Manchester Business School (MBS) Definition

Ali Hussain has a background in finance with large financial institutions and in journalism covering business.

What Is the Manchester Business School (MBS)?

The Manchester Business School is the business school at the University of Manchester in Manchester, England. Also known as the Alliance Manchester Business School, it offers top-level MBA and doctoral programs and undergraduate courses.

The school’s doctoral programs historically ranked above other prestigious institutions such as the Wharton School of Business and MIT. It also offers an international exchange program.

Key Takeaways

• The Manchester Business School, known as the Alliance Manchester Business School, is the business school of Manchester University in the U.K.
• The school offers undergraduate courses, a master’s program, an MBA, Ph.D. programs, and a doctoral program.
• The school was founded in 2004 through the consolidation of various Manchester institutes.
• MBS is a well-respected and world-renowned school, achieving top rankings across the globe in various categories.

History of the Manchester Business School (MBS)

The Manchester Business School was founded in 1918 as the Department of Industrial Administration, funded by an endowment from asbestos magnate Sir Samuel Turner. It was one of the first two business schools in the United Kingdom to offer MBA degrees.

In 1965, the DIA was renamed the Department of Management Sciences, later becoming the Manchester School of Management. That same year, the Manchester Business School opened under the Victoria University of Manchester.

A new version of the school was reinstituted in 2004. The Alliance Manchester Business School was a result of the merger of several Manchester institutes.

Prior to the merger, the parts of the new MBS formed the Manchester Federal School of Business and Management and occupied nearby buildings on Oxford Road.

The school offers a variety of programs and courses, including undergraduate courses, a master’s program, an MBA program, a Ph.D. program, and a doctorate program. The MBA program offers three options: a full-time MBA program, a part-time MBA program, and the Kelley-Manchester Global MBA, a joint MBA with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Manchester Business School’s Part-Time Global MBA

The Manchester Business School offers a unique part-time option for MBA students called the Part-time Global MBA. This program provides online instruction along with the ability for students to study at any of six global centers while receiving the same degree.

Students can take classes in Manchester, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Dubai. In their second year, they can take electives in other foreign locations as well.

The program is completed over two years, with an 18-month accelerated option and an 18-month accelerated option in a Finance concentration.

In addition, the school offers a variety of other programs and courses suitable for people with varying backgrounds, requirements, and interests.

MBS Rankings

In 2023, the school was ranked 46th in the world, fifth in the U.K., and 13th in Europe among business schools for its MBA program by the Financial Times (FT). The FT also ranked it first in the U.K. and seventh in the world for environmental, social, and corporate governance.

Other 2023 rankings for the school include:

• Fifth in the U.K. for accounting and finance by Times Higher Education.
• First in the U.K. and sixth in the world for operations and project supply chain management by QS.
• Second in the U.K. and 16th in the world for business analytics by QS.

What Rank Is the Manchester Business School in the U.K.?

The Manchester Business School is ranked differently by different publications. The Financial Times ranked the MBA program 46th in the world, fifth in the U.K., and 13th in Europe.

What Is the Top-Level University in the U.K.?

The top-level universities in the U.K. as ranked by U.S. News & World Report are:

1. University of Oxford
2. University of Cambridge
3. University College London
4. Imperial College London
5. King’s College London

Does Manchester University Require GMAT?

The Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester requires an admissions test, which can be either a GRE or GMAT.

The Bottom Line

The Manchester Business School, based in Manchester, U.K., is one of the world’s best business schools, offering MBA and doctoral programs as well as undergraduate courses. The school has campuses around the world and consistently ranks highly in a variety of concentrations.