Bayes Business School at City, University of London

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.