Aug 12, 20203 min
Updated: Mar 15
In our earlier posts in the MBA Spotlight series, we’ve covered schools and colleges with incredible legacies. Some of them have been around for a few decades, while others were established in the 1800s. But how about a university which has records of teaching since the year 1096! Even more impressive is that more than 900 years later, its reputation, quality, and magnificence has only increased.
While Oxford University itself may not have an exact date of establishment, the Said Business School was founded in 1996, and very quickly became one of the most reputed destinations in the world for business education. The school offers 11 degree programs.
The average full-time work experience of the incoming MBA batch is five years, with a median GMAT score of 690.
Class diversity: The Oxford MBA, like many others in the UK and Europe, proudly hosts an immensely diverse cohort. The current MBA batch of 329, has 95% international students, from 64 different countries. Students from different parts of Asia made up 35% of the batch, while another 25% was represented by students from North America.
Brand: There are very few, if any, college brands as famous as Oxford. No matter which field of study or which part of the world, being a graduate of Oxford will always carry incredible goodwill with it and can open doors for students many years after they complete their MBA program.
Campus and location: Staying in one of Oxford’s majestic colleges is an incredible experience in itself. The historic architecture combined with the latest technological facilities make it one of the best places to complete your business education from. Many of the buildings and artifacts from Oxford also served as inspiration for the Harry Potter novels, for any fans out there!
The MBA application consists of undergraduate transcripts, test scores, professional experiences, essays and 2 professional recommendations. It also has an online Kira interview, which comprises of two motivation based questions, two competency based questions, and one written response.
The Oxford MBA has a minimum work experience requirement, which stands at 2 years of full time experience.
The MBA application includes only one compulsory essay topic, which is ‘Tell us something that is not covered in your application which you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you’. The essay has a very tight word limit of 250 words, which means applicants need to be very precise and articulate in conveying their thoughts and showcasing what makes them unique.
There are two further essay questions for candidates applying under different circumstances. Applicants applying for the Oxford 1+1 (an Oxford Master’s program + the Oxford MBA), also need to answer the question ‘Explain why you see this as particularly beneficial for you and how it fits with your career and personal development aims’.
Re-applicants to Oxford need to answer the essay question ‘What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA?’
The word limit for both these essays is 250 words as well.
Oxford opens up opportunities in a large multitude of sectors, industries, and locations. Some key takeaways from the Class of 2018 to highlight this are,
92% of graduates seeking employment received an offer at graduation.
The average base salary was £72,618.
54% of graduates secured jobs in Europe, with 17% working in North America, and 16% in Asia.
Consulting, financial services, and technology were the top destination sectors, employing 23%, 27%, and 24% respectively.
Everything about Oxford University may seem like a fairytale, but its relevance and quality is still amongst the best in the world, and probably will be for another 1,000 years!