Everything you need to know about the LBS MiM Program

• Overview of the LBS MiM program
• Application essay tips
• Admissions requirements
• Deadlines
• Class profile
• Who gets accepted
• Acceptance rate
• Life at LBS

Overview of the program

The Master’s in Management (MiM) is London Business School’s longest running Early Careers (EC) programme. The first to be introduced to the EC portfolio in 2009, it has been developed in partnership with LBS’ world-renowned faculty and the recruiters who budding business practitioners aim to work for. It focuses on an applied learning approach, combining theory and practice so that students “learn how different business activities function and areas work together to deliver value”. This is all underpinned by the ethos that learning in a diverse environment (diversity extending to nationality, academic background, professional experience, interests) creates that all-important global perspective.

The MiM offers a flexible programme with exit points at 12-16 months. While some students will choose to complete the degree in three terms, those wishing to go on an International Exchange or take additional electives can opt to continue with a fourth term (additional fee required). Regardless of exit point, all students are required to take 15 modules across terms 1 and 2 along with online pre-programme courses.

Alongside the core curriculum, students are required to select 3 electives from a selection of 80 elective options across the subject areas Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management Science & Operations, Marketing, Organisational Behaviour, and Strategy & Entrepreneurship. Electives are held across programmes and give students a unique opportunity to work alongside MBAs, EMBAs, and other degree programme students. The cross-generational learning element is carried across to other aspects of the programme, such as with the mentorship scheme whereby MiMs can be mentored by MBA and MiF students and alumni.

In addition to the core curriculum and electives that develop hard academic skills, MiMs also focus time on developing the “soft skills that will enable you to build relationships, influence outcomes, and negotiate terms with self-awareness and confidence”. Through the Skills Programme, students work on understanding and honing the skills that employers expect, including interpersonal skills as well as numerical and digital literacy.

Experiential learning is a key aspect of the MiM experience and the programme allows students “to explore the real world of international business through hands-on experience”. During terms 2 and 3, MiMs participate in LondonLAB, an 8-10 week business project that tasks students to work in teams to solve challenges for a range of businesses from start-ups to multinationals across a variety of sectors. Past clients have included the BBC, Unicef, Salesforce, and Depop.

And for one week across terms 1, 2 or 3, students have the chance to participate in one of the programme’s Global Experience courses. Along with other Early Career, MBA, and Leadership programme peers, students work with faculty, corporations, micro-entrepreneurs, and alumni to “interact meaningfully with members of the local business ecosystem and gain an in-depth view of a country’s business culture”. Course themes and destinations are subject to change depending on travel restrictions due to Covid-19 but past experiences have included: sustainability developments in Dubai; examining Austin’s role as a breakthrough technologies hub; and examining what is unique about the venture capital and business ecosystem of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. What is all of this academic theory and experiential learning leading to? For 96% of the MiM2021 class (within three months of graduation), their degree led to a job. Specifically, pre-experience and graduate scheme roles across consulting (45%), financial services (27%), technology (18%), and diversified industries (10%). LBS’ Career Centre and its sector specialists and career coaches provide students with opportunities to engage with employers and “develop the skills and confidence to effectively communicate [their] value to employers”. How do they do this? Through a combination of activities such as: the Career Skills Programme; Personal Development Programme; Business Treks; and company engagements, including the Early Careers Recruitment Evening. While there is focus on helping MiMs to plan and navigate their recruitment journey, care is given to helping students develop the skills needed to network with LBS alumni and future employers, understand how to approach problem-solving and technical challenges at interviews, and how to find roles that match their skills, interests and aspirations.

Application essay tips

LBS MiM essay #1

After several years with its mainstay ‘how will the programme support your academic and professional goals’ question, the MiM switched gears slightly last year and introduced a new essay 1 (and reduced word count):

What learning outcomes are you aiming to achieve as part of your Masters in Management programme? What challenge(s) might you encounter? (500 words)

While a different approach to the previous essay prompt, this question still tasks applicants to reflect on what they want to get out of the programme. In thinking of learning outcomes, this can be viewed as academic outcomes or professional outcomes, though this should all be underpinned by how the programme’s resources will support those outcomes.

In addressing academic learning outcomes, it would be wise to touch on the knowledge gaps you’re expecting the MiM to fill. Perhaps you come from a business/management background, but your undergraduate degree didn’t offer particular courses you need to achieve your career aims or took a more theoretical approach. Or you come from the sciences or the arts and need general management tuition to help launch your business. You may also need to understand certain concepts for your post-MFA career, or you might be interested in learning more about a subject area that you only touched on briefly during your undergrad. Here you want to discuss a few of the academic components that will support your learning and fill the outlined gaps. But steer clear of providing a list; this is where you want to show research and that you have a solid understanding of how the academic resources will fulfil your individual learning needs. So you need to discuss not just the ‘what’, but also the ‘why’. Also, avoid incorporating LBS resources here. This question is specifically about the MiM.

Learning outcomes can also extend to the professional. A large piece of the MiM curriculum revolves around skills development. Think about whether you need to hone any interpersonal skills to confidently present presentations to clients or to attend networking events with recruiters. Perhaps you need to scrub up on your modelling skills to achieve your consulting aims. This would be a good place to touch on how the Skills Programme and Career Centre will support those professional learning outcomes. A brief reminder of your career aims here is fine but keep it concise as these aims are already discussed in the application form.

The second half of the question – ‘what challenges might you encounter’ – was previously asked in the application form, so it’s not entirely new. But its presence as a standalone essay question indicates the adcom’s interest in understanding your level of self-awareness. This question really requires some introspection. While you may want to touch on the challenges that may arise with achieving the aforementioned learning aims, such as adapting to a new type of study environment or teaching method, it’s fine to also mention any personal challenges. After all, you’re a person. Perhaps you’ll need to employ time management and organisational tools to cope with the hectic schedule and pace, or you’ll need to switch gears in how you approach study in a grad school environment. A brief word on your ability to overcome these challenges to succeed in achieving your learning aims would make for a nice close to this essay.

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LBS MiM essay #2

If essay 1 is about what you have to gain, essay 2 is about what you have to give back and remains with a focus on the wider school community:

During your time as a Master’s in Management student, how will you contribute to the School community? (400 words)

The idea of being communal is an essential value at LBS (more on that below). This question gives you a chance to showcase your achievements and how your past successes will allow you to impact the LBS community.

In thinking about how you can add value and contribute, start by reflecting on your experience – academic (undergraduate studies), professional (internships), and personal (extracurricular engagements). Think about where you’ve achieved success and how you can apply learnings or skills from those experiences to contribute. Presenting 3-4 ideas is advisable, but you may find you want to dedicate more word space to 1 or 2 ideas. And make sure these ideas are concrete; writing your international experience will support the learning experience of your peers doesn’t say anything. This is your chance to set yourself apart and show that you’ve not only done your research and understand what the community has to offer, but that you’ve put thought into how you can enhance the community around you.

Admissions requirements

To be eligible for the MiM, applicants must have less than two years of postgraduate work experience (only postgraduate work experience is considered towards the two-year limit; internships taken during your studies don’t count). 

MiMs come from a variety of undergraduate study backgrounds and while there’s no degree requirement, applicants must have achieved or expect to achieve a bachelor’s degree result equivalent to a UK 2:1 minimum / GPA 3.3 or above. Along with a strong undergraduate degree, GMAT or GRE is required and must be taken prior to applying. While there is no minimum score, it is recommended applicants apply with a 600+. 

As with other degree programmes, the MiM now requires only one reference, which must be submitted via the school’s online reference system. It is recommended applicants select a previous or current employer, though an academic referee will suffice so long as they can speak to the applicant’s character and abilities.

Along with reference, GMAT/GRE score, and undergraduate degree, applicants are required to submit a one page CV/resume, proof of English, and pay an application fee. Along with all of this comes a number of short answer questions in the application form. As these questions sit in the application form there’s sometimes thought that they’re not as important as the long form essays. Not true! The short answers, which ask questions around your interests, programme/school research, international experience, and career aims are key as they give the adcom an insight into who you are outside of your stats, what motivates you, and what you want to achieve. So do spend time crafting answers to these questions. 

The programme runs a staged admissions process. Applicants can apply at any one of the four stages, though early application is advised as competition becomes more intense in the final months.

Deadlines for the August 2023 (MiM 2024) intake are:

Deadline 1	October 3, 2022
Deadline 2	January 9, 2023
Deadline 3	March 15, 2023
Deadline 4	May 15, 2023

Source: LBS MiM website

LBS MiM class of 2022 profile

Students: 282

Nationalities: 51

Women: 56%

International students: 95%

Alumni: 48,000+

MiM 2022 undergraduate study discipline

• Business Management: 29%
• Economics: 17%
• Finance/Accounting: 17%
• Engineering: 11%
• Social Science: 9%
• Maths/Science: 6%
• Humanities: 5%
• Law: 3%
• Other: 3%

MiM 2022 nationalities by region

Europe (excl. UK): 35%

South East/East Asia: 34%

South Asia: 17%

United Kingdom: 6%

North America: 5%

Africa/Middle East: 2%

Central/South America: 1%

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Who gets accepted to the LBS MiM program

The MiM is aimed at driven early career business practitioners who have graduated within the last two years, and with a maximum of two years of postgraduate work experience. While work experience isn’t required – some students will join immediately following their undergraduate degree – most students will have completed some type of professional work experience, whether an internship or full-time role. Work experience is as varied as undergraduate study discipline and students may have worked in MNCs, start-ups, or family businesses. Brand doesn’t necessarily mean everything; the adcom wants to understand why you’ve made the academic and professional choices that you have (connect the dots for them!), skills developed, and learning outcomes, all of which will support your learning experience, and that of your cohort, once on the programme.

While students will be educated on the types of industries and roles they may target post-programme, and where their skillset can be best utilised, all students are expected to be ready to build a foundation for a career in business. What does this mean? That they’ll have thought about their career aims and be able to demonstrate an understanding of their intended path through the application process. The adcom wants to see ambitious individuals who want to make an impact in the world around them. And they want to see individuals who have already achieved success and impacted those around them, be it at school or at work, and seek students who can demonstrate “a track record of excellence, achievement, and leadership potential”.

Acceptance rate

While data for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests may be found online, LBS, like many of its European counterparts, does not commonly supply information on acceptance or retention rates. But being LBS, it’s safe to assume that competition is fierce. MiMs are just as talented and driven as their more senior counterparts across other degree programmes and there are a lot of big fish looking to make a splash in a relatively small pond.

That said, the MiM admissions process should be considered a selection process. They’re keen to understand applicant journeys and that all important (and rather intangible) fit. This is done primarily through the interview process. While an interview does not guarantee an offer, it’s a sign that the adcom sees something interesting in you that it wants to further explore.

Life at LBS

Community is one of the most important aspects of life at LBS – for students, alumni, faculty, and staff alike. This can be seen early from the application stage, where most degree programmes have at least one question in the application about the community and about how an applicant will add value to it. 

To be sure, the school doesn’t require, or indeed even expect every student to take a leadership position in a club or lead a trek. But it wants individuals on-campus who are communal in nature; those who participate, who enjoy peer-to-peer learning and teaching, who thrive in collaborative environments. 

More than 80 student clubs run more than 1,000 events every year, including social, professional, and cultural clubs. Students play a key role in developing and running student-led events such as the Women in Business Conference, EUROUT and China Business Forum. Whether participating as an organiser or spectator, these events give students the chance to network with one another as well as industry or subject-area experts and engage in discussion and debate about the most important issues facing business.

And community members jump at the chance to socialise outside of the classroom and professional interest clubs or business treks. Whether the annual Tattoo, which celebrates the school’s diversity through food, dance and entertainment, or the fortnightly Sundowners, where students, alumni, faculty, and staff can meet and network, LBSers never miss a chance to celebrate being part of the community.

Get professional guidance with your LBS MiM application! Check out Accepted’s MiM Application Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the LBS MiM application.

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Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Application Essays, a free guide
• Early Career Management and European MBA Programs with Jamie Wright, a podcast episode
• Exploring London Business School’s Master’s in Analytics and Management, a podcast episode