Alliance Manchester Business School - AMBS

Fees and funding

The tuition fee for the Full-time MBA is £49,000 - whether you complete the programme in 18 or 15 months.

Several funding options are available for Full-time MBA applicants.

These include scholarships, bursary discounts for University of Manchester and Alliance Manchester Business School alumni and student loans. 

Alliance Manchester Business School scholarships

Every year, we support a good number of candidates through scholarships of various amounts, funded directly by Alliance Manchester Business School.

The scholarships are awarded as part of the admissions process, normally at the same time as an offer is made. Most of the scholarships are granted on a rolling basis, so candidates who apply early may have a stronger chance.

Alliance MBS Scholarships are only open to self-financing students.

How to apply

To be considered for an Alliance Manchester Business School scholarship, you'll need to complete the Full-time MBA application.

Some of the scholarships require an additional scholarship application to be submitted - you should read the information about each scholarship for specific details before applying.

Scholarship criteria

The scholarships are competitive and awarded to the strongest candidates. There are specific criteria for every scholarship - you should review the individual information for each one. As well as the specific criteria for each scholarship, there are general criteria which apply to all of them. These are:

  • Excellent performance across all of the Full-time MBA admission criteria
  • Potential to contribute and enrich all aspects of the MBA programme including the professional and cultural experience of the MBA class
  • Strong values and ethics - you should preferably be able to demonstrate your contribution to society or communities in roles outside of the workplace
  • Potential to become an outstanding future alumni ambassador and contribute positively back to the School, organisations and communities
  • Able to demonstrate a strong fit with our overall admissions strategy.
Manchester Merit scholarships

The Manchester Merit scholarship is awarded to the most outstanding MBA applicants identified during the admissions process.

You'll need a minimum GMAT score of 600 or equivalent GRE to be eligible. To apply, you'll need to complete the Full-time MBA application. You don't need to apply for an additional scholarship.

Industry scholarships

Best suited for

Candidates who demonstrate good academic credentials, plus outstanding achievements and career progression in one of the following sectors:

Professional services

You should be working for an internationally-recognised professional services company (global leader) in one of the following roles:

  • Management consultant
  • Accountant or auditor
  • Architect
  • Legal professional.

This award is not open to IT consultants.

Entrepreneurship

You should have a professional career in entrepreneurship. You'll need to demonstrate outstanding achievements and exceptional entrepreneurial flair for creating and running a successful business or growing a business venture(s).

Marketing

You should have good academic credentials and outstanding professional experience and achievements in marketing management roles for international brands or organisations.

Energy

You should have good academic credentials and outstanding professional experience and achievements, currently working in a senior role for a multinational energy, oil or gas company.

Military leaders

You should be a UK or European (EEA) permanent resident with previous/current experience as armed forces officers. You must also have:

  • Strong communication and networking skills
  • Leadership qualities
  • A commitment to promoting social and corporate responsibility in British/European society.

We have a long history of helping officers build successful post-forces careers.

Applying for an industry scholarship

You'll need to write a scholarship statement - this should be maximum 2 x A4 pages. Email your response to Full-timeMBA.admissions@manchester.ac.uk. Your written scholarship statement should address the following questions:

  • What makes you stand out as an exceptional candidate for this award?
  • How do you help or inspire others?
  • How will your experience and personal qualities benefit the MBA class?
  • How will you contribute as a future Alliance MBS alumnus, to return our investment in you?

Application deadline and decision dates

The industry sector scholarships are all awarded on a rolling basis as part of the admissions process, normally at the same time as an offer is made.

Inspirational Leaders scholarships

Best suited for

You should:

  • Be an inspirational leader with exceptional leadership qualities
  • Have a minimum of 6 years' professional experience since completion of bachelor degree
  • Have a minimum of 3 years' experience in a strategic leadership position
  • Currently be working in a senior management position for a multinational company (a strategic leadership role, with high-level responsibility, and most likely reporting into board level)
  • Show exceptional career progression and outstanding professional and personal achievements
  • Show a strong performance on the Manchester Admissions Test (MAT).

How to apply

You should complete the Full-time MBA application.

You don't need to take the GMAT®, but you'll need to take the MAT. This is predominantly a psychometric profile of leadership characteristics and qualities.

Then, you'll need to write a scholarship statement - this should be maximum 3 pages A4. Email your response to Full-timeMBA.admissions@manchester.ac.uk. Your written scholarship statement should address the following:

  • Tell us how you meet the scholarship criteria and what makes you stand out as an exceptional candidate for this award.
  • How do you help and inspire others?
  • How will you contribute inspirational leadership to the MBA programme and as a future alumnus of Alliance Manchester Business School?

Application deadline and decision dates

These scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis as part of the admissions process, normally at the same time as an offer is made. Candidates who apply early might have a better chance at receiving the scholarship.

Manchester Young Professionals

Best suited for

Members of the Manchester Young Professionals (MYP) community who demonstrate good academic credentials, plus outstanding achievements and career progression.

MYP is a community of professionals who live and work in Manchester and Greater Manchester across a wide range of sectors.

How to apply

You should complete the Full-time MBA application. Then, you'll need to email info@mcryoungprofessionals.com explaining that you have submitted your application.

Application deadline

The Manchester Young Professionals scholarship application deadline has passed for our 2024 cohort. The deadline for 2025 will be added to this page when confirmed.

Alumni scholarships - UK citizens only

Alumni scholarships are funded entirely by generous alumni who want to give others the opportunity to benefit from the Manchester MBA experience.

How to apply

To apply, you should submit your CV and a written scholarship statement to Full-timeMBA.admissions@manchester.ac.uk before the application deadline.

Your written scholarship statement should address the following in a maximum of 3 pages of A4:

  • Give us a brief summary of your career to date - how has your career progressed and what are your key achievements?
  • Why do you feel it is the right time in your career to study an MBA, and what are your immediate goals after you complete the programme?
  • Considering the scholarship criteria, what makes you stand out as an exceptional candidate for this award?
  • Financial need is an important criterion for these scholarships. Please tell us why, without financial assistance in the form of a scholarship, you would not otherwise be able to accept a place on the Manchester MBA? (You do not need to provide personal financial records).

After you submit your CV and scholarship statement

We'll send you an invitation to complete the following:

  • Manchester Admissions Test (MAT): The MAT is an online test, which you can complete online at home, in your office or anywhere with a good internet connection. You'll complete three short assessments - verbal, numerical and logical. The assessment takes around 15 minutes to complete and you don't need to prepare.
  • Video assessment: The video assessment comprises of four questions, which are designed to be answered without preparation in real-time. This will help us gain a sense of your personality, potential and communication skills - particularly your ability to think on your feet and communicate in a concise manner.

Due to the high value and prestigious nature of these awards, all candidates who make the shortlist will be invited to give a presentation to the Admissions Committee.

Scholarship criteria

To be eligible for alumni scholarships, you must:

  • Be a UK citizen
  • Show excellent performance across all aspects of the Full-time MBA admission criteria
  • Have the potential to contribute to all aspects of the MBA, and to enrich the class’s diverse professional and cultural profile
  • Have strong values and ethics - preferably you'll be able to demonstrate a contribution to society or community roles outside the workplace
  • Have the potential to become an outstanding future alumni ambassador and contribute positively back to the school, organisations and communities
  • Have a financial need.

The scholarships are competitive and are awarded to the strongest candidates. You must demonstrate financial need to apply.

We reserve the right not to award these scholarships if no suitable candidates are identified.

Application deadline and assessment

Application deadline

The deadline for Alumni scholarships has passed for our 2024 cohort. The deadline for 2025 will be added to this page when confirmed.

Assessment

If you're eligible, we'll ask you to give a presentation to the Admissions Committee - these will normally take place online.

Joseph Wright Scholarships

This scholarship is generously funded by Joseph Wright, who would like others to have the same opportunity to benefit from the Full-time MBA experience. The scholarships are:

  • Funded by Joseph Wright, MBA Class of 1974
  • 3 scholarships of £30,000
  • Open to UK citizens only.

About Joseph Wright

Joseph Wright is Executive Chairman at AmSpec Services LLC, a US-based company which is a leader in inspection and testing in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

An MBA and chartered accountant, Joseph has over 40 years' experience in business development, financing, and mergers and acquisitions.

Over the last 10 years, he has been directing the strategy and development of AmSpec Services LLC, building it from a local Linden inspection company to a renowned international testing and inspection organisation.

"Alliance MBS gave me a springboard to a successful career. The experience transformed me and my attitude towards business. I am happy to help a young student take advantage of the same opportunities I had."

The Masood Family MBA Scholarship

This scholarship is generously funded by the Masood Family. It is:

  • 1 scholarship of £15,000
  • Open to UK citizens only.

About The Masood Family

The Masood Family's support of the school, with tuition scholarships and the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, is testament to their deeply held conviction that entrepreneurship is crucial for economic growth and for driving competition and progress.

As graduates and scholarship recipients of the MBA programme at Alliance Manchester Business School, members of the Masood family have personal experience of the unique ethos and culture that animates the MBA experience.

They recognise the crucial role their time at the school played in nurturing their self-confidence, shaping their business instincts, and precipitating their professional and business careers.

It is fitting that the Masood family's generous support extends to endowing the Masood MBA Scholarship, which will give talented young students a world-class education and a springboard from which their own future achievements can grow.

Scholarships for female candidates

These scholarships support opportunities for talented female candidates to join the Alliance Manchester Business School Full-time MBA programme.

Compared to Full-time MBA programmes at many leading business schools, we have a good percentage of female students per class - usually around 40%. However, we would like to have a more equal gender balance.

Alliance MBS Women in Business / Forté Foundation scholarships

Alliance MBS Women In Business Scholarships (in support of the Forté Foundation Fellows Program Scholarships)

This scholarship has a value of up to 50% of the tuition fee.

Eligibility criteria

You can be a female candidate of any nationality - all nationalities are eligible for consideration. You should:

  • Have excellent academic, professional and personal achievements
  • Have strong leadership ability
  • Show determination to act as a role model for other women.

These scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis as part of the admissions process, normally at the same time as an offer is made.

How to apply

You should complete the Full-time MBA application.

You'll also need to submit a written scholarship applpication or presentation addressing the questions below.

The application should be written from your own perspective rather than as a research exercise. You can add graphics and photos to support your application if you feel this will help you to express your thoughts and ideas.

Scholarship application questions

  1. The business world faces a distinct shortage of women in senior management positions. From your own perspective, what do you think are the most significant barriers to female senior leadership and what will be the biggest challenge for the current and next generation of women in business? How do you think these challenges could be addressed, particularly in your own country?
  2. What are your key professional achievements to date and how do you hope to develop your career as a business leader in the future? Please share any challenges you have experienced as a female person building a career in business.
  3. Have you personally been involved in any initiatives to support women in business?
  4. What do you do to help or inspire others? How will you act as a role model for other women?

You should email your complete scholarship application to Full-timeMBA.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.

Application deadline and decision dates

These scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis as part of the admissions process, normally at the same time as an offer is made. Candidates who apply early might have a better chance at receiving a scholarship.

All candidates who have applied for or have been awarded an Alliance MBS Women in Business Scholarship by the final application deadline will automatically be considered for a Forté Foundation Fellows Program Scholarship.

Forté Foundation Fellows Program Scholarships

Alliance Manchester Business School is proud to be partnering with the Forté Foundation as part of the Forté Fellows Program.

Forté Foundation is a non-profit consortium of leading companies and top business schools working together to launch women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education, opportunities, and a community of successful women.

The Forté Fellows Program was created with the intention of increasing the number of women applying to and enrolling in MBA programmes by offering fellowships to women pursuing an MBA at a sponsoring business school.

In addition to the financial support provided, Forté Fellows have access to a number of unique resources from Forté Foundation including:

  • Participation in the annual Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference held at the Amazon headquarters in Seattle
  • Access to exclusive networking groups of Forté Fellows, Forté Fellow Alumnae and sponsor companies on social media and through Forté Fellow listservs
  • Special e-introductions to Forté sponsor companies and inclusion in the Fellow résumé book, which is distributed to all sponsor companies
  • Free lifetime Forté Foundation Premium Membership.

Eligibility criteria

You can be a female student of any nationality - all nationalities are eligible for consideration. We would actively like to nominate fellows who represent diverse educational and work backgrounds, career goals, ethnicities and citizenship. You should:

  • Exhibit exemplary leadership in one or more ways - academic, team, community, and creative leadership
  • Demonstrate a commitment to women and girls via personal mentorship or community involvement - such commitment is in alignment with the mission of Forté Foundation.

How to apply

If you'd like to be considered for a Forté Fellowship, you should first submit your MBA application and Women in Business scholarship application. We'll then select the Forté Fellows and notify the Forté Foundation of our selection.

All candidates who have applied for or have been awarded an Alliance MBS Women in Business Scholarship by the final application deadline will automatically be considered for a Forté Foundation Fellows Program Scholarship.

30% Club Female Business Leaders scholarship: 1 x full fee scholarship

One full tuition fee scholarship

Alliance Manchester Business School is proud to partner with the 30% Club to support their goals to build a continuum of change from classroom to boardroom, develop more high potential women and create a deeper pool of talent for tomorrow's boardrooms.

The 30% Club is a global campaign that signs up Chairs and CEOs to take action to create a better balance of men and women at all levels of their organisations as a business imperative, rather than a 'women's issue'.

The partnership with the 30% Club also offers the scholarship winner the opportunity to have a mentor during the programme.

Eligibility criteria

You must be a permanent resident in the UK to apply. You must also:

  • Demonstrate both depth and breadth of work experience
  • Show academic excellence and high potential for senior leadership roles
  • Have determination to act as a role model for other women.

How to apply

All female applicants who have submitted a completed Full-time MBA application form by the deadline will be automatically considered for this scholarship.

Due to the high value and prestigious nature of this award, all candidates who make the shortlist will be required to attend a mandatory assessment day at Alliance Manchester Business School. On the assessment day, you'll be required to give a presentation about yourself and your achievements and undertake an interview.

Applicants for the 30% Club Scholarship have the option to take the Manchester Admissions Test instead of GMAT® or GRE®.

Young Potential Leaders

We believe in nurturing and fast-tracking young British talent. Every year, we provide opportunities for up to ten very talented high-flyers to join the Manchester Full-time MBA.

These individuals will demonstrate high potential for rapid career advancement and a track record of using their talent to improve society.

Young Potential Leaders: £10,000 - £25,000

To be considered for one of ten Young Potential Leader places on the Full-time MBA programme you must have:

  • Permanent residency in the UK
  • A first class bachelor's degree, or a bachelor's degree with upper second class results and a Masters’ degree with distinction (both from a Russell Group University)
  • Less than three years' work experience.

To discuss our entry requirements in more detail, you should contact us.

Alliance Manchester Business School joint agreements

FUNED - Mexico

Alliance Manchester Business School has a joint agreement with Fundación Mexicana para la Educación, la Tecnología y la Ciencia (FUNED). Mexican students supported by FUNED receive a 25% discount on Full-time MBA tuition fees.

You'll need to receive an unconditional offer for the Full-time MBA programme to be awarded the 25% tuition fee discount through the Alliance Manchester Business School / FUNED agreement. You'll then need to be accepted by FUNED for their loan/scholarship programme.

You can read about the application process and deadlines on the FUNED website.

COLFUTURO - Colombia

Alliance Manchester Business School has a joint agreement with COLFUTURO. Columbian students supported by COLFUTURO receive a 25% discount on Full-time MBA tuition fees. Successful students identified by COLFUTURO are supported through a scholarship-loan.

You'll need to receive an unconditional offer for the Full-time MBA programme to be awarded the 25% tuition fee discount through the Alliance Manchester Business School / COLFUTURO agreement. You'll then also be accepted by COLFUTURO for their scholarship-loan.

You can read about the application process and deadlines on the COLFUTURO website.

The University of Manchester Alumni Bursary

If you're a graduate from The University of Manchester or UMIST, you can receive an alumni loyalty bursary. This is a 20% discount on the tuition fees that you're personally funding.

We have a one discount policy - this means if you're awarded a scholarship of 20% or above, you won't also receive the loyalty discount.

Loans

Prodigy Finance

Prodigy Finance is a loan provider for international postgraduate students at the world's top business schools. The Prodigy Finance loan is available to full-time students.

You'll be eligible to apply for the Prodigy Finance loan once you have an offer to study at AMBS. You can apply on the Prodigy Finance website.

Lendwise

Lendwise is a specialist loan provider dedicated to education finance for UK residents seeking to fund their postgraduate studies at top universities.

Approved students will benefit from a grace period, allowing repayment to start after graduation. The interest rate depends on the applicant's profile, and the application process is entirely online.

To apply, you should contact Lendwise directly.

Sarah Ovenden

This scholarship was really fundamental to me being able to take part in the full time MBA. Without the scholarship, I simply wouldn't have been able to undertake the full-time programme.

Sarah Ovenden, Full-Time MBA Class of 2025
Charlotte Overli

A scholarship made it much easier to make the choice to temporarily put my professional career on pause for 1.5 years and pursue my MBA.

Charlotte Overli, Full-time MBA Class of 2025
Esteban Aristizábal Isaza

Thanks to Alliance Manchester Business School and Fundación COLFUTURO for making it possible for Colombian students like me to pursue an MBA. This opportunity not only makes the MBA more accessible but also improves the diversity of the cohort with 29 nationalities, enriching the overall learning experience.

Esteban Aristizábal Isaza, Full-time MBA Class of 2025

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