Best business schools for inspiring entrepreneurial action in a world of disruption

13 Apr 2020

First, it was the Internet. Then came the sharing economy. Among all that, the waves of prediction on how automation will change the world as we know it.

Now, we are in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic. With all these happening in a series, disruption looks like the only constant in business today.

If you’re planning to go to one of the best business schools in the UK, it’s best to find one with curricula that match this reality.

It’s never been more important for business education to remain relevant and to match employers’ demands. Fail to do so and students could risk falling behind with an outdated skillsets and a lack of industry experience.

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), one of the UK’s most influential business organisations, is a strong advocate of industry-relevant business education.

In the “Rethinking Business Education (Fit for the Future) report” by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), Fairbairn — an MBA graduate herself — highlights the importance of preparing aspiring business graduates for the uncertain future of work.

“For business schools to properly prepare their students for the modern workplace they need to train graduates not for roles that exist currently, but for those that will exist in five, ten or fifteen years,” she says.

Fairbairn explains that much of this relies not only on greater collaboration between businesses and universities, but also within business schools themselves.

“This means business schools need to keep their curriculum under constant review to make sure it reflects the changing world around us and draws upon the interdisciplinary strengths of universities,” she said.

If you’re looking to pursue postgraduate business education abroad, look for ones that fit this bill. If you have plans to become the next top entrepreneur in your country, see if the school you’ve chosen has career services in place that fully support your long-term goals.

Here are five of the best business schools in the UK that drive entrepreneurial action …

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER BUSINESS SCHOOL

The triple-accredited University of Exeter Business School is committed to preparing students to succeed in a complex, hyper-connected future. Their new Centre for Entrepreneurship encompasses their highly successful Student Start-up Office and is built to enable entrepreneurs to be successful in creating business change and lead with confidence.

Source: University of Exeter

They offer postgraduate qualifications in entrepreneurship as well as undergraduate modules that develop entrepreneurial skills and can be combined with a wide range of subjects.

The University of Exeter Business School is also passionate about working towards achieving a sustainable future for all. Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes have sustainable approaches to business embedded throughout.

Their internationally-accredited MBA programme has been designed to help leaders tackle global challenges, which is reflected in its first-place ranking in the 2017 Better World MBA rankings by research company Corporate Knights.

All Master’s programmes have been developed in consultation with industry partners and professional accreditation bodies — this means the content is relevant, creating sharp, agile and sustainably-focused business leaders.

To ensure that their Master’s degrees remain accessible to the brightest talents from around the world; the School offers one million pounds worth of postgraduate scholarships, which are open for 2020 applicants.

If you want to discover more about the University of Exeter Business School experience you can take a virtual tour or see more of the beautiful Exeter campus.

To apply for the 2020 postgraduate intake, contact the school today for further information.

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT – UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS

The School of Management at the University of St Andrews welcomes students from over 50 countries around the world who come to learn, meet like-minded people, and strengthen their future careers.

Source: University of St Andrews

More importantly, the School encourages you to think about responsible enterprise so that you make sustainable business decisions in your future workplace which consider the interests of all stakeholders; including employees, clients, and future generations.

The guiding principle of “responsible enterprise” underpins all of the postgraduate programmes that you can choose from at St Andrews: St Andrews: Banking and Finance MSc, Finance and Management MSc, Human Resource Management MLitt, Information Technology with Management MSc, International Business MLitt, Management MLitt, and the Marketing MLitt.

There is also the Masters Extra (MX) programme which is open to all Master’s students. This career development programme includes talks and workshops led by guest speakers from a broad range of organisations and industries, all aimed at preparing you for a successful career.

So to see what they have in store for you this year, check their virtual events page to check which Master’s information sessions are coming up and contact the School today.

BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS SCHOOL – UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Scrolling through postgraduate courses at Birmingham Business School, you’ll notice how its syllabus shapes itself around today’s changing business climate and embeds learning around leading businesses responsibly.

Source: University of Birmingham

As a global business school, it focuses on developing the next generation of forward-thinking business leaders through offering their programmes not only on campus in Birmingham but also through transnational educational opportunities and online programmes a such as the Online MBA and MSc International Business Online, which are both accredited by the Association of MBAs. These courses provide flexible learning styles that cater to today’s students’ personal and professional commitments.

This flexibility and up-to-date knowledge that Birmingham Business School offers have proven useful for Neelay Deshmukh, who feels ready to face emerging digital technologies and new business models thanks to his UK degree.

“I enjoyed my classes as they touch on issues which are relevant in the business landscape,” he says. “Birmingham’s professors are also engaged in research that aims to address or understand the social or economic developments of the world,” he says.

So if you want to make your mark in an increasingly challenging and complex business landscape with one of the best business schools in the UK, then click here to learn more.

KING’S BUSINESS SCHOOL – KING’S COLLEGE LONDON

King’s Business School is one of the largest management institutions in London, with students from over 80 countries calling its London city campus home.

Source: King’s College London

If you’re hoping to heighten your digital marketing skills, then you can explore a range of topics such as digital strategy, brand management, and neuromarketing via the MSc Digital Marketing degree.

Alternatively, you can focus on big data analytics through the MSc Finance Analytics degree or choose the Corporate Finance MSc degree if you want to take on challenges in investment management, risk management, and valuation analysis.

Another intellectually-challenging course here is the MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship & Innovation. This course will introduce students to key issues of innovative entrepreneurship, from opportunity exploitation to sales and marketing.

To find out more about these Master’s degrees and more, you can check out the latest videos online via the postgraduate webinar hub.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS — LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

To encourage entrepreneurial action among their business students, Loughborough University’s triple-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) business school has placed work-based learning at the heart of their business and economics programmes.

Source: Shutterstock

Through the Loughborough MBA, you will learn alongside an international cohort of experienced managers with a minimum of three years professional/managerial experience, as well as complete a 45-52 week internship.

MSc Business Analytics students at Loughborough will take on taught modules, which are delivered by a group of internationally recognised management scientists.

These practitioners from companies such as tui, npower, BT, IBM, SAS, British Airways, and government departments through the Government Operational Research Service ensure taught modules here are of both academic and practical relevance

Through the MSc International Business degree, students can embark on a study abroad programme or an international virtual team exercise where you will have the chance to develop your own intercultural industry experience.

If any of the above is what you’re looking for, click here to find out more.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International