Join our global strategic leadership programme
We welcome applications from experienced executives, professionals and entrepreneurs who can demonstrate their suitability for the LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy.
Our rigorous admissions process pays close attention to each individual, ensuring a strong fit between your achievements, experience and objectives. This page has all the information you need to apply. Please contact our Recruitment Team for more information at sloan@london.edu.
Hear more about our Sloan programme, class profile and core values as well as an insightful overview of the careers support and student journey.
Ki Kuganesan, Leadership Recruitment and Admissions Director at London Business School, shares his advice on applying to the LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy.
Prospective LBS Sloan Fellows have many demands on their time. To ease the application process, you can submit with just the completed online application form, essays, CV, academic documents (certificate or transcripts if available), one recommendation, English test, and the application fee. This means you can submit your application pre-GMAT/EA test. The admissions team will then let you know if additional information is required.
The initial screening process takes around one week, and if you are successful the time from interviewing to final decision will take up to two weeks.
*Applications for the December 2025 start will open on 6th January 2025.
This is designed to be completed over several sessions. Save your work as you go and submit this when you are ready. All supporting documents (transcripts, essays, etc.) can be uploaded as you complete the online form.
The Admissions Committee will consider carefully the answers to the following questions. Please complete all of the essay questions beginning your answer below each question and giving word counts for each answer. Once complete, please attach the Sloan essay template document to your online application following the instructions given on the web form.
If you experience any technical difficulties, please email Helpdesk help@london.edu.
Current LBS Sloan essay topics are as follows:
Supply a chart which clearly shows your position in your organisation. This will help the Admissions Committee understand reporting relationships and team structures.
Attach your chart to the online application form.
Your CV must be no more than two pages in length. If you have any significant gaps in your employment history, give your reasons on a separate sheet.
Attach your CV to the online application form.
You can apply with one reference only. The referee can be a current/previous manager, or a colleague, someone who knows you well at work or in a professional capacity. The Admissions Committee appreciates that providing a reference from your current workplace may be sensitive – contact us if you want to discuss your choice of referee.
After you input your referee’s details into the online application form, we will send them an email with login details for the online reference system. Please check that they have received this.
London Business School reserves the right to contact your referee for further information in connection with your application.
Upload a copy of your academic documents with the application form. These should contain a list of courses completed, grades, degree subject and class ranking (if available). If a transcript is not available please supply a certificate.
If the original transcript is not in English, provide a certified or notarised English translation.
If you do not wish to submit your original transcript, we will accept copies that have been certified by a lawyer or Notary Public at the review stage. We will require an original document before enrolment.
While no tests are required in the initial application, London Business School encourages applicants to take the EA to assess readiness for study. It has been calibrated to an executive-level audience, is shorter than the GMAT and focuses on the skills that are appropriate in a business school context. It is designed to be taken with modest (two to three days) preparation. This supports our understanding of your exceptional strengths and areas to focus on to get the best from your studies as a Sloan Fellow. To find out more, read our Student and Admissions blog.
Register to take the Executive Assessment
We will also accept GMAT and GRE scores. Candidates may submit their applications before they have taken any test – these are one of many criteria we use when assessing an applicant. A high score does not guarantee admission, while lower scores do not rule out a candidate. If you have already taken a test and have a valid test score, please contact our team with your test details.
Practice the GMAT test with London Business School's GMAT simulator and prepare yourself for the test.
The GMAT code number for the Sloan MSc is Z11-J7- 18.
EA/ GMAT/ GRE can be waived. We will consider EA/ GMAT/ GRE waivers for candidates whose work experience, professional status or prior degree/training indicates a high level of analytical or quantitative ability. Please note that EA/ GMAT/ GRE waivers are given to candidates with a suitable level of seniority and demonstrated academic strength in a quantitative area.
Requests for waivers will be considered after candidates have submitted their online application, as part of the application review. The Admissions Committee decides on a candidate's eligibility for EA/ GMAT/ GRE waivers in all cases. The Admissions Committee may require any candidate to complete an alternative test such as the Executive Assessment or an online course in order to meet the conditions of admission.
English language tests may be waived for those who have studied a degree level in English, in a majority English-speaking country, or have been working for more than two years in an English-speaking environment approved by the UKVI.
We accept IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, CPE, PTE, DET if you have not been taught in English (optional). For more information, see our English language requirements for guidance on accepted scores.
The application fee for the Sloan programme is £160. You pay online after submitting your application. Your application will remain incomplete until we receive the fee. Graduates of London Business School and the University of London do not have to pay the fee.
Candidates recommended by London Business School alumni may not have to pay the application fee. If an alumnus recommends you, they should email sloan@london.edu stating how they know you and what they consider would be your main contribution to a class. This should be sent before you submit your application; please include their details on the application form.
If you are not a national of the [European Economic Area (EEA)](https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/eu-eea-commonwealth) or Switzerland, you require a visa to study in the UK. Applying for a UK visa to study at London Business School is a straightforward process. For more information please visit [visa requirements](https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/eu-eea-commonwealth). Candidates who require a visa to enter the UK are advised to apply before the third deadline to be sure of obtaining their visa.
Find out more about visas
LBS Sloan Fellows are a mix of sponsored and self-sponsored students. We have a range of funding options available, including scholarships. Discover more about building a case for sponsorship with the LBS Sloan business case guide.
Find out more
support from your company
Find out how to make a business case for your employer to invest in your future and achieve organisational impact.
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Dynamic. Cosmopolitan. Diverse. You’ll find all the energy of London – its cultural richness and spirit of innovation – right here on our London campus. Take a look around in this 360° tour.
Read moreWe operate a rolling admissions process, with applications reviewed in the order in which we receive them. The admissions process usually takes up to eight weeks: the sooner you submit your application, the sooner you will receive your final decision.
We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible to provide yourself with plenty of time to finalise arrangements with your organisation and colleagues and, if necessary, to arrange relocation to London with your family.
Once the class is full, we operate a wait-list system with priority given according to the order in which applications are received. Many wait-listed candidates are successful in securing a place on the programme. We will do everything we can to help you with the application process.
For further information, contact: sloan@london.edu
The application fee for the LBS Sloan Masters is £160.
You pay online after submitting your application. Your application will remain incomplete until we receive the fee.
Graduates of London Business School and the University of London do not have to pay the fee.
The Executive Assessment has been developed by a consortium of business schools as a diagnostic of proficiency in key areas specifically for executive calibre candidates. It is shorter than the GMAT test, and designed to be taken with modest preparation.
You can read more about scheduling, content and preparation by going to: Executive Assessment. Remember you can fast-track your application by applying with the minimum application form, CV, essays and one reference.
Tests are used as part of multiple criteria to assess an applicant since they provide useful information about quantitative and verbal reasoning abilities.
They also offer a useful benchmark to judge applicants across degree subject, academic institution and nationality.
London Business School Sloan GMAT reporting code: Z11-J7-18.
Candidates may submit their applications pre-GMAT as part of the fast-track process (application form, essays, 1 reference).
We do not set a minimum test score, but pay attention to performance, educational background and skills and responsibilities in your career and current position.
A high score does not guarantee admission; equally, a below-average score does not automatically discount your candidacy.
Make use of the many preparation and study aids available. It's important that you prepare early. We recommend practice sessions with a preparation textbook or software, and being rigorous on timing.
If the concepts are unfamiliar, you may benefit from a tuition course. The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) offer a range of tools to help you prepare at http://www.mba.com/.
Timing is critical. Take advantage of the application fast-track option to get a stronger sense of your candidacy, then you have an agreed time to work on tests with the confidence of knowing your place is reserved.
Candidates who are not UK/EU nationals should build in time to take the test and complete the process in time to apply for their visas to the UK. You can only take the test once in the same month. Forward planning will allow you to retake the test if you're not happy with your score.
Every year we welcome students that have retaken their test. It is worth at least booking your test, to have a date to work towards.
Visit http://www.mba.com/global/the-gmat-exam/ to obtain more information about available test centres and dates.
On the day itself, try to relax, drink plenty of water and let us know how you got on.
In exceptional cases, the GMAT, GRE or EA can be waived. We will consider a waiver if your work experience, professional status or prior degree/training indicates a high level of analytical or quantitative ability.
Conditions for waivers include but are not limited to the following:
If you feel you merit a waiver we invite you to speak with an admissions officer for more information.
Requests for waivers will be considered after you have submitted your online application. Fast-track candidates should submit their transcripts if they believe they may be suitable for a waiver.
The Admissions Committee may require you to take the GMAT, GRE or EA at its own discretion, and may also ask that you complete an alternative test or an online course in order to meet the conditions of admission.
In order to comply with the institutional policies related to the student visa application, you may be required to take IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, CPE, PTE, DET or any other authorised English competency test if English is not your first language and you have not studied a degree or worked for more than two years in an English-speaking environment approved by the UKVI (please see the full criteria here).
Please ensure that you have documentation or evidence to support your residency and employment history in the English-speaking country for the specified duration.
Graduates of fellow University of London colleges, Columbia University and the University of Hong Kong can apply for free.
You must request a fee waiver when you apply, and provide a copy of your college transcript.
Candidates recommended by LBS alumni may also be exempt from the application fee.
Alumni wishing to recommend a candidate should email sloan@london.edu stating their relationship with the candidate and their reasons for the recommendation.
Recommendations must be received before the application is submitted.
All applicants are required to have one reference submitted on their behalf, which can be from a current or previous manager, a colleague, someone who knows you well at work, or in a professional capacity.
You will need to submit academic transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate educational institutions.
If the original transcripts are not in English, please also provide certified translated copies.
You should apply online and send your supporting documents, including references and academic transcripts, to the Sloan admissions team.
You will receive an initial decision on your application within one week of submission.
If shortlisted for an admissions interview, you will be requested to take the Kira video assessment as part of our holistic evaluation process.
You will then be invited to attend an interview with senior admissions staff or LBS Sloan alumni.
Following this, you should receive a final decision within one week with a deadline in which the offer must be accepted.
The whole process generally takes four to six weeks.
If your application is not successful, please review the admissions criteria against your application and ensure that your experience and objectives are aligned with the admissions criteria.
Remember that competition for places is high, and consequently we are not able to offer places to every suitable candidate.
Please read our policy document.
