Judge Business School—The Cambridge MBA Guide

One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, the University of Cambridge has long been highly rated by students because of its academic rigor and vibrant student life. Comparatively new to other departments, the Cambridge Judge Business School was established in 1990, but its achievements are no less impressive.

Cambridge Judge offers an intensive one-year MBA program with a September start. Despite its short duration compared to most MBA programs in the United States, Cambridge Judge provides students with an engaging learning experience. During your study, you will immerse yourself with challenging courseworks, insightful discussions and stimulating experiential learnings. Cambridge strives to create a collaborative and innovative community in which students can explore, grow, and connect with each other.

Cambridge Judge MBA advocates entrepreneurship and creates a solid ground for students with entrepreneurial goals to explore and implement their ideas. The signature entrepreneurship centre aims to provide guidance and support to aspiring students from the beginning to the end. No matter if your entrepreneurial ideas just sprout or you have already established your business, the entrepreneurship centre can help you cultivate your plans or adjust your strategies.

With more than 90% of the class coming from outside of the UK, you can expect to be exposed to students from diverse backgrounds. Cambridge Judge encourages diversity and global learning experiences. The global consulting project that you will complete during your MBA program is an excellent example. During this team project, you can work with international companies, such as Google, WHO, and Mayfair Capital. If you hope to move to a different country upon the completion of your study, Judge MBA’s historical data shows a favorable trend. Almost half of the graduates stay in the UK and over 60% of graduates switch countries to the ones that are different from their pre-MBA countries. 

Class Size	226
Acceptance Rate	Does not disclose
GMAT Median	Does not disclose
GPA Minimum	Does not disclose
Average Age	29
Avg. Years Work Experience	6
Diversity Women	42%
Diversity Intl.	Does not disclose
Pre-MBA Industries	Industry: 51% Finance: 24% Consulting: 18% NGO / Not-for-Profit / Public Sector / Research / Education: 7%
Undergraduate Majors	STEM (Engineering): 29% Business/Accounting/Finance: 28% STEM (Other): 17% Social Sciences: 11% Economics: 10% Arts: 5%

The data above is from 2023 and represents the Cambridge Judge MBA class of 2024.
See the full report: Cambridge Judge Class Profile

Student Experiences

Cambridge MBA Employment Report & Careers

Salary Average	$161,007.00 i The average salary is a total of average salary + signing bonus
Offers Upon Graduation	Does not disclose
Offers At 3 Mos.	94
Post-MBA Industries	Consulting: 25% Finance: 30% Public sector|NGO|Other: 3% Industry – Internet|eCommerce: 11% Industry – Healthcare|Pharma|Biotech: 5% Industry – Technology: 10% Industry – Consumer Products|FMCG: 2% Industry – Arts|Entertainment|Media: 2% Industry – Other: 12%
Post-MBA Locations	United Kingdom: 60% East Asia: 15% South-East Asia: 9% North America: 8% Western Europe (excl. UK): 3% South Asia: 2% Australia: 1% Middle East & North Africa: 1% Latin America & Caribbean: 1%
Post-MBA Companies	Does not disclose
Career Development Resources	Cambridge Judge Career Development

*The data above is from 2022 and represents the career statistics for the Cambridge Judge MBA class of 2021.
See the full report: Cambridge Judge MBA Employment Report

Cambridge MBA Academic Programs 

MBA Curriculum

The Cambridge Judge MBA curriculum lasts 12 months, which consists of four terms, namely, Michaelmas Term (October to December), Lent Term (January to March), Easter Term (April to June) and Summer Term (June to September). The Michaelmas Term is primarily dedicated to core courses, such as entrepreneurship, management science, financial reporting and analysis. Students have a combination of core courses and electives during the Lent Term and the Easter Term. The Cambridge Judge Business School offers a great variety of electives, covering topics from finance and strategy to philosophy in business and entrepreneurship. During the first three terms, students work on one assigned project each term. When the Summer Term comes around, students should have already completed all the courseworks, and they will have the option to choose between an individual project, a work placement, and a research paper. 

Core Curriculum

• Entrepreneurship
• Management Science
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Reporting and Analysis
• Microeconomics
• Organisational Behaviour
• Management Praxis I
• Strategy
• Marketing
• Corporate Governance: Organisations
• Digital Business
• Management Praxis II
• Macroeconomics
• Operations Management
• Business & Society

Elective Curriculum

See the full list: Cambridge Judge MBA Electives List

Majors

In lieu of majors, Cambridge Judge offers elective concentrations. The current offerings include the following ten concentrations:

• Culture, Arts and Media Management
• Digital Transformation
• Energy and Environment
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Health Strategies
• Global Business
• Marketing
• Social Innovation
• Strategy

Experiential Learning Programs

• Cambridge Venture Project: Apply what you have learned in class and collaborate with a small group of classmates to work on a market research project with a UK based company.
• Global Consulting Project: Students work on a consulting project as a team for a major international company such as Google and the World Bank Group.
• Concentration Project: Students choose a concentration based on their preferences. You will take related electives and work with a coach who has particular expertise in the field. At the end of the specialized training, you will conduct a team project and present your findings.
• Summer Term Activities: Cambridge Judge understands that students have different interests and professional goals. As a consequence, you can choose to do either an individual project, a work placement or a research paper during your summer term. It is an excellent conclusion for students to gather their thoughts and further explore their goals.

Research Centers

It comes as no surprise that Cambridge Judge Business School has a great variety of research centers and even more to offer for academic collaboration across the University and beyond. MBA students have access to 19 research centers covering topics ranging from Financial Reporting & Accountability to Social Innovation. There are also 8 interdisciplinary centers that are available to MBA students that you can gain insights from different perspectives in related fields. 

Video Resources on Cambridge Judge Academics

Cambridge MBA Application

The latest application requirements set by the Cambridge Judge MBA admissions office are described below.

Essays

Here are the prompts for Cambridge Judge’s 2023-2024 application:

• Career Goals

  Career objectives. Please provide details of your post-MBA career plans. The statement should not exceed 500 words and must address the following:

  • What are your short and long-term career objectives? How will the Cambridge MBA equip you to achieve these?
  • Looking at your short-term career goal, describe the research you have done to understand how this industry/role/location recruits MBA talent and what they are looking for in a candidate?
  • How do you meet the requirements of your short-term career goal? What preparation are you doing now?
    
  (text box, 500 words)
• Professional Mistake

  Essay question 1. Tell us about a time when you made a professional mistake. How could it have ended differently? (Text box, up to 200 words)

• Best Team

  Essay question 2. Tell us about the best team you worked with. What made the team successful? (Text box, up to 200 words)

• Positive Impact

  Essay question 3. Provide an example of when someone else positively impacted your life. What did you learn from this experience? (Text box, up to 200 words)

• Current Job – Primary Pesponsibilities

  Work experience. Primary responsibilities. Describe your primary job responsibilities;

  1. type and size of internal and external teams with which you work or supervise

  2. type and number of clients or projects you manage;

  3. size of budget or revenue for which you are responsible;

  4. international experience or exposure

  (text box, 250 word limit)

• Career Challenge

  Work experience. What has been your most significant professional challenge? (text box, 200 word limit)

• Career Accomplishment

  Work experience. What has been your most significant professional achievement? (text box, 200 word limit)

• Reapplicant Essay

  Essay question 4. Additional question for re-applicants. Describe any relevant developments since you last applied to the Cambridge MBA? (text box, up to 200 words)

Video Resources on Cambridge Judge Admissions

Cambridge Judge MBA Admissions Interviews

The MBA admissions interviews at Cambridge Judge Business School are typically conducted either on campus or via Skype. When it comes to on-campus interviews, Cambridge hosts a two-day event for short-listed candidates who are invited for the interview. Other than the actual interview with a faculty member, candidates will be greeted by a formal dinner, some information sessions and a guided tour of campus by current students. In-person interviews are recommended if you want to network with current and prospective students and learn about college life at Cambridge. If you prefer not to travel to England, you have the option to complete your interview online. The content and the structure of the faculty interview is comparable whether you choose to do it in person or online.

Cambridge Judge Useful Links

Admissions Info	MBA Program Home Page Application Process and Requirements
How to Apply	Request Information Start an Application
Meet Cambridge Judge Business School	Admissions Events – Upcoming Connect with a Student
Do Your Research	Cambridge MBA Stories from Students News and Insights Scholarship and Fundings Faculty Directory

What Makes Cambridge Judge Unique?

Rigorous One-Year Program: Lasts only one year, the intensive Cambridge Judge MBA program is an ideal choice for people who want to return to work quickly whilst enjoying living abroad and experiencing British culture.

Academic Depth with a Practical Focus: Cambridge Judge MBA curriculum is designed to foster a deep understanding of business, explore your interests and sharpen your interpersonal and leadership skills. With an emphasis on practicality, Cambridge’s MBA program challenges you professionally whilst providing you with a highly collaborative community in which you can develop and connect.  

Entrepreneurship: For people with aspirations in entrepreneurship, Cambridge Judge could provide you with an exceptional ground to develop and excel. Cambridge has an entrepreneurship centre, which is devoted to inspire students and guide them through their entrepreneurial journey.

Global Experiences and Influences: With Cambridge recruiting its MBA students internationally, you can expect a highly diverse cohort. Despite having over 90% of students from outside of the UK, that is not the only thing Cambridge’s diversity entails. You can expect to meet students from different cultural as well as professional backgrounds which will stimulate informative discussions and enrich your understandings. In addition, 64% of Judge MBA students switch countries with the majority of them continuing living in the UK. 

Optimize your MBA journey with insights from our experienced MBA admission consulting team.

*All data retrieved from the Cambridge Judge Business School MBA Program webpages, unless otherwise stated.