Imperial Executive MBA Admissions: Requirements, Fees and Formats

What is the Imperial EMBA and who is it for?

The Imperial EMBA blends online study with teaching at South Kensington and White City, with campus sessions every three to four weeks in year one. If you live in the Gulf or elsewhere outside the UK, budget for regular flights to London.

The core covers Corporate Finance, Strategy and Marketing Management alongside Generative AI for Business Value and Emerging Tech for Executives, with a year-long leadership programme that includes a personal career coach. Three short Global Immersions focus on fintech in Zurich with ETH Zurich, medtech at White City and deep tech in Boston with MIT. Year two brings 40+ electives and a five-day capstone in a European tech hub.

The Imperial Executive MBA class profile for the Class of 2027 shows an average age of 39, an average of 15 years' work experience, 19 nationalities and 42% women.

What are the Imperial Executive MBA requirements?

• Experience: typically ten years of relevant postgraduate work, with around five in significant management roles (line, project or matrix management).
• Degree: a UK second-class honours degree or equivalent, or an accepted professional qualification such as full ACCA or ICAEW membership.
• Tests: the entry requirements do not list the GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment. You can still send a GMAT score if you have one.
• English: IELTS Academic 7.0 with 6.5 in each element, or an accepted equivalent.
• References: two professional referees using company email addresses, ideally including your line manager.

Imperial Executive MBA admissions process and deadlines

You submit three essays, measured in characters including spaces: career goals and how the MBA helps (2,500), why Imperial and your contribution (3,500), and a time you embodied one of Imperial's values (3,500). The application fee is £150. For the January 2027 intake, Imperial ran seven rounds between 24 February and 27 October 2026, with interviews one to two weeks after each deadline. Expect a similar pattern for January 2028 and check the Executive MBA admissions page for new dates.

Imperial Executive MBA fees, Weekend MBA and Global Online MBA

Imperial Executive MBA fees are £84,500 for the January 2027 intake, and fees change each year. For the Class of 2025, 77% changed role after graduating. Imperial runs two other part-time MBAs:

The Imperial Weekend MBA accepts three years of experience in exceptional cases, and its Class of 2027 has 93 students. The Imperial Global Online MBA ranked 1st in the QS Online MBA Rankings 2026 and 2nd in the FT's 2026 edition; its September 2027 intake costs £60,500, with an application deadline of 12 January 2027.

How to stand out

• Show the scope of your leadership: team size, budgets and the decisions you own.
• Explain why now: what makes this the right moment.
• Brief your line manager early. They are your likely referee and must support the time away.
• Prepare for a full hour. Use our grad school interview questions to practise.

Earlier in your career? Read our guide to Imperial MBA admissions or the Imperial Business School overview.

Frequently asked questions

How much work experience do you need for the Imperial Executive MBA?

For Imperial Executive MBA admissions, you typically need ten years of relevant postgraduate experience, with around five in significant management roles. Candidates with more than eight years may be considered in exceptional cases. The Class of 2027 averages 15 years of experience.

Should I choose Imperial's Executive MBA or the Full-Time MBA?

Choose by career stage. The Full-Time MBA is a 12-month break from work for people with at least three years of experience (the class average is six). The Executive MBA keeps you in your job over 23 months and suits senior managers who want to apply learning straight away.