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Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: July 21, 2023.

Bayes Business School at City St. George’s, University of London

MBA Program Stats

Annual Tuition: £50,400

Annual Tuition Non-Resident: £50,400

Full-Time Enrollment: 36

Median GMAT: 640

International: 93%

Female: 41%

Male: 59%

Average Age: 30

What You Need To Know

With its location in the heart of London’s financial district and just a few minutes from Shoreditch, the center of London’s thriving start-up scene, it is natural that Bayes Business School at City, University of London has evolved to focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Access to both sides of London gives students a “backstage pass” across the capital, with local businesses inputting directly into the program. Quite successful, Bayes Business School was recognized at 1st in the UK for Entrepreneurship for two years in a row now in Poets&Quants’ 2021 ranking — it was third in Europe, and 17th in the world.

“The Full-time MBA program, located in the center of the global financial and entrepreneurial hub of the City of London, offers an intense yet uplifting opportunity to explore the latest ideas, tools, and techniques to progress in our ever increasingly integrated and dynamic world,” says Professor Costas Andriopoulos, associate dean of MBA programs.

In July 2020, the University changed the school’s name from Cass Business School because of concerns about namesake Sir John Cass’s ties to the slave trade, an obvious conflict with school’s values of diversity and inclusion. Eight thousand community members took a vote, and the school is now named after theologian and mathematician Thomas Bayes, whose ideas suggest constantly adjusting how we think in accordance to new evidence — aligning with the schools’ core principles: “We care. We learn. We act.”

The Bayes full-time MBA is a 12-month journey of intensive self-discovery and experiential learning, designed for students to enhance their knowledge, and self-awareness for success in a rapidly changing business landscape. This year they welcomed in 36 new students to the program. The one-year format is quite appealing for some candidates, designed to enable students to swiftly re-enter the workforce.

The curriculum is divided into four blocks, each covering key concepts, and experiential learning is at the core of everything they teach. Through a blend of lectures, workshops, global electives, and real-world projects, MBAs develop leadership skills and expand their professional networks, leaving business school well-equipped to excel in today’s competitive business environment, all in just one year.

The second half of the program is allotted to personalization, along with a business mastery project, which entails consultative work addressing a real-world challenge for a chosen business or business sector.

“Bayes MBA graduates are people who can think, lead and disrupt from within, be it in start-ups or bigger organizations,” explains Costas Andriopoulos, who is also professor of innovation and entrepreneurship.

“There is also a focus not only on new businesses that can make money, but ones that can make lives better. We focus a lot on purpose. We are looking a lot at the combination between getting a paycheck and at the same time doing good for the community or society.”

What is Bayes Business School looking for in an MBA candidate? “Curiosity, and using that curiosity to be creative,” says Andriopoulos. “To be team players, which means they have to have humility and ethics, to be analytical, to accept feedback, and we want people who want to stretch themselves.”

Alongside courses, Bayes offers a number of professional clubs, workshops for entrepreneurs, personalized coaching sessions, and speaker series. They have a variety of other resources like the Bayes Entrepreneurship Fund, the City Crunch Lab which serves as an incubation space, case competitions, tournaments, and more.

“I looked at a lot of different schools, and most reputable schools in the U.S. only offer two-year programs. However, I didn’t want to take two years away from work. So, I started looking abroad. What I appreciated about Bayes Business School was the fact that the MBA is condensed into one year. In addition, the layout of the core classes and focus on the explorer mindset really allows you to take control of your learning experience. I knew straight away that this was where I wanted to be,” says Bayes MBA Chelsea McAnally.

Academics And Programs

The first six months in the Bayes MBA program builds an understanding of different business themes, while the latter allows students to tailor the curriculum to their specific career goals. All in all, the 12-month program zips through core courses, a Strategy Project, International Consulting Week, and Professional Development Week.

A Business Mastery Project follows, which start-up-minded students can use to develop a product or formulate a business plan. Added to this is the opportunity to travel overseas for electives including an Innovation and Technology Study Tour in Israel and Palestine, and two in Silicon Valley — the Core of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation in Action.

Aside from the required curriculum, students have access to the £10 million Bayes Entrepreneurship Fund for high potential early stage businesses, access to a network of over 50,000 alumni, a Mergers & Acquisitions Research Center, career services professionals, and many student-led organizations and conferences.

The MBA is obviously not just for budding entrepreneurs — 21% of 2020 MBA graduates went into consulting, and 21% into financial services. The school says the entrepreneurial skills they learned on the MBA is useful in a corporate setting, too. And there’s always time to launch a start-up once those loans are paid off.

“It is our responsibility to push people to build and not just consume. Bayes MBA graduates are people who can think, lead and disrupt from within, be it in start-ups or bigger organizations” explains Costas Andriopoulos, who is also Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

There is also a focus commitment not only on new businesses that can make money, but ones that can “make lives better,” adds Andriopoulos. We focus a lot on purpose. We are looking a lot at the combination between getting a paycheck and at the same time doing good for the community or society.”

What is Bayes Business School looking for in an MBA candidate? “Curiosity, and using that curiosity to be creative,” says Andriopoulos. “To be team players, which means they have to have humility and ethics, to be analytical, to accept feedback, and we want people who want to stretch themselves.”

Career Stats

Industry Choices Of Bayes London Class of 2023
Consulting 57%
Financial Services 20%
Technology 11%
Consumer/FMCG 6%
Media/Entertainment 3%
Real Estate 3%

Admissions For Bayes Business School

Essay Questions For Bayes Business School

Why are you looking to undertake a Full-time MBA and why specifically at Bayes Business School? (200 words approx.)

The following questions are focused on your future career aspirations. Before answering these questions, think about the type of industry, role, and location you want to work in.
• Thinking about your post MBA objectives: What type of role and industry are you specifically targeting? How does your previous experience and skills lend itself to the career path you are exploring? (200 words approx.)
• Please outline what research you have done into this career path. How has your research shown that it is feasible, taking into account your skills and experience? (400 words approx.)
• What alternative career options has your research revealed? (200 words approx.)
• When considering your answers to all questions above, how do you see your career developing over the next 5 years? (200 words approx.)

(Optional) Please explain any extenuating circumstances which you would like the Admissions Panel to be aware of (e.g. unexplained gaps in your work experience, inconsistent academic performance, no undergraduate degree, choice of referees – if you have not chosen your current employer as a referee, please explain why). You may also take this opportunity to share other defining aspects of your life that the Admissions Panel would not otherwise have learned from your application or CV. (300 words approx)

(Optional) What makes you a stand-out candidate for a scholarship? (max 300 words)

(Optional) If awarded a scholarship, how would you contribute to and engage with the Bayes community? (max 300 words)

School Features

P&Q 2021 40-Under-40: Oguz A. Acar, City University of London (Bayes)

'Open-minded, empathetic, joyful and curious he's always willing to listen to and offer solutions'

Rankings Data For Bayes Business School

Global Rankings 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Poets&Quants 13 13 13 29 30 18
Financial Times 31 25 25 20 23 22
The Economist 32 26 26 17 21 23
BusinessWeek 14 38 28 NR NR 13
Forbes 15 12 12 NR NR 10