Imperial College MBA Scholarships 2027 | Funded MBA Opportunities

The Imperial Full-Time MBA sits in London, lasts twelve months, and costs £78,000. That's the reason Imperial College Business School runs one of the most generous MBA scholarship portfolios in the UK. For the September 2027 intake, more than a dozen awards are on the table — a full-tuition Advisory Board Scholarship, several awards worth up to 50% of fees, and targeted funding for women, founders, veterans, and engineers.

Here's the part that matters most: most of these scholarships are automatic. If you're a self-funded candidate who gets an offer, you're considered for the eligible schemes without a separate application. A few of the big ones ask for a video assessment after your offer. And the money goes out round by round — earlier rounds have more of it. Round 1 closed on 22 September 2026, so Round 2 (12 January 2027) is now the earliest route to funding.

In short: Imperial College Business School offers 14+ MBA scholarships for its September 2027 Full-Time MBA in London, from a full-tuition Advisory Board award to 20–50% partial scholarships and £50,000 engineering fellowships. Self-funded offer-holders are automatically considered for most awards; applications run in staged rounds, with the next deadline on 12 January 2027.

Quick Overview

• Host Country: United Kingdom
• Host Institution: Imperial College Business School, Imperial College London
• Degree Level: MBA (Full-Time MBA; selected awards extend to other MBA formats)
• Program Duration: 12 months (September 2027 start)
• Funding Type: Merit-based scholarships — one full-tuition award plus partial awards of 20% to 50% and fixed sums up to £50,000
• Deadline: Staged rounds — Round 2 closes 12 January 2027, 23:59 UK time (Round 1 closed 22 September 2026)

Benefits of the Imperial College MBA Scholarships

Imperial's MBA awards reduce tuition fees; they don't add a separate living stipend, so plan your London living costs separately. What's on the official list for the Full-Time MBA:

• Full tuition fee — the Advisory Board Scholarship covers the entire £78,000, for self-funded candidates with exceptional merit and genuine financial need.
• Up to 50% of tuition — Dean's Impact Scholarship, Forté Fellowship (women), and ROMBA Fellowship (LGBTQ+ leaders) can each cut the fee in half.
• Up to 30% of tuition — Global Leaders Scholarship (Africa, Middle East, Latin America), Imperial Excellence Scholarship, Imperial Horizons Scholarship, and Military & Public Service Scholarship.
• £20,000 fixed awards — Imperial Founders Scholarship for entrepreneurs and FUNED Mexico Scholarship for Mexican nationals.
• £50,000 fellowships — two Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowships (one for engineers, one for scientists), delivered with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the National Physical Laboratory.
• 20% alumni bursary — any Imperial College London alumnus offered the Full-Time MBA gets it automatically.
• Plus partnership perks — Forté Fellows get conference attendance and a travel stipend; ROMBA Fellows get a leadership retreat in North America and free event registration.

Eligibility Criteria for the Imperial College MBA Scholarships

Eligibility differs by award, but these are the gates that matter, taken from the official pages:

• Admission offer required — every award needs an offer for the Full-Time MBA first. Scholarships follow the offer, not the other way round.
• Self-funded candidates — automatic consideration applies to self-funded applicants; the Advisory Board Scholarship explicitly requires it.
• Advisory Board bar — exceptional academic merit and a track record of professional achievement, genuine financial need that would otherwise prevent enrolment, a strong well-balanced GMAT/GRE score, and professional references.
• Merit and leadership — awards like Dean's Impact and Imperial Excellence want outstanding academics, strong professional achievement, clear leadership potential, and excellent communication skills.
• Identity and background criteria — Global Leaders (under-represented regions), Forté (women), ROMBA (LGBTQ+ community leadership), Military & Public Service (armed forces or public sector), Founders (founded or led a venture), FUNED (Mexican nationals), Loyalty Bursary (Imperial alumni).
• Engineers and scientists route — ESBF awards need a first degree in engineering or science, a GMAT of at least 650, four to ten years of post-degree experience, and UK nationality (engineers: living in the UK; scientists: intending to reside in the UK after graduation).
• New entrants only — current students already on the course aren't eligible.
• GMAT/GRE scores — required for the flagship awards and they strengthen every application; most MBA candidates sit one anyway.

How to Apply for the Imperial College MBA Scholarships

The process is the MBA application itself, staged in four rounds. Here's the sequence:

1. Choose your round. For September 2027 entry: Round 2 closes 12 January 2027, Round 3 closes 16 March 2027, Round 4 closes 11 May 2027. Earlier rounds get first pick of scholarship funding. 2. Submit the Full-Time MBA application on Imperial's admissions portal by 23:59 UK time on your round's deadline — academics, career essays, CV, references, test scores. 3. Interview. Shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview of about 30 minutes. 4. Receive your offer. If successful, your offer email may include an invitation to submit a video assessment for the big awards (Advisory Board, Dean's Impact, ROMBA). 5. Automatic consideration kicks in. Most scholarships are assessed automatically once you hold an offer — no extra forms for Excellence, Horizons, Global Leaders, Military & Public Service, Forté, Founders, or the Loyalty Bursary. 6. External awards need separate applications. The £50,000 ESBF fellowships are applied for via the Royal Academy of Engineering (engineers) or the National Physical Laboratory (scientists); FUNED Mexico via FUNED's own portal. 7. Wait for decisions. MBA and scholarship decisions follow per-round deadlines — e.g. Round 2 applicants hear by 26 February 2027, Round 3 by 30 April 2027, Round 4 by 25 June 2027. 8. Secure your place. A 10% deposit of the tuition fee is due within 30 days of the invoice to confirm your place.

Required Documents

The scholarship assessment rides on your MBA application file, so these are the documents that matter:

• Completed MBA application form with career planning essays and a personal statement
• Current CV or resume showing professional achievement and leadership
• Contact details for two professional referees
• Official transcripts of academic degrees and degree certificate
• GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment score report (required for flagship awards)
• English language proficiency test result (if required)
• Video assessment submission (by invitation, after the offer, for selected awards)
• For ESBF fellowships: engineering/science degree evidence, proof of UK nationality, and experience record

Imperial College MBA Scholarships Deadline

This is the make-or-break detail, so read it carefully. Imperial runs a staged admissions process with all deadlines at 23:59 UK time:

• Round 1 — 22 September 2026: CLOSED. This round is gone.
• Round 2 — 12 January 2027: the next live deadline, and the last round in which the Advisory Board Scholarship (full tuition) is available. Decisions by 26 February 2027.
• Round 3 — 16 March 2027: decisions by 30 April 2027. Dean's Impact recipients from this round are notified from the week of 16 June.
• Round 4 — 11 May 2027: final round; decisions by 25 June 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Imperial MBA really fundable for an average strong applicant?

Yes, realistically. There's one full-tuition award and a long tail of 20–50% awards aimed at different profiles — founders, women, veterans, regional talent, alumni, engineers. Most are automatic on offer, so the "application" is really about getting into the MBA in an early round.

What's the single biggest scholarship?

The Advisory Board Scholarship: full tuition (£78,000). But it demands exceptional merit, a strong GMAT/GRE, professional achievement, and genuine financial need that would otherwise prevent enrolment — and it's only open to rounds one and two.

Do I need a separate scholarship application?

Usually no. Self-funded offer-holders are automatically considered for nearly all awards. Exceptions: the flagship awards may ask for a video assessment after your offer, and the ESBF £50,000 fellowships and FUNED Mexico award need their own external applications.

Can international students get these scholarships?

Yes — fees are the same for UK and international students, and most awards are open to all nationalities. Some are geography-specific: Global Leaders targets Africa, the Middle East and Latin America; FUNED is for Mexican nationals; the ESBF fellowships require UK nationality.

Does any award cover living costs in London?

No. The scholarships reduce tuition fees only. Living costs in London are separate and substantial — budget for them independently, and note that tuition fees themselves don't cover accommodation or expenses.

Is a GMAT score compulsory for scholarships?

For the flagship awards (Advisory Board, Dean's Impact, Imperial Excellence), a strong well-balanced GMAT/GRE score is required. For automatic-consideration awards it strengthens your case. Most competitive MBA applicants sit one regardless.

Can I apply for the scholarship before getting an offer?

No. Every award requires an MBA offer first. The logic is deliberate: impress in the MBA application and interview, and the scholarships follow.

What if I miss the scholarship round deadlines?

Each round has its own scholarship decisions, and funding is limited per round. Missing a round means waiting for the next — but Round 4 (11 May 2027) is the last. The full-tuition Advisory Board award dies after Round 2.

Do Executive MBA, Weekend MBA, and Global Online MBA have scholarships too?

Yes — several awards, including Military & Public Service and Dean's Impact, extend to other MBA formats, and the other programmes run their own funding. Check each format's fees-and-funding page; the awards here are written for the Full-Time MBA.

Can I reapply if I don't get funding in my round?

Imperial doesn't publish a reapplication policy for scholarships, but the staged-round structure effectively gives you one shot per cycle — you apply in one round. If you enrol without an award, note that scholarships are for new entrants only, so you can't win one in year two.

Final Words

Imperial's MBA funding rewards the obvious things: a strong application, an early round, and a profile that matches an award's purpose. The realistic play is Round 2, your best GMAT, and letting the automatic consideration work — with a funding plan that survives even without an award.