Bradford’s online MBA ranked in world top 10 (and 1st for value for money) by Financial Times

In the same league table, it was ranked #1 for value for money.

The University’s online distance learning MBA has featured in the FT’s global rankings for several years, and has consistently been within the top tier of global business schools offering online MBA programmes.

The ranking also follows the University’s School of Management being named Business School of the Year at the Times Higher Education (THE) awards in 2021.

Prof Sankar Sivarajah, Head of the School of Management, said: “This is another proud moment for the School where our MBA (Distance Learning) programme has once again been ranked by Financial Times as being in the Top 10 FT Online MBA rankings this year.

“With the recent success of THE Business School of the Year Award, this achievement is really a testament to our School’s commitment to widen access to quality management education, which is an important part of the School's strategy.”

Dr Natalie Wilmot, Deputy Head of School, said: “We are particularly pleased to maintain our position as number one in the world for value for money, demonstrating our continued commitment to providing inclusive learning opportunities to all, which is an important part of the School's strategy. 

“The rankings demonstrate to employers, our alumni, and our current students the high-quality management education which we consistently provide, and the transformative effect that studying a Bradford MBA has for both personal and professional development. 

“This is equally as true now as it was almost 50 years ago when the Bradford MBA was first launched in 1973, and in an increasingly crowded market for online/distance MBAs, we are delighted to see that the School of Management continues to be recognised as a global leader in this area.”

The FT’s global rankings includes factors such as salary, career progression, the number of female and international students enrolled on the course, course costs and overall satisfaction ratings.

Professor Amir Sharif, Dean of the Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences, said: “We should be very proud of the fact that the School of Management continues to consistently be identified as a top tier global online MBA programme by the FT.

“This reflects on our ongoing commitment to deliver quality management education, informed by research and practice, for a diverse community of learners from around the world.” 

At a time when the world continues to face global business challenges, being recognised by the FT in this way shows that our MBA programme offer is still highly regarded, relevant and is the gold standard for management education to a global audience of business leaders and entrepreneurs.

University of Bradford School of Management has a globally recognised Triple Crown Accreditation from the Association of MBAs ​(AMBA) , EQUIS (European Foundation for Management Development accreditation) and AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

It’s School of Management also offers the first (and currently only) MBA in Circular Economy. With over 50 years experience, in 2020, it also ​became the first business school ​in England to be double accredited by AMBA and ​the Business Graduates Association (BGA​).

Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Zahir Irani said: “League tables are an important measure of success, amongst others. It is really good to see the University of Bradford maintain a prominent position amongst the very best in the world.”

According to the FT, University of Bradford’s online MBA is also ranked above average for percentage of female academics in the faculty, 4th highest for number of international students, and 4th for international mobility.

Apply before March 31 to enrol in the April cohort of our Distance Learning MBA. Intake dates are in January, April, July and October.

Bradford MBA has taken me to a new level, says business executive

Gina-Maria Singh is Operations Director (EMEA and UK) for cookware supplier Meyer UK and is currently two years into her online MBA at Bradford.

The 52-year-old has already worked for a string of large companies, including Unipart, Morrisons and engineering firm EKFG ( working on the HS2 contract) in various roles, and as a current director, she says she is used to wrestling with weighty problems, but she says her MBA has already enabled her to adopt a more nimble mindset.

“For me it has opened up new ways of thinking. Everything we have done has been relevant to what I’m doing in work, so when we’re in the boardroom, I’m able to think outside the box and entertain new theories. This is especially relevant considering the impact of covid and how that has affected the way people work.”

Gina-Maria’s path into the boardroom has been far from easy. She left school with no qualifications and in 2021 was diagnosed as dyslexic and has dyscalculia, but she said gaining a more academic understanding of business was already proving beneficial.

“I left school without any qualifications and went into the world of work and managed to take advantage of opportunities that were presented to me. For me, the decision to go back to education was driven by a desire to understand that there might be different ways of doing things, and strategy has always been something that’s important to me.”

After gaining a first in BA business management from the Open University (graduating in 2020), she embarked on her MBA at Bradford.

“When I started looking around at different MBAs, it was Bradford that started ticking all the boxes in terms of the feedback it got from the Financial Times, its value for money and so on. The lecturers there are second to none.

“It’s also been advantageous for me to do this in later life, because when it comes to applying the theory, I already have experiences I can draw on. It has opened up avenues of thinking and strategy and offered more value now than I think it would have done earlier in my career.”

The logistics expert, who is in the process of opening up a new facility in Holland, added: “I’d certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to expand their mindset, embrace new ways of thinking and working, and to have a deeper understanding of business strategy. I can do nothing but recommend Bradford in the highest sense for its MBA.”