Alliance Manchester Business School – University of Manchester
Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) is the graduate business school of the University of Manchester. It is located in the heart of Manchester’s campus, right outside of the city of Manchester in northwestern England. MBA students can take advantage of being a part of the UK’s largest single-site university, the University of Manchester, as well as being only a two-hour train ride from London. AMBS is well known for its global reach, international diversity, flexible time frame for completion, and highly customizable curriculum. Students have the option to complete a full-time MBA in either 15 or 18 months. Part-time options include the Global Part-Time MBA (24 months), and joint MBAs with the Indiana Kelley School of Business (24 months) and with the Tongji University School of Economics and Management (30 months). In addition, the school offers the Global Executive MBA (18 months) and the Global Finance Accelerated MBA (18 months).
FAQ
What is the tuition for AMBS's MBA program?
The tuition for AMBS’s MBA program is 49,000 UK pounds per year.
What is the average GMAT score for admission to AMBS’s MBA program?
The average GMAT for the incoming class at AMBS is 639.
Does the AMBS MBA program accept the GRE?
Yes. The AMBS MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.
What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to AMBS's MBA program?
AMBS requires a minimum of 3 years of work experience. However, it is important for candidates to be aware that they are being considered against other candidates with an average of 6.5 years of experience.
What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to AMBS's MBA program? (or, What is the average age of an AMBS MBA student?)
The average number of years of work experience among students in AMBS’s MBA program is 6.5.
What is the average starting salary for graduates of the AMBS MBA program?
The average starting salary for AMBS MBA graduates is $140,238. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.
How long is AMBS’s full-time MBA program?
AMBS offers an 18-month or 15-month full-time MBA program.
What are the application deadlines for the AMBS MBA program?
The Round 1 MBA application deadline is October 13, 2024. The Round 2 application deadline is November 17, 2024. The Round 3 deadline is January 5, 2025. The Round 4 deadline is February 2, 2025. The Round 5 deadline is March 2, 2025. The Round 6 deadline is April 6, 2025. The Round 7 deadline is May 4, 2025. The Round 8 deadline is June 8, 2025.
What percent of AMBS MBA students are women?
The percentage of the class at AMBS that are women is 46%.
Admissions
The Class Profile
AMBS enrolled 96 students in the Class of 2025, which includes 46% women and a staggering 94% international students. The class had experience in a variety of industries before entering the MBA program, including 28% in financial services, 15% in technology/telecom, and 13% in consulting. Their average GMAT score landed at 639.
Application Procedures
AMBS offers eight rounds of applications from October to June. International students who want to be considered for scholarships must apply by the February deadline. The last round is only open to UK or Ireland passport holders, or EU citizens with pre-settled or settled status.
Applicants are required to have at least three years of postgraduate work experience, with strong career progression. Applicants must submit a completed application form, official transcripts and certificates for any degree completed (the school notes it expects applicants to be in top 25% of their class), CV, two required essays, a presentation, one professional reference, a GMAT or GRE score, and an English Language qualification if applicable. If the initial application is successful, applicants will be contacted to arrange an interview. Manchester offers either on-campus interviews or Skype/video conferencing.
Application Checklist
- Application form
- Admission essays and presentation
- CV / Resumé
- Professional reference
- GMAT/GRE score report
- English Language score report (if applicable)
- Degree transcript(s) and certificate(s)
Essay Topic Analysis
Manchester / AMBS Q&A's
Manchester / AMBS LiveWire and DecisionWire
Academics
Faculty
AMBS employs 250 professors and lecturers across the entire business school. There are four major departments: People, Management and Organisations; Innovation Management and Policy; Accounting and Finance; and Management Sciences and Marketing. The latter two divisions are broken up into two groups each: Innovation, Strategy and Sustainability, and International Business; Management Sciences Group and the Marketing Group, respectively. The school houses four research institutes, and three centers including the recently opened Centre for Financial Technology (FinTech) Studies.
Curriculum
Professors employ practical case studies, group work, and practice-based learning, referred to as the “Manchester Method,” to teach the curriculum. Using business competitions, internships, and team-building exercises the goal of the Manchester Method is to prepare students for the real business world.
Classes for each of the two full-time MBA options begin in September and end either the following December, or in April 18 months later, as students complete core courses in a trimester pattern. No matter which pathway a student chooses, everyone completes their core courses in the first nine months while concurrently working on live client projects, which include the Social Impact Project, the Mergers & Acquisitions Project, International Business Consultancy Project, and Commercial Business Consultancy Project. In addition, students will participate in MBA+ activities such as business competitions.
New students are introduced to the MBA program through a three-week induction, which includes practical sessions on life and working in the UK, meeting students and staff, and the beginning of personalized career planning. After induction, students will take six mandatory core courses: Leading Global Transitions; Leading People and Organizations; Exploring Management Decision-Making; Business Accounting and Finance; Strategy and Competition; and Operationalizing and Communicating Value. While this relatively small number of required core courses pales in comparison to many other leading MBA programs, the Manchester MBA compensates with its high number of required project hours and experiential work — four different mandatory consulting projects compose over 900 hours of live client work.
Because of the flexible, customizable nature of the Manchester MBA, there is no exact set number of credits or electives needed to graduate. Within the two full-time MBA paths, students have the option to choose between taking electives or completing or internships. For example, in the 15-month path, students who have finished their core course requirements can choose between either completing an internship and one international elective, or taking two international electives in the summer. While the core course cannot be waived, the rest of the curriculum is highly customizable depending on a student’s individual interests and goals. There are also no majors or specializations; the curriculum is focused on practical work, rather than a high level of classroom time.
Other MBA Degree Options
In addition to the full-time MBA, there are several part-time MBA options offered: a Global Part-Time MBA, a Kelley-Manchester Global MBA, a Tongji-Manchester Global MBA, and various Executive Education courses for professionals and organizations looking to expand a particular area of knowledge. In addition, AMBS offers the Global Executive MBA and the Global Finance Accelerated MBA.
The Global Part-Time MBA is designed to be completed in 24 months and is intended to be a flexible, international program for ambitious professionals. The Tongji-Manchester Global MBA is delivered through a combination of face-to-face teaching (at workshop residentials), online learning and self-study over the course of 30 months. The Kelley-Manchester MBA is a 24-month online hybrid program offered in conjunction with the Kelley School of Business within Indiana University, and it the school’s the most flexible part-time MBA program.
Degree Offerings at Alliance Manchester Business School
FT MBA
https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/full-time-mba/
Global Part-Time MBA
https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/global-part-time-mba/
Kelley-Manchester MBA
https://manchester.edu.sg/kelley-manchester-global-mba/
Tongji-Manchester Global MBA
https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/online-blended-learning/tongji-manchester-global-mba/
Global Executive MBA
https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/global-executive-mba/
Global Finance Accelerated MBA
https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/global-finance-accelerated-mba/
Campus Life
Clubs, Conferences and Competitions
MBA students can access more than 400 societies through the University of Manchester Students’ Union. There are many related to business and management. One such group is ENACTUS, which invites interested students to pursue entrepreneurship through social action projects.
The school also partakes in a wide range of student-led MBA activities, including socials, a sports tournament in Paris, and ‘Manchester Matters,’ a TED Talks-style speaker series. Additionally, MBA students can head to the HEC Paris campus for the annual MBA Tournament (MBAT), which mainly includes sporting competitions, but also festivities and cultural exchanges for 1,500+ European MBA students.
AMBS students are encouraged to participate in various competitions throughout the school year. Some include the Energy in Emerging Markets Case Competition, the Climate Investment Challenge, and the Venture Capital Investment Competition. The school notes that it covers costs for several competitions.
Campus Spaces
The renovated AMBS building officially opened in June 2019 as part of the university-wide campus masterplan. The AMBS building houses all of the school’s divisions and departments as well as teaching areas and offices. In addition, there is a new library, the Data Visualization Observatory, and three outdoor courtyards, among other features in the state-of-the-art building. AMBS is adjoined by University Green, a 40,500 square foot retail and leisure hub. The two-story Executive Education Centre sits adjacent to AMBS and there are two hotels nearby.
The University of Manchester has more than 8,000 rooms available for undergraduates and some postgraduates. There are a number of residence halls that are open to both undergraduates and graduates, with a limited number of halls open to only graduate students. International postgraduates are guaranteed university accommodation provided they are coming to university alone, have met the conditions of their offer, apply for accommodations and firmly accept an unconditional place at AMBS by August 31, are applying for accommodation for a full academic year, and will reapply for accommodations for each subsequent year by February 15. A limited number of rooms are available for students with partners. In addition, the university runs Manchester Student Homes, an off-campus housing service for students in the city of Manchester.
MBA Careers
Career Services
The AMBS Postgraduate Careers Service (PCS) team offers a five-stage personalized career journey: “you,” “personal branding,” “research,” “planning and strategy,” and “launch.” Within these five stages, the careers team provides weekly skills workshops, individual meetings with expert career consultants, on-campus recruitment activities, networking events, business competitions, practice interviews, and more. Students can take advantage of an annual Careers Expo, guest speakers, industry experts, company recruitment presentations, and networking events around London and Manchester.
Career Statistics
By the end of the year, 88% of the Class of 2023 seeking a job had accepted an offer. Many graduates accepted jobs in the UK, with 64% of students choosing to remain in the same country as their post-graduate education. Following the UK, the most popular geographical choices for 2023 graduates were Europe at 10%, Asia at 9%, India at 7%, South America at 4%, and the Middle East and North America at 2% each.
Technology was the most popular post-MBA industry, attracting 25% of the Class of 2023 graduates. The next most popular choice was consulting at 21%. Financial services followed at 16%. Seven percent pursued healthcare roles while FMCG, transportation and logistics services, other, energy and retail took 5% each. Manufacturing landed at 4% and real estate at 2%.
Financing
The tuition fee for the Full-Time MBA is £49,000, no matter which path a student chooses to take, and includes fees and stage one core course textbooks. Estimated living expenses for a single student, including accommodation, is £1,292/month, which brings the total estimated expenses to £72,257 for the 18-month option and £68,381 for the 15-month option.
All graduates of the University of Manchester will receive a loyalty bursary, which is a 20% discount on the tuition fees they are personally funding unless they are awarded a scholarship of 20% above. For students who did not graduate from the University of Manchester, there are AMBS scholarships offered, some of which require a separate application and other requirements and some do not. The school notes that scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis, so there is an advantage to applying early. AMBS offers merit-based scholarships, which are awarded for excellence across the MBA application criteria, potential to contribute as a student and an alumnus, and strong ethics and values. Alumni scholarships for UK citizens are made possible by generous alumni donors and require both a demonstration of financial need as well as an outstanding application. There are a number of other niche scholarships open to only UK citizens, international students, or women.
Cost of Attendance
Tuition: £49,000
Estimated Living Expenses: £1,292/month
Recent News
Contact
Mailing Address:
Booth Street West
Manchester, M15 6PB, UK
Phone: +44 (0) 161 275 7212
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/full-time-mba/
Blog: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/blogs/
X (Twitter): @alliancembs