| Imperial College Business School

Becoming a better leader through delegation

You feel frustrated because important projects are progressing too slowly. Your manager says you need to be more strategic but you barely have time for lunch, let alone strategy.

If this predicament sounds familiar, you may need more staff. Or your job description may be impossibly broad.

Or, though you may not like to admit it, you could be spending too much time on tasks that could be done by others.

How you can get better at delegation

Difficulty delegating is a common issue raised by managers on our leadership programmes. The good news is that you can get better at delegation.

Recognise the problem

First, you need to recognise that you have a problem with delegation. Perhaps you find that you are working late on a consistent basis, or you miss deadlines or are much busier than your direct reports. Your colleagues may have dropped hints – you may have been told that you ‘take on a lot’, for example.

Identify what is preventing effective delegation

The next step to delegating well is understanding how your actions and feelings may be hindering effective delegation.

Protecting your reports: You shield your staff from work that is boring or repetitive and instead do it yourself. This may be because you want to be liked by your staff and are worried about how they will react to being given boring or repetitive work.

Perfectionism: You may choose not to delegate as you are convinced you will do the best job. This may well be true, but certain tasks may not be a good use of your time. Or perhaps you had a bad experience in the past so think it is safer not to engage others.

Wanting to be the expert: You may feel that your knowledge adds a lot of value to your organisation and you want to demonstrate your knowledge at every opportunity. However, this can mean you fail to engage and develop others. This can be particularly common in managers who have been promoted from positions as functional experts into roles requiring team leadership.

Anxiety: You may be hoarding tasks because you are anxious or insecure. Perhaps you are uncertain about your own priorities so you do a bit of everything in the hope that something will please your manager. Or perhaps you feel the need to justify your senior position by appearing busier than others.

Develop techniques to help you delegate

There are practical techniques to help you delegate. We dedicate a whole session to delegation on our leadership development programme for executives and focus on encouraging our participants to tailor solutions to their own strengths and weaknesses.

A good starting point is to define an effective structure for ‘delegation conversations’. Delegation conversations are the times at work when you attempt to delegate work to someone else. I hope this structure provides you with a useful starting point:

Understand your audience – who is being assigned the task?

Consider the skills, confidence and experience of the staff member who is being given a piece of work. How much information and support will they need? Is what is being asked of them achievable?

Frame the request

Clearly express to the staff member why this piece of work is necessary and why they are being asked to do it. What is the background to the piece of work? Why is it important? How does it fit into the bigger picture? Why are they the person who is best placed to do this task?

Define success

Clearly define what outcomes you are looking for and make sure the person you are delegating to has a clear idea of practicalities like deadlines and approvals required.

Arrange follow-up

How often would you like updates on the piece of work and in what form?

This structure is simple, but it is surprising how often important issues are left unsaid or ill-defined in delegation conversations, causing frustration and inefficiency.

Even seasoned managers can struggle to delegate effectively. Coaching can help you to improve your delegation skills and free up time to focus on the things that matter.

Professor Nelson Phillips is Abu Dhabi Chamber Chair in Innovation and Strategy at Imperial College Business School. He is also programme co-director for Leadership in a Technology Driven World.

Learn more on this upcoming programme

Leadership in a Technology Driven World

Imperial Leadership in a Technology Driven World Programme is a five-day immersive course that equips participants with the skills to lead their teams through the digital age.

Fast-track your MBA application at an Admissions Day

Chat to our students wealth and investment

One of the elements of our application process that candidates (and the Admissions team!) enjoy most is the fast-track Admissions Days that we run throughout the year.

Here’s our guide to what to expect and how to make the most of the experience.

What is an Admissions Day?

Admissions Days are full-day virtual events for candidates who have applied for the next part-time MBA intake – whether that’s for the:

At the next Admissions Day, you’ll join us for a welcome presentation from the Programme Director, a member of Imperial College Business School Careers and a taster lecture. You will hear more about our MBA programme and have an interview with one of our selectors. Throughout the day, you’ll have the opportunity to network with current students and alumni of our MBA programmes.

The day is a perfect taster into the atmosphere and ethos of Imperial College Business School, as well as helping you to accelerate your MBA application.

What are we looking for from the interview?

Just like the online interviews in our regular admissions rounds, we’re assessing your readiness and suitability for an MBA at Imperial through questions about your previous experience, motivations and future aspirations. For more guidance on how to prepare for your interview – check out this blog post!

Admissions Days are aimed at candidates who have made an application – if you’re still in the research stage, one of our regular information sessions or webinars would be a great first step.

What are the benefits of attending an Admissions Day?

Many students on our MBA programmes join us via an Admissions Day. Current students, Hal and Angie, share their reflections on the benefits of attending.

“Life doesn’t always work according to the cycle of admissions deadlines. In addition to being a centre of academic excellence, Imperial isn’t afraid to be innovative in how it operates. The accelerated application day allowed me to meet other students, world-class researchers and alumni and start my MBA journey 12 months earlier than I otherwise could have done.” Hal Sherrington, MBA 2019-20

“The Admissions Day was a fast way for me to get into the Weekend MBA at Imperial College Business School. I remember I experienced an interesting lecture on international business management and met some prospective Weekend MBA candidates who are now in my cohort. Most importantly, I received an offer for the programme the day after. It might sound strange, but I did enjoy the interview process very much, talking to the Admissions Director was more like a nice discussion rather than a stressful interview.” Angie Lee, Weekend MBA 2019-20

Listen to our podcast Inside IB to find out more about the Full-Time MBA application process

Developing a cyber security culture through continuous learning

Devleoping a cyber security culture through continuous learning

Cyber security can seem technical and obscure, but in many cases it is about dealing with the risks that arise from common human behaviours.

Using and re-using simple passwords, replying to emails without checking the identity of the sender and cutting corners close to project delivery deadlines may seem like common slip-ups but can often constitute cyber breaches.

It is important to realise that these types of scenarios play out across organisational boundaries and at all levels of seniority, including the C-suite. As a result, the chance of a cyber security breach occurring within an organisation is heightened when people believe that dealing with cyber security is “someone else’s problem”.

To avoid this, organisations need to cultivate a widespread and adaptive security culture that is driven by leaders and decision-makers who continuously learn and update their knowledge and skills.

A Government survey of large UK businesses – the FTSE 350 Cyber Governance Health Check 2018 – showed that company boards are increasingly recognising the importance of cyber security. Alarmingly though, this recognition is rarely followed up by the actions needed to develop and establish sound security practices.

One insight into this is that whilst 72 per cent of responding businesses recognised themselves as having high exposure to cybersecurity risk, only 54 per cent rated their board’s understanding of their data assets as comprehensive.

Furthermore, only 16 per cent of respondents reported that their boards had a firm grasp of the wider impacts and losses associated with a cyber security incident.

Taken together, these points suggest that executives often lack the necessary depth of knowledge and understanding needed to make a proper determination on whether or not to take action.

According to the Research Institute in Trustworthy Industrial Control Systems – a multi-university research programme led by the Institute for Security Science and Technology at Imperial College London - this shortfall in knowledge can be attributed to the inaccessible technical language that is often used when discussing cybersecurity.

This language barrier can play a significant role in impeding the timely escalation, examination and mitigation of risks within a company.

In a recent speech, Baroness Dido Harding - CEO of TalkTalk when it suffered a major cyber breach in 2015 - argued that in spite of recent high-profile cyber security incidents, boards and senior staff are potentially not asking the right questions about cybersecurity risk within their organisations.

The problem of risk communication is also reflected in the FTSE 350 survey, where only 33 per cent of businesses reported that they had a written board position on cyber security risk that had been widely disseminated across their organisation.

Faced with a lack of clear information, employees will often use their own judgements on cyber security best practice, which can lead to negative security consequences for the business.

In addition to clearly communicating risks to employees, investment is also needed when striving to achieve organisational resilience.

The FTSE 350 survey suggests that this is not happening at a healthy level across businesses, revealing that only 46 per cent of organisations with a cyber security strategy (and nearly all respondents claimed to have one) could point to a dedicated budget for it.

This, at least in part, may be due to the fact that cyber security is still seen by many as a purely technical issue rather than a broader organisational challenge, meaning that provision for dealing with it is assumed to be taken care of within IT budgets.

Of the businesses surveyed, 29 per cent said that their cyber security strategy was largely focussed on technology improvements and implementation. Whilst technology is clearly a vital component of any cyber security solution, it is crucial that businesses do not enclave their efforts solely within specialist teams, as this only promotes the issues of compartmentalisation and poor communication discussed above.

Furthermore, business leaders must keep abreast of what new technologies mean for cyber security. Leaders without a base level of technical competence in cyber security will struggle to ask good questions of technical specialists and contribute effectively when identifying and prioritising security risks, enacting appropriate measures to minimise exposure, dealing with crisis events and generally driving the continuous development of the security culture within their organisations.

Only around 20 per cent of the boards in the 2018 FTSE survey reported that they had undertaken crisis simulation exercises on cybersecurity in the last 12 months and data from the previous year’s survey shows that only 28 per cent of businesses reported that their boards had received training on how to deal with a cybersecurity incident in the previous 12 months.

A separate Government survey of UK businesses, the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019, undertaken by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport highlights similar issues beyond the board with only 27 per cent of businesses reporting that staff had attended internal or external training on cyber security in the previous 12 months. Of the businesses who did provide cyber security training, only 29 per cent of the trained staff were not cyber security or IT specialists.

The overall picture that emerges is that companies and organisations striving to improve their cyber security capabilities need to develop a culture where leaders are kept knowledgeable, risk communication and collaboration across teams is effective and investments in mitigations span solutions that are broader than technology. Achieving this means that decision makers must be engaged in continuous learning so that they can understand, adapt and react to emerging cyber security threats effectively. Picking the right blend of solutions for an organisation will be an enduring challenge – there is plenty of snake oil out there.

“What should I ask at the end of an interview?” 6 tips…

Hannah Salton is a Career Coach & Consultant who helps people navigate professional challenges including career change. In this blog, she shares her advice on how to deal with the inevitable conclusion of a job interview:

Interviewer: “So, do you have any questions for us?”

Candidate: “Yes, what questions should I ask at the end of an interview?”

I am often asked by my clients about the mystery surrounding what questions they should ask at the end of an interview. As an ex-corporate recruiter, people often think I’m privy to the secret code of ‘Good questions’ and ‘Bad questions’ that directly determine whether or not they will get offered the job.

While there are certain questions it might be best to avoid and others that can create a good impression, there aren’t strict rules about what you can and can’t ask at the end of an interview. A lot of it comes down to what you are genuinely interested to know.

Here are some guidelines to help you deal with this part of the interview:

1) Always ask SOMETHING

Even if you don’t have any burning questions, it’s a good idea to ask something to demonstrate your curiosity and interest in the company. You might think you’re saving the interviewer time by not asking any further questions, but the interviewer could interpret this as apathy for the organisation or for the role.

2) Don’t ask questions you could find the answer to online

Try to avoid asking about things that are readily available on their company website, or that you could find the answer to yourself through a bit of online research. This could be interpreted as lazy, and might give the impression you haven’t really done much background research in order to prepare for your interview.

3) Ask about something you’re genuinely interested in

You don’t need to ask the most complicated or original question in the world. Ask a question that allows you to subtly display what you are passionate about or interested in. For example if you’re really interested in diversity and inclusion, you might ask the interviewer what initiatives the company is working on (just be sure the answer to this isn’t readily available online!) If the person interviewing you works in the team you would be joining, you could ask them what their professional highlight within the team has been so far.

4) Don’t ask questions to deliberately aggravate the interviewer

Similar to the point above, don’t ‘show off’ by asking an extremely complicated or aggressively challenging question that could make the interviewer feel uncomfortable. Interviewers should be trained to handle such questions, but you could be seen as a deliberate trouble maker who doesn’t respect authority. If you do want to ask a complicated or controversial question, be sure to enquire in a friendly and polite way, explaining why you are interested to learn more about this. Also remember that any sensitive or risky question may get turned around to you – and they may ask you to articulate your own opinion or your motivation for asking the question in the first place.

5) Listen carefully to the response

It’s a common occurrence for interviewees to be so relieved they have asked an appropriate question to zone out and not listen carefully to the response given from your interviewer. Engage with the interviewer as they answer your question with eye contact and positive body language and if appropriate, ask a considered follow up question or simply add your comments to their response. This will demonstrate your listening and interpersonal skills, as well as your eagerness and interest in the job.

6) Avoid questions about compensation and benefits

If and when you get to the point of job offer, discussing the salary and benefits of the job is important. You need to understand what the deal is, and you may wish to negotiate on the details. The interview is generally not the best place to ask this, as it could give the impression that you are not that engaged or interested in the role itself. The questions you ask are an opportunity to learn more about the role or the company – save the questions about salary for a later conversation.

How to prepare for your scholarship video interview

At Imperial College Business School, we are pleased to offer a range of scholarships and significant funding to outstanding applicants across our MBA and MSc programmes.

Candidates will be considered automatically for some scholarships, based on information provided in the application form. For other scholarships, you will need to submit a three-minute scholarship video recording.

So, what is involved in the scholarship application process?

The scholarship application is separate to your application for your chosen programme, so you will need to submit both to be eligible. Make sure you take a close look at the application deadlines and scholarship deadlines. You can apply to the programme until the application closing date, but if the application and scholarship video interview are not submitted by the required date, you will not be eligible for a scholarship.

The deadline for each scholarship, along with scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria and how to apply, can be found on the ‘Scholarships’ page under ‘Fees and funding’ on each individual programme page. You can apply for multiple scholarships, but we recommend that you only apply for those that you have the strongest profile for.

Some scholarships do not require a video response to apply. For these scholarships, you will be automatically considered for this funding based on the strength of your application. However, keep in mind that you still need to submit your application before the scholarship deadline date to be eligible for these too.

How does the scholarship video interview work?

The scholarship video interview will work in a similar way to the interview you completed when applying to your programme. You will be given a question that you will need to respond to, and you will then need to record your answer as a video with our partner platform, Kira Talent.

Your video should be no longer than three minutes and must be submitted and recorded on Kira by the deadline date. There will be a short practice session to help you get used to the platform. Upon submission, you will have 30 seconds to gather your thoughts, followed by three minutes to record your answer.

Top tips to submit a standout scholarship application

1. Ensure you plan your response sufficiently

The most important thing before recording your video response is to make sure that your answer is well-thought-out. Write some notes of how you can answer the question and ensure that it is in line with what the question is asking you and what the scholarship represents.

Give some structure to your response and plan it out so that you don’t find yourself waffling or trailing your sentences in your video.

2. Go into detail with specific examples

Make sure that your answer isn’t just one long list of everything you have done that vaguely answers the question being asked. All awards have a defined, specific focus, and we will be looking carefully for how you match up to this – sometimes one well-explained example is better than multiple examples that lack detail. We want to find out the really amazing thing that makes you the standout scholarship recipient.

We find that applications are stronger when you focus on a specific area of success or give a strong example of an achievement or project. If your example was as part of a team or group, make sure you showcase what you contributed individually. This is an opportunity to really showcase you.

3. Think of your video as a three-minute pitch

When you are recording your response, think of it as a three-minute pitch. Imagine that you are giving a presentation to a panel. Like a presentation, do your best to present yourself in a calm and collected manner – and let your personality shine through.

We’re looking for the best in you and are interested in your experience and skills, so please don’t worry if you make the occasional stumble or mistake – we’ll be looking at the big picture of what you’ve told us.

It’s time to submit your application!

Make sure you look at our scholarship pages carefully for more information on the video response question, and scholarship deadlines.

We hope you found this article useful and wish you good luck with your application!

Mauro Bruni: MBA student, entrepreneur and international figure skater

In brief:

Full-Time MBA 2019-20 student
International figure skater
Founder of performance company House of Mauro
First recipient of Imperial’s Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Scholarship
Marketing Director of the Business School’s LGBTQ+ Business Club

International figure skater turned entrepreneur Mauro Bruni is not one to suffer from stage fright. He’s performed in front of crowds at Wembley and worldwide, and recently staged his own gala on ice. And he’s bringing that same level of chutzpah to his debut on Imperial College Business School’s Full-Time MBA programme. “Anyone gets jitters, but I love to perform. I’ve developed the tools necessary to handle anxiety.”

He’s the Business School’s first student to receive the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) fellowship: a scholarship awarded by the Business School to MBA students who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. ROMBA aims to change misconceptions around business education and inspire a broader range of candidates to apply for MBAs.

House of Mauro

Not that Mauro has always planned to do a business degree: “I loved my job so totally it was hard to think of doing anything else.” But beginning an MBA is a fitting way to end his performance career. He’s also just launched a performance company to bring contemporary skaters, choreographers, musicians and artists together. “Every athlete has a shelf life.” He’s here partly to sharpen up his business skills for the new venture, House of Mauro. “It’s early days but I feel I’m finding out what it is that I need to learn.”

His new company has already staged one event, in June 2019: “A big gala show collaborating with professionals in different industries, from costumers to painting, music and dancing.” In the past he’s choreographed productions, but this time he found himself in charge of the nuts and bolts of staging a show too. “All those things that happen off the ice – the preparation, lighting, staging – this time I had to take care of that, and it involved way more juggling.”

Most initial investment in his company came from his own funds, and he found sponsors to help with the first production costs. “I was able to make the experience special for audience and cast.” But he’s first to explain where he lacks experience. “I’m a creative, I don’t have a business background, and there are some areas I’m not comfortable with. I’m coming here to learn how a business is run.” If he brings creativity to the classroom, he’s delighted at the variety he’s discovering among his fellow students. “There are different personalities from all backgrounds and sectors: finance, energy, sustainability. This brings colour and dynamism to the programme.”

He’s also comfortable rubbing shoulders with different nationalities and cultures. “I’ve worked around the world, as a leader, manager and team member. Navigating cultural differences and learning styles comes naturally after so many years spent in cosmopolitan teams.”

New realms

When deciding where to go to business school, London, where Mauro’s performed many times, was a natural choice: it’s home from home. “I only applied to schools in cities where I feel comfortable. I love it here, and that helps when I’m outside my comfort zone. I have many friends who are performing here.” While in London, he’s also been appointed Marketing Director of the Business School’s LGBTQ+ Business Club. “As an [LGBTQ+] professional, it’s important to remain active and connected.”

In the past, he’s led productions, choregraphed shows, and coached performers. “People management comes naturally to me.” He’s also adept at skills such as time management, but he knows the MBA will fill in the gaps: “In anything related to finance for instance – that’s absolutely outside my realm. But I’m really interested in learning; I hope my knowledge expands in different ways I didn’t know I was capable of.”

Once he’s completed his MBA, he will return his energies to House of Mauro, but the platform will go on the backburner this year. “The company revolves around me. I need to manage my workload, so at present it’s just simmering. We want to promote what’s contemporary and avant garde, and build momentum. Bringing a whole community together to realise this project is my greatest achievement to date – it’s my greatest leap of faith.”

Find out more about our Full-Time MBA

My top tips to cope with exam uncertainty and stress

The end of a term is a very bittersweet moment for all students. The term ending means that all groups are finally finished with their coursework submissions and that all of our classes are over. It is at this point that you truly realise how fast an entire semester flew by in the blink of an eye. It also allows us students to reflect upon everything that we’ve learnt and how far we’ve come from where we started.

However, the end of semester also means that exam season is near. This is when our week-long revision break starts, right before our exams. Being an international student, I was very worried about the kind of exam format that I will have to face. Exams at Imperial take a much more practical approach that forces students to think outside theories and definitions and encourages creative thinking, problem solving and reasoning skills. They demand a much more pragmatic approach.

In this blog, I share my top tips of how I coped with this uncertainty and stress around exams.

Get help from your lecturers

The lecturers here at Imperial are extremely helpful at all stages of the semester. Since day one, students can approach them in or after class, email them queries or set-up appointments for doubt-clearing sessions.

Knowing that there will be many queries about the exam paper format, all lecturers provided us with last year’s question papers along with the answer key beforehand and conducted a class dedicated to answering questions about the exams.

Utilise the library

The library is a great place to study as it open 24/7 and provides a space away from distractions. During exam season, the library is filled with students which motivates you even more to put in extra hours of studying.

There are also a vast range of books available, including the ones recommended by the lectures. Also, the library café is only a step away and ensures the students get their caffeine needs fulfilled.

Set goals and stick to a schedule

Another way to deal with exams is making a schedule for oneself. This means deciding on goals for each day, allotting a time frame for the goal of the day and ensuring that you follow it.

It is also important for these goals to be realistic and achievable. Sticking to a planned timetable helps ensure that all concepts are covered with time remaining for revision.

Relax

It’s very important to incorporate small breaks into your schedule to help you relax once in a while. Imperial held a Puppy Therapy session that helped students kick back and de-stress. A small break with these furry friends went a long way in helping students unwind and in taking the pressure off to refresh, re-focus and re-energise. Attending any event of your choice or just casually hanging out with your friends can also help you cope with stress.

In the end, what helped me the most to be fully prepared to face these exams was keeping in mind all the tips and advice my professors gave me during the lectures. Their guidance along with a systematic approach to tackling exams helped me in balancing my studies and confidently sitting the exams.

Nimisha is a student on MSc Strategic Marketing 2019-20.

How to spend your weekend as an Imperial student: punting in Cambridge

Are you looking for an intriguing day trip on the weekend while you're studying at Imperial College Business School? We’d definitely recommend you to go for a punting experience in Cambridge!

How to go:

It’s very easy and simple! Just download the Trainline application on your phone and search for Cambridge. Our trip only cost £17.30 pounds per person for a round trip from London Kings Cross Station to Cambridge (including discount applied from the 16-25 railcard).

Tips: Students can acquire a 16-25 railcard that will help you get 1/3 the price of train journeys! It only costs £30 to register for the railcard and just three trips outside London would be worth it already.

From Cambridge station, it took around 30-minute to walk to our punting location, which was the Traditional Punting Company. We would highly recommend this company as they were very responsive to our inquiries.

Tips: Book the punting service in advance on their website for a cheaper price! But if you have a friend from Cambridge University, they can take you punting for free! (But be prepared to exert some energy because you will have to become the punter yourself)

Tips: We recommend booking a private tour if you come in a group of four to six people to get an exclusive experience with your friends.

Prepare to board:

Wear something comfortable because you will be getting on and off the boat. Since it’s England, you can never predict the weather. We recommend you wear something water resistant!
Don’t worry if it rains! You can still go punting. They provide big umbrellas for you. On the return trip, you might be lucky and see a big, double rainbow just like us.
The punters are nice and knowledgeable. Our punter, Tim, kept us entertained throughout the journey and talked us through each college as we pass by. It’s definitely an enjoyable and educational trip.

Three things to look out for when punting:

The Ivy Wall at New Court Building: In autumn, the ivy, Virginia Creeper, turns scarlet, creating a spectacular sight. Definitely an Instagram-worthy spot!
Bridge of Sighs: Make sure to snap a photo right before you go under the bridge. The bridge was in 1831, making it looks like something out of a fairytale.
St. John’s College: Look out for St. John’s College, one of the largest and oldest colleges in Cambridge. Upon the return trip, you can snap a photo of the gorgeous front of the college.

Ornvara Kasetrsuwan is currently studying MSc Strategic Marketing at Imperial.

Varisa Petcharapirat is currently studying an MSc Strategic Marketing programme at Imperial.

Things you need to consider if you’re applying late for an MBA or MSc programme

Do you have a Business School programme in your immediate sight, but are worried it may be too late to apply?

Applications are currently open for a number of our MBA and MSc programmes for 2024, and even if the start date is very soon, it might not be too late to apply.

We normally advise early applications for a number of reasons, however, every year we receive some fantastic late applications and we are happy to help those candidates who are applying later in the cycle, and offer some tips on what to consider when applying with limited time before the programme commences.

If you’re making a late application, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. International students need a visa to join the programme

If you are an international student, make sure you find out what type of visa you would require – a student route visa is required for full-time study or a standard visitor visa may be required for a part-time programme. Check that you would have adequate time to obtain this before the programme starts, and remember that the process and timings may vary between countries.

If you are an international student applying to one of our part-time programmes, we can only provide you with a short-term study visa letter when you have met all offer conditions, so make sure you are preparing to meet your offer conditions in advance.

For the latest information regarding visas, please see our guidance here.

2. Meeting your offer conditions

It is important to note that all applicants need to meet our offer conditions before you can join our programmes. As already mentioned, this is especially relevant to international students outside of the UK and EU who will need to meet these conditions before a visa can be obtained.

Even if you’ve put in a late application or are late applying, you can think ahead about how you will meet some of the offer conditions.

The following offer conditions need to be met by all applications:

Academic condition - you will need to verify your academic documents via the Qualification Check service - if your application is successful you will receive a link to verify your documents in your offer conditions. It's a good idea to have your documents ready or if your degree has not yet been awarded, confirm when the documents will be available.
You should be ready to pay your deposit, which is 10% of the total fee for all full-time programmes.
There may be a reference condition if we have not yet received two valid professional references. While you can submit your application with one of your references, there will be a condition on your offer if the second reference has not yet been received. To meet your conditions quickly, we advise you that you prioritise obtaining your second reference after you have submitted your application if you haven’t done so already.

3. Do you need to meet our English language requirement?

All students are required to meet our English language requirement, so if you have not studied your degree in an English speaking country, make sure you check the accepted qualifications and prepare to take an English proficiency test if required.

4. Additional requirements

In addition to the above, there are conditions that you might need to meet depending on your circumstance:

If you are being sponsored, then official confirmation of sponsorship will be required.
If you are applying for the Full-Time MBA or MSc International Management, a valid GMAT or GRE will be required (if not already provided with your application).

5. So now you’re prepared for meeting your offer conditions, what else should you be considering?

Embarking on an MBA or MSc programme is a big commitment, so you will need to prepare yourself mentally, financially, and practically. If you need a bit more time to sort out your finances, you have the option of paying the tuition fee in two instalments per year for our Full-Time MBA and MSc programmes. More information on paying your deposit and fees can be found on the Imperial College website.

On the practical side, make sure you find out when the induction period is, as you will need to be on campus for this, and it is compulsory for all programmes. You therefore may need to arrange short-term accommodation if you are studying part-time and joining us from overseas.

Returning to study

If you have been in work for a number of years and are worried about returning to study, this is perfectly natural, but do not fear! Our Programme team will do all they can at induction to facilitate an easy transition. They will hold workshops focussed on study skills/returning to study, and remember there will be plenty of others in your position!

You will also be asked to complete pre-study modules via our online learning platform to get you up to speed with basics of topics such as accounting, maths, finance and plagiarism awareness. They vary slightly programme to programme but are all designed to ensure you have the knowledge you need to get off to a great start in your core modules.

If you are made an offer, make sure you confirm your acceptance at the earliest possible stage to receive access to these pre-study modules. If you are applying late and have little time to complete the modules, please do not worry, you can talk to your Programme team during induction about getting these completed.

So now it’s time to get excited about embarking on your Imperial journey! We look forward to receiving your application and hopefully welcoming you to the Business School when we meet you at induction.

Six reflections on my first term on MSc Finance & Accounting

The first term at Imperial has been both an exceptionally giving and rigorous experience. There is no way to anticipate the stress that comes along with the challenges one faces. But I have viewed this term as an intense training towards developing some very relevant soft skills in the workplace: time management and stress management. In light of this, I have six main reflections to share on my first term on MSc Finance & Accounting.

1. Set your priorities straight

Term one is all about juggling lectures, classes, and career workshops alongside job applications, tests, interviews and assessment centres. So, it is important to determine and remind yourself of the reason you undertook the programme. For some, this may be getting a job and for others, this may be to score a first in their degree.

The alumni day at Canary Wharf was an important insight into this idea. Every alumnus resonated that you cannot have it all and hence should prioritise. This means that if completing the degree with a first-class honour is your objective, then you must place 80% of your focus on studying for classes weekly and 20% on job applications and other activities. If getting a job is your priority, then you must place 80% of your focus on completing good quality job applications and 20% on studies and other activities.

Additionally, I would love to tell you that I was able to manage it all, that I was able to cook my own healthy food daily, go to the gym every day, ace my studies and land a job. But this would be far from the truth. Time will not permit you to achieve all of this. To manage this situation, it’s important to set priorities, but also to cut ourselves some slack when we could not be the all-rounder millennial we are always striving to be. In the words of Professor James Sefton, the Academic Director of MSc Finance & Accounting “Good enough is good enough”.

2. Modules are practical and relevant

The Financial Accounting core module was not about book-keeping but the professional judgement associated with financial reporting standards. The most interesting part about the subject was the case studies - completed in class and through group discussions – which challenge the financial reporting related interpretations and decisions made by professional accounting firms today.

This is a skill that stood at the core of my experience as an auditor and stands at the core of ethical decision making in all finance career paths. The module was conceptually challenging, engaging and has helped me build a holistic perspective about financial reporting decisions.

It is important to note the relevance and practicality spread across all the subjects we studied in term one. Whatever your academic curiosity, the Business School has something for everyone to look forward to.

First term on MSc Finance & Accounting Natural History Museum — Natural History Museum welcome event

3. Do not compare yourself to others

It is very easy to follow what the rest of the class wants to do. Everyone else’s experience will seem better than yours. everyone else’s goals will seem more glamorous than yours. But it is important to take the time to understand your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes.

Doing this before coming to Imperial will help you keep yourself in check in moments of doubt. Make sure you take into account the person you are, the kind of schedule you like to follow and the kind of goals you want to achieve. This will help tailor your experience to your needs. It is important to remember that you use your opportunity here to write your own story and not just live someone else’s.

First term on MSc Finance & Accounting friends

4. Group work is a boon and not a bane

Group studying and group coursework in the midst of job applications, student club activities and personal commitments can be time consuming. However, it is important to leverage teamwork efficiently. Once you are assigned to your teams it will be extremely helpful to agree on how your team would like to work throughout the term in regard to timely completion of work and the contribution of every team member. Having discussed this early on helps keep all members in check and allows for better resolution of conflicts if they arise.

5. Use Imperial College Business School Careers effectively

While it is vital to diversify your understanding of the current job market by talking to alumni across all sectors, it is equally as important to choose which recruitment events, workshops and Career Consultant sessions are relevant to you.

To do this, research about the job market beforehand, outline your career strategy before coming to school and discuss this with a Career Consultant before term starts. This will give you the jump-start you need to effectively manage job applications and studies.