Imperial Business School: How It Has Changed and Where It Is Going

Imperial Business School today in numbers

Long known as Imperial College Business School, the school teaches at Imperial's South Kensington campus and at the Imperial White City campus in west London. It holds AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditation, a combination held by around 1% of business schools worldwide, and runs 11 research centres, including the Brevan Howard Centre for Financial Analysis.

Its portfolio covers four MBAs, five finance master's, a set of management and specialised Imperial MSc programmes, a BSc in Economics, Finance and Data Science, PhDs and executive education. For the Class of 2027, the MSc in Management has 268 students, MSc Business Analytics & AI 151, MSc Finance 101 and the Full-Time MBA 69.

These Imperial Business School rankings show a clear pattern: the school is strongest where finance, data and technology meet.

What has changed since 2021?

New leadership. Professor Francisco Veloso left the deanship in 2023 and Professor Franklin Allen served as interim dean. Imperial dean Peter Todd took over on 2 September 2024 for a five-year term, after leading HEC Paris and, before that, McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management.

A science-first university strategy. In March 2024 Imperial launched its Science for Humanity strategy. It plans Schools of Convergence Science in areas such as AI, health and sustainability, global hubs starting in Singapore, Ghana, India and the USA, and a White City Deep Tech Campus at the heart of a west London innovation corridor.

More technology in the curriculum. The analytics master's now carries the title MSc Business Analytics & AI, with core modules in deep learning and generative AI. The Executive MBA core includes Generative AI for Business Value, plus immersions run with ETH Zurich and MIT.

Where is Imperial Business School heading?

Todd has framed the school's agenda around big questions facing society: climate and sustainability, health and wellbeing, AI and autonomous technology, income inequality and resilient societies. He wants business to work more closely with science, engineering and medicine.

The clearest sign is the MSc AI, Economics & Policy, announced in July 2026 with Imperial's Department of Computing. Imperial describes it as the UK's first master's focused on the economic and policy impact of AI, and the first cohort starts in September 2027. His stated focus points to more programmes that cross faculty lines.

What this means for your application

• Quantitative ability matters everywhere. The MSc in Management, MSc Finance and MSc Business Analytics & AI all ask for a quantitative experience statement, and the last two also ask you to take an online maths test.
• The main MSc programmes share four rounds for 2027 entry: 29 September 2026, 6 January 2027, 10 March 2027 and 28 April 2027. Earlier rounds give you more options.
• Choose by career, not brand: start with the life, industry and skills you want, then pick the degree.

Our programme guides cover each route: Imperial MiM admissions, Imperial MSc Finance admissions, Imperial MBA admissions, Imperial Executive MBA admissions and Imperial MSc Business Analytics admissions. For life as a student in Britain, read our guide to the UK experience.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the dean of Imperial Business School?

Professor Peter Todd became dean on 2 September 2024 for a five-year term. He previously led HEC Paris and McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management. He succeeded Professor Franklin Allen, who had been interim dean since September 2023.

Do all Imperial programmes require the GMAT?

No. The Full-Time MBA requires a valid GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment score, with a small number of waivers each cycle. For the MSc in Management, MSc Finance and MSc Business Analytics & AI, a test is optional but recommended if your degree is light on maths. The Executive MBA lists no test requirement.