to maximize intimacy and in-class time, culminating in a week-long Capstone Business Game project.
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Oxford University Saïd Business School
The Saïd Business School 13-month masters-level Global Business Diploma is focused on giving graduates the tools to “undertake the senior international responsibilities which drive organizational success.” Director Kathy Harvey explains that the degree is guaranteed to “provide insights to anyone operating, or aspiring to operate, in a global environment.” Graduates will have an advanced “understanding of the issues involved in conducting business in a global landscape,” particularly “global business strategy, risk and reputation, corporate diplomacy and doing business in emerging economies.”
Cambridge University’s Judge Business School
The Judge Business School at Cambridge University Global Business concentration emphasizes cross-cultural differences; doing business in/with emerging economies; managing the multinational enterprise; and multinational organizations in social and environmental issues. The concentration was developed specifically for MBA students “seeking careers in careers at multinational organizations; small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors that are affected by international pressures; and students with a general interest in the role of organizations in global issues.”