Health MBA

Your UCL Health MBA journey begins before classes even start, with a two-part onboarding experience designed to prepare you academically, professionally, and personally.

1. Online Primer Courses (Self-Paced)
Before the programme begins, you’ll complete a set of tailored, online courses based on your background. These may include:

• Fundamentals of Accounting, Finance and Economics
• Global Health and the Sustainable Development Goals
• Study Skills for MBA Success
• Time Management

These primers ensure you're fully prepared for the academic demands of the programme.

2. Two-Week Induction Programme
A comprehensive induction kicks off your MBA experience, including:

• A three-day residential retreat focused on personal development, leadership, and team-building
• Personality and career assessments
• Individual and group coaching with career experts and recruiters
• Goal setting and preparation for the Global Health Challenge

The induction is designed to foster a strong cohort identity, sharpen your leadership and teamwork skills, and help define your personal goals for the year ahead.

Together, these onboarding components lay the foundation for a transformative MBA experience.

Delivered in four immersive teaching blocks, the programme combines core business disciplines with healthcare-specific content. Each block spans four weeks of face-to-face teaching, covering three core themes, followed by a wrap-up week featuring real-world case studies and guest health experts.

• Block 1: Strategy, People and Marketing
• Block 2: Funding, Finance and Regulation
• Block 3: Data Driven Management
• Block 4: Contemporary Topics in Health and Healthcare

Between blocks, students complete readings, assignments, and preparation through online materials.

The Global Health Challenge is the capstone experience of the UCL Health MBA, designed to bring together everything you’ve learned throughout the programme. Working in diverse teams, you’ll tackle a real-world health issue in a low- or middle-income country through a year-long project culminating in a two-week fieldwork experience abroad in January.

What You’ll Do:

• Collaborate in cross-functional teams to research and address a major healthcare challenge
• Apply business and management tools across strategy, leadership, finance, marketing, and project management
• Conduct fieldwork, gather primary data, and develop actionable, evidence-based solutions
• Present findings to peers, faculty, and global health professionals

Key Features:

• Begins during induction with assessments to form high-performing, well-balanced project teams
• Projects may cover topics like healthcare supply chain bottlenecks, NGO budget analysis, health policy implementation, or introducing health innovations
• Supported by UCL's leading academics with regular supervision and field guidance
• Aims to deliver both professional development and meaningful global health impact

This immersive experience gives you the opportunity to drive real change, develop advanced leadership and collaboration skills, and leave a lasting mark in global health.

In your final term, you’ll undertake a consultancy project with a real client in the health sector – an opportunity to apply your learning to a challenge or opportunity that aligns with your career goals.

Project Highlights:

• Work independently or in a small team to deliver solutions for a healthcare client
• Identify, design, and execute a consultancy brief shaped with your client
• Apply research, strategy, and consultancy skills developed throughout the programme
• Deliver tangible outcomes while enhancing your professional capabilities

The project begins at the end of Term 2 with workshops and one-to-one career coaching to help match you with the right client and project. You'll be supported by an academic supervisor and meet regularly with both them and your client throughout Term 3.

What You’ll Gain:

• Practical experience managing a consultancy project in the health sector
• Expertise in client engagement, project structuring, and evidence-based problem solving
• Enhanced research, communication, and stakeholder management skills

This capstone experience prepares you to transition confidently into leadership roles in healthcare and consulting.

We expect applicants to demonstrate a UK minimum of an upper second-class degree (2:1) or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Graduates without the relevant degree classification but with extensive relevant work experience are welcome to apply and will be considered on an individual basis.

There are several items to include with your application upon submission:

• A personal statement 
• Two references 
• Your updated resume/CV
• Full academic transcripts
• Application fee (£90)
• IELTS (or suitable equivalent) English proficiency score
• GMAT/GRE exam score

The personal statement has a limit of 3000 characters, including spaces. Alternatively, you can upload your personal statement as an additional document. In this case, it is advised for the personal statement to be no more than two pages.

Yes, applicants must have a IELTS score at level 6.5 or above, with no area less than 6.0 in the sub-tests. You can apply to this course without your IELTS, but you will only be able to receive a conditional offer until we receive proof of your IELTS score.

Find out more about the English language tests scores UCL accepts

Yes, you can. Whilst there are English language test requirements for the Health MBA, you can submit your application without the test results. However, without IELTS (or equivalent) results, only a conditional offer will be made until you submit your IELTS results.

Yes, at the final stage of the selection process, candidates who meet all other entry requirements and are considered the most competitive will be interviewed to ensure they understand the demands of the programme and are a good fit for this MBA.

The application period opens in autumn for those wishing to join a programme of study in the next academic year. 

There is currently an application processing fee for this programme of £90.

We advise you to include the following in your personal statement:

• Why you want to study our Health MBA and what your objectives are upon completion of the programme
• What particularly attracts you to this programme of study (it’s content and the opportunities it offers)
• How your personal, academic and professional background has prepared and qualified you for the demands of this challenging course
• Where you would like to go professionally through and after this programme of study

We require a well-balanced GMAT score or a valid GRE Score which we consider to be 550 and above.

Find out more about the GMAT scores and assessment process

We will consider a waiver of the GMAT score. To be considered for a waiver, you need to demonstrate exceptional academic performance and evidence of strong quantitative skills.

To request a waiver, provide both:

• A copy of your academic transcripts detailing modules taken and grades achieved
• CV

Requests should be sent to mbaadmissionsgbsh@ucl.ac.uk before you submit your MBA application and we will review on a case by case basis.

If you do not qualify for a waiver, you are required to submit a valid GMAT or GRE score as part of your application. 

It is not possible to submit an application once the application deadline has passed. Applications can be submitted up to 5pm (BST) on the deadline date advertised. If you have missed the deadline you would only be able to submit an application for the next admissions cycle which opens in the Autumn. 

Applications are considered on a rolling basis and, therefore, may close earlier than the advertised deadline. As we expect to receive a large number of high-quality applications, we advise that you apply as early as possible after the date applications open. A programme will be closed as soon as it is full or by the general deadline for applications.