The Weekend MBA is a great opportunity to study an MBA without pausing your career. Combining work and part-time study means that you will continue to earn a salary, which can make funding the programme more viable. However, there are still opportunities for Weekend MBA students to also be awarded a scholarship that can make the decision to invest in an MBA simpler.
At Imperial, our scholarships are designed to recognise both academic and leadership potential, and all applicants can apply for a scholarship where they meet the criteria. This year there are five scholarships available for Weekend MBA candidates:
- Black Future Leader Award
- Dean’s Impact Scholarship
- Imperial Excellence Scholarship
- LGBTQ+ Scholarship
- Women’s Scholarship
A scholarship is much more than just financial support and can provide a whole wealth of opportunities to recipients. We spoke to scholarship awardees from the Weekend MBA class of 2021-22 to discover what impact receiving a scholarship had on them.
Gain a confidence boost
It takes ambition to get to the point in your career where you’re ready to commit to an MBA. With some years of experience under your belt, there’s no doubt you have worked hard to get to where you are now, ready to take the next step to work towards your career goals. Scholarship recipients are recognised for this hard work, both for academic capability and leadership potential.
Weekend MBA student, Samer Zahr, felt proud to be awarded the Dean’s Excellence Award:
"It was an additional vote of confidence from the Business School, as the scholarship was awarded on the basis of exceptional academic and professional achievements and future potential."
Forté Fellow, Elena Bonezzi, was taken aback by receiving the award:
“I am absolutely honoured that Imperial believed in my potential; being awarded this scholarship was truly incredible. I felt extremely supported by the university and the fact that they wanted to invest in myself gave me some extra confidence in my abilities and potential.”
Receive financial support
There’s no denying that the tangible benefit of a scholarship, a contribution towards fees, is an important aspect of any award. Reducing the cost of an MBA can make the decision to commit to the programme more straightforward.
The combination of the Weekend MBA programme format and being awarded a scholarship made the decision to study at Imperial straightforward for Samer, “Receiving the scholarship paved the way for me to attend the programme, and alongside the format of the Weekend MBA, which served as the perfect career accelerator, allowing me to continue working and pursue the MBA."
For ROMBA (Reaching out MBA) Scholarship recipient, Matthew Foster, the scholarship has created more opportunities to get involved in extra-curricular activities:
"From a financial perspective, the Scholarship has allowed me to focus on my studies more and take advantage of extra-curricular activities that may not otherwise have been available to me as someone from a lower socio-economic background."
Share your passion
Certain scholarships, like the LGBTQ+ Scholarship and Black Future Leader Award, provide opportunities to pave the way for underrepresented groups in business.
This was of great importance to Matthew “It was a particularly proud moment for me as my scholarship has a clear purpose – to broaden LGBTQ+ inclusion in business education and wider business – that is particularly important to me personally.”
Expand your network
Scholarships connect you to a network of fellow recipients at Imperial and expands to outstanding Business School students and alumni from around the world:
"By being awarded the scholarship I became a Forté Fellow and I am now part of an international group of MBA women studying across various top-tier business schools worldwide. I have had the chance to meet amazing people, join several career development events, talk to employers and maximise my MBA experience."
Inspire future students
Scholarship recipients leave a legacy of exemplary academic ability and leadership potential, which paves the way for future Imperial students. By being a scholarship recipient, you can provide guidance and advice for future awardees and assist in their aspiration of receiving an award.
This aspect of the scholarship was particularly important to Elena, “I am grateful that thanks to this scholarship I had the chance to become a Student Ambassador and support and inspire other women.”
How to apply for a scholarship on a part-time MBA programme
The scholarships available for the next Weekend MBA intake have varying deadlines. Candidates who submit their application by round 4, and receive an offer for the programme will be eligible to apply for a scholarship.
When applying, Matthew stresses the importance of demonstrating a holistic view of who you are and what you stand for “Take your time over your application to really present a clear narrative about who you are, what you stand for, and why you meet the relevant brief for the Scholarship. Ensure you are not only reflecting on your achievements to date, but also what you hope to achieve in the future, and the unique contribution you can make to the Imperial community. Most of all, allow your personality to shine through!”
To be eligible for a scholarship for the next Weekend MBA intake, visit the Scholarship page to find out more.
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