Oxford Saïd Business School Brochure

mpact from within

mpact from within

‘Solving the world’s challenges is no longer the preserve of government; business has growing power, influence and responsibility. So, business needs leaders primed for that task.

Our School is uniquely placed to answer the call. We develop future leaders, who go into business with purpose, because only then can business make meaningful impact on the world – the kind of impact that helps address the most pressing issues of our day, from the climate crisis to the AI revolution.

This proposition – educating leaders, who transform businesses, which impact the world positively – is what we mean by ïmpact from within. Set within the world’s greatest university, our excellence in programmes, world-class research and an engaged global alumni network create a powerful catalyst for change.

We all have a stake at the table. We can all effect positive change. We can all deliver ïmpact from within.

Thank you for your contribution.’

Professor Soumitra Dutta

Peter Moores Dean

Our vision

To become one of the world’s leading business schools, delivering ïmpact from within by educating leaders, who transform businesses, to have a positive impact on our world.

We seek to shape the future of business education to help address key global opportunities and challenges.

Our values

Transformational

We challenge constructively, provoke thought, and influence and inspire others to develop.

Collaborative

We are stronger together. We are inclusive, approachable, and value good communication.

Respectful

We are caring, supportive, appreciative, embrace difference, and value each other’s opinions.

Purposeful

We are a community that believes in sustainable growth, and are responsible, principled and transparent.

Entrepreneurial

We embrace and encourage change and innovation. We are creative, flexible and brave.

Excellence

We are professional, focused and aligned, and have a responsibility to do the very best we can.

Research strategy

Research underpins everything we do at Oxford Saïd. It’s of the highest academic quality. It’s imaginative and innovative. It’s future-facing yet grounded in the past and the present.

It informs our teaching and inspires our work with business and industry partners. And it’s a fundamental reason the business leaders of today and tomorrow choose our ‘School’ to probe, explore and understand our world’s most pressing topics.

Our research record

Embedded in one of the world’s greatest and oldest universities, the vibrant Oxford Saïd academic community has produced excellent and impactful research for decades. We have a particularly strong record in the following areas:

• A pplications and implications of artificial intelligence, algorithms, data science and machine learning for business and society

• Accountability of and trust in business and institutions, including the financial industry, central banks, multinational corporations and governments

• Emerging technologies, such as fintech or augmented/virtual reality, and how they impact consumers, employees, leaders and society

• Healthcare, including issues pertinent to leadership, operations, data and patient management

• Senior executive leadership, including corporate governance, diversity, corporate reputation and strategy

• Sustainable development, with a focus on how companies transform and align their decision making, assets and activities to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

• M ajor societal issues such as climate change, cybersecurity, diversity, privacy, politics, shifting demographics and automation, and their associated business and leadership challenges

Priority development areas

Our research culture is underpinned by a strong belief in academic freedom and Oxford Saïd values all contributions to our greater understanding of business and industry. Within this broad remit the School is particularly keen to encourage research that tackles the most critical issues facing the business world today. These priority areas address major global challenges and have inspired communities of researchers within the School to collaborate and innovate together. These research communities have forged invaluable connections with colleagues across the wider University, providing opportunities for critical interdisciplinary work and knowledge exchange.

Research strategy

Infrastructure and support

At Oxford Saïd we know great research flourishes in an environment that’s welcoming, collaborative, well-resourced and supportive. The Research Office helps our diverse community thrive by providing practical help and advice to our busy researchers. We advise on project planning, budgets and impact; provide pre- and post-award administrative support; and oversee research contracts and funding applications. We support our researchers to develop their skills and experience throughout their careers by organising training and mentoring activities and by facilitating networking within the School, across the wider University and even further afield. We also administer the generous departmental funds which the School has set aside specifically to support research.

Oxford Saïd is future-facing, agile and tech savvy. We are pleased to be able to provide our research community with state-of-the-art facilities and technology designed to support research and collaboration, teaching and learning, and events and conferences, whether online or in person at our iconic School buildings. The Sainsbury Library – just one of the 26 libraries that make up the world-renowned Bodleian – provides students and researchers with space for individual or group activities alongside the very best digital and print information resources.

As part of the University of Oxford, our researchers benefit from access to all those University libraries, as well as museums, colleges, technology and resources. We also enjoy opportunities to collaborate with expert colleagues from other departments and to participate in interdisciplinary institutes and initiatives, such as the Oxford Internet Institute, the Oxford Martin School, and the Blavatnik School of Government, to name but a few.

As a leading business research institution, we believe that Oxford Saïd represents a point of connection between academic research and management practice. We cultivate close external partnerships with corporations, policy makers and NGOs so that our researchers can observe, experiment and co-create research that is relevant and impactful. Our Research Office and Development team support researchers in establishing knowledge-exchange or philanthropic arrangements with partners in business or the public sector. We can also liaise with Oxford University Innovations who specialise in helping scholars set up consulting work or spin-outs based on their research.

Centres and initiatives

Our

research centres and initiatives tackle world-scale problems. They provide an infrastructure to facilitate research and impact activities in areas such as business taxation,

digital marketing and responsible business.

Entrepreneurship Centre

Supports Saïd Business School’s community and University of Oxford students to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions and achieve their goals. We take immense pride in our commitment to fostering innovation, nurturing talent and shaping future leaders. The Entrepreneurship Centre stands as a shining example of Oxford University’s dedication to excellence in education, research and entrepreneurial support. There are two words that define us: collaborative and excellence. As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship education and support, the Entrepreneurship Centre has remained at the forefront of promoting an entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills among our students, researchers and wider community. We have designed and executed a comprehensive range of programmes and activities, including further curriculum programmes to the wider University, ensuring that every student interested in entrepreneurship finds a place to flourish. From an annual flagship conference and an online learning platform to a student-led seed investment fund, our Centre has consistently provided invaluable resources, mentorship from our vast network of experts, and opportunities for students to develop their leadership and entrepreneurial skills – and, for those with ideas, to transform them into tangible ventures. The impact we’ve had on the entrepreneurial ecosystem is truly remarkable, as evidenced by the numerous success stories, thriving start-ups and ground-breaking innovations that have emerged from our community.

Entrepreneurship Centre

Centres and initiatives

Creative Destruction Lab

A mentoring programme that aims to enhance the prosperity of humankind through the rapid scaling of seed-stage technology and sciencebased start-ups.

Founded in 2012 at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, CDL delivers an objectives-based mentoring programme for massively scalable, early-stage technology and science-based startups. Over the years, CDL has expanded its reach and now operates in 13 business schools globally. CDL-Oxford was the first CDL site established outside of North America, followed by CDL-Paris (HEC Paris), CDL-Estonia (Delta Management School) and CDL-Berlin (ESMT Berlin).

Throughout the intensive nine-month programme, admitted ventures are put through a Darwinian selection process, ensuring that only the most massively scalable startups proceed to graduation.

During this journey, ventures receive mentorship from CDL-Oxford’s high calibre mentors, including Patrick Pichette (Former CFO of Google), Louise Hill (CEO and Co-Founder of GoHenry), Nigel Toon (CEO and Co-Founder of Graphcore), and Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne (Founder of Genius Foods Ltd.), among many others.

The CDL-Oxford Student Programme is designed to expose students to the world of entrepreneurship. MBA and postgraduate students register for CDL Discovery to observe the CDL mentoring process and, upon completion, can apply to work on a highly competitive CDL Consulting Project with technical venture founders on a business narrative consulting project.

Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

Bridging theory and practice, the Skoll Centre equips entrepreneurial leaders to catalyse social impact within and beyond business.

The Centre brings researchers and practitioners together to generate insights on how to lead, organise, finance, measure and scale impact, and incorporates these insights into transformational learning experiences for entrepreneurial leaders at Oxford and worldwide.

Core programmes include the Skoll Scholarship, which supports promising young social entrepreneurs pursuing their MBA; Impact Lab, a leadership development programme for postgraduate students across the University of Oxford; and Map the System, a systems thinking learning programme and competition open to university students around the world.

Research by Skoll Centre Fellows has contributed pioneering thought leadership to advance the fields of social entrepreneurship, impact and innovation.

The Centre’s new research initiative, Ownership Project 2.0, is developing actionable, research-based insights into how private capital owners can leverage their wealth to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our Insights for Action seminar series features researchers in conversation with practitioners on topics such as social sustainability in global supply chains; the art, science and business of sustainable finance; and thinking for tackling systemic problems.

Over the past 20 years, the Centre has built a global community of affiliates working across business, government and the social sector to catalyse change.

Every year, we partner with the Skoll Foundation to host the Skoll World Forum, the premiere global convening for advancing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

The Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative

Addressing the need to infuse marketing practice with evidence-based solutions to complex business problems.

This research initiative brings the School’s world-class marketing academics together with senior marketing leaders from some of the world’s largest companies to collaboratively tackle major challenges in the marketing, advertising, media, and communications industries.

Through a commitment to relevance, rigour, and research-driven methodologies, FOMI fosters groundbreaking partnerships between academia and industry. Notable brand partnerships, including L’Oréal, Google, Unilever, JP Morgan, and Mars, have played a pivotal role in shaping the research agenda of the initiative. These partnerships have yielded impactful research outcomes, delving into critical themes such as:

• Humanised and Responsible Business Growth

• A I Integration in Marketing and Advertising

• Revolutionising Campaign Effectiveness Measurement

The marketing curriculum in the MBA and Executive MBA programmes is continuously refreshed through collaborations with FOMI partners, ensuring alignment with the evolving needs of marketing leaders in global companies, while the Diploma in AI for Business, led by marketing faculty members, offers comprehensive education on AI’s application across various business domains, with active involvement from FOMI-affiliated faculty members.

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

Helping small businesses and entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity through education and business support.

Designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises in the UK. Working alongside the most senior decision makers of 70 other established businesses, each cohort provides:

• Education and insights from the UK’s leading academics

• Dedicated, highly experienced mentor

• Peer-to-peer support

• Robust, supportive and engaging alumni network which provides continuous learning

In 2010, Goldman Sachs initiated the programme aiming to create jobs and economic opportunities. Since launch, over 2,000 small business leaders from all regions of the UK have participated.

The programme brings together leaders of small businesses from across industry sectors and creates unique networking and peer learning opportunities. Approximately 100 hours curriculum of in-person and virtual teaching has been designed specifically by leading global academics and industry experts in entrepreneurship. The 13-week programme runs twice a year and is funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, delivered in partnership with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and includes select guest faculty from Aston University.

Centres and initiatives

Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation

A pioneering research centre that has been based at Oxford Saïd since 2008. It investigates the dynamics of social evaluations – such as trust and legitimacy – and their impact on areas as diverse as corruption and supply chain governance, gender in entrepreneurship and CEO celebrity. It is now recognised globally for its expertise in this area.

Our work on social evaluations encompasses the following:

Legitimacy: how organisations and leaders become accepted as valid actors in their fields

Status: the value of inter-sector positioning and rankings

Stigma: the mechanisms by which organisations become pariahs, and how they handle this

Celebrity: the emergence of organisational celebrity, particularly among CEOs

Reputation: how different perceptual dimensions create organisational value

Trust: work exploring foundational licence to operate themes

The Centre funds ten Postdoctoral Research Fellows working with professors at Oxford Saïd and across the University. It established and leads executive education courses, such as the Corporate Affairs Academy for corporate affairs leaders. It also supports doctoral students working across many disciplines, from law and ethics to sustainability in finance, and facilitates a number of scholarships, in particular for women on the MBA, and masters’ students from Africa.

Oxford Future of Real Estate Initiative

An industry-supported research programme focused on the 2025-2030 impact of innovation and technology on the global real estate industry.

Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation

An independent research centre that aims to promote effective policies for the taxation of business. It undertakes and publishes multidisciplinary research into the aims, practice and consequences of taxes that affect business.

Oxford Initiative on Rethinking Performance

Seeks to establish a global centre of knowledge on bold and contemporary thought around holistic performance measurement and sustainable value creation. It aims to transform business and investment practices and leadership to become more purposeful.

Private Equity Institute

Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative

Research into the disruption caused by technology in the financial sector. It advances the financial sector’s understanding of this and related issues by exploring global changes in business, policy and society in collaboration with industry stakeholders.

Founded in 2009 to provide a forum to promote research, education and networking within private equity. It maintains an authoritative, independent and unbiased perspective on the private equity industry, aiming for the highest standard of academic integrity associated with the University of Oxford. Ownership

Ownership Project 2.0: Private Capital Owners and Impact

This research initiative is developing actionable, research-based insights into how family offices and foundations, family holding companies, and family businesses can use their unique agility in leveraging their wealth to address the systemic global challenges identified by the UN’s sustainable development goals, such as climate change, social and economic equality, and public health.

Private Equity Institute

Project 2.0

Oxford Rethinking Performance Initiative

Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative

Programmes

Our MBAs, degrees, executive diplomas and executive education courses seek to transform individuals, develop leaders and inspire a new generation of purposeful, impact-focused entrepreneurs.

We are a powerful business school that produces powerful ideas. We challenge our lecturers, researchers, students and participants to think expansively and engage thoughtfully. They will consider these fundamental questions which underpin a Saïd Business School education:

• W hat are the rules of the game: how do written and unwritten rules affect the performance of business?

• W hat types of organisations, whether high growth, high impact, or high scale, will fundamentally change the business landscape?

• How do we map the trends that will define the future of business?

• How do we educate and energise a community that can address these huge issues?

Business has to respond to an ever-changing global context; similarly, our courses adapt and grow to respond to the most pressing issues of the day, ensuring the impact we deliver is timely and relevant.

Oxford MBA

The Oxford MBA is an intensive and flexible one-year programme. It’s designed to help students achieve career success and make a lasting impact, wherever they work.

We select MBA candidates from across the world and from every sector, resulting in a highly diverse cohort. Our MBA students come to us as highly motivated people. They’re leaders, determined to turn ideas into action, accelerate change and make an impact.

As a one-year programme, the Oxford MBA is busy and intense, aiming to broaden the mind as well as focus on the individual’s goals. Placed firmly within the current global context, it’s structured carefully around a core that gives a thorough grounding in all key business skills and functions. Participants then pick electives, co-curricular courses and student-led activities to customise their experience around their own interests or to follow a particular career trajectory.

We’e developed six pathways to help students navigate the programme:

• C onsulting

• Entrepreneurship

• Innovation and impact

• Finance

• Global industry

• Technology

The class

‘At Oxford, I could learn from leading experts across the University in fields as diverse as climate change, philosophy, and AI, and I had the opportunity to publish research on financial regulation and net zero.’

Sophie Fry – Head of ESG Policy Development, Barclays

Oxford 1+1 MBA

A University of Oxford master’s degree combined with an MBA, designed to accelerate careers through specialist knowledge.

The 1+1 MBA is a unique opportunity to combine the one-year MBA at Saïd Business School with a partnering master’s programme from another department at the University of Oxford. With over 35 degree combinations, the Oxford 1+1 MBA will equip students with the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills they need to develop as an impactful leader.

In the first year of the 1+1, students will gain the specialist knowledge they need to excel in their field by completing their master’s selected from our range of partner programmes. These vary from the Master of Public Policy to the MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine. In their second year, they’ll translate academic theory into action and broaden their business skills by completing their MBA.

Across the two years at Oxford, participants will connect with people across two departments, as well as within their college. They’ll graduate with a large and diverse network of exceptional individuals, many of whom will become lifelong friends.

Global impact.

Executive MBA The class

Personal achievement.

The Executive MBA is a part-time modular general management programme that runs from January and September every year. We have developed a flexible format that allows participants to tailor their studies – through elective modules and integrative project work – to themes important to their organisation.

The programme reflects the University of Oxford’s global reputation for academic excellence, combined with an emphasis on practical problem-solving for business leaders. It’s an intensive, unique and transformational learning journey.

The programme is taught over 16-18 immersive one-week modules. It’s delivered over 22-24 months, depending on the intake and electives chosen. Most modules run from Monday to Friday and take place in Oxford, with at least one module taking place internationally. This structure allows senior executives to apply their learnings and project work immediately to their organisations, enhancing both corporate and individual capabilities for maximum impact.

‘A true voyage of discovery …within the world’s best university. I can already see the positive impact.’

Gemma Spence – Vice-President of Commerce Transformation, WPP, UK

Degree programmes

We offer full-time degree programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels covering economics, law, management and finance.

The challenges facing business today are global, complex and connected. Our degree programmes are designed to help students develop the skills and insights needed to make a meaningful impact on business and, by extension, the world.

The courses help people at different stages of their career learn how to make tangible impact through transformational thinking; in many cases, they offer people the opportunity to gain an accredited qualification from the University of Oxford, without interrupting their career.

BA (Hons) Economics and Management

The Economics and Management undergraduate degree programme examines issues central to the world we live in.

It covers how the economy and organisations function, and how resources are allocated and coordinated to achieve the organisation's objectives. The programme helps students understand the world around them, and to think clearly and analytically. They will be stimulated intellectually by challenging work, while exploring the key issues our world faces today.

In the first year, there are three courses: introductory economics, general management, and financial management. In the second and third years, students can choose between economics and management courses, with a minimum requirement in each.

Although the Economics and Management degree is taught jointly with the Department of Economics, it’s not a Business Studies degree; it’s taught as an academic subject within the Social Sciences division of the University. This means students will be learning through traditional academic means: reading, discussion, and writing essays on problems and subjects set by their tutors each week.

Graduates from this course pursue a diverse range of careers. While the majority take positions in finance or consulting, recent graduates have pursued careers in politics, the clergy, teaching, not-for-profit organisations, and academia. Some students set up their own businesses, others become social entrepreneurs. In every case, the potential for making real impact is clear.

MSc in Financial Economics

Where theory meets practice: students master the skills and knowledge demanded by top employers to accelerate their careers in finance and make an impact where it counts.

Combining academic rigour and practical application, the MSc in Financial Economics (MFE) trains participants to be a financial economist prepared for the challenges of the future. They leave with a command of economics and knowledge of a wide range of financial applications. They also gain an international perspective and mastery of real-world skills that are in demand across leading companies, spanning a host of different industries.

The MFE is jointly delivered by Saïd Business School finance faculty and the Oxford University Department of Economics. The nine-month learning experience combines the expertise of two world-class departments and is enriched by input from exceptional practitioners from leading international firms.

The combination of the programme curriculum and co-curricular programmes, such as the Oxford Saïd Finance Lab and Asset Management Masterclass, provide a rich and highly practical learning experience, reflecting the aspirations of students and employers’ needs.

Students comprise a diverse group of ambitious individuals from around the world, typically with less than two years’ professional experience. Alumni have gone on to make an impact in investment banking, asset management, private equity and venture capital, risk management, investment consulting, strategy consulting, or continued their studies at postgraduate level.

The class

'I chose the MSc Financial Economics because I wanted to stretch myself academically, but also acquire the skills that the industry demands.'

Lochlan Halloway Associate Equity Analyst at Morningstar, Australia

MSc in Law and Finance

The MSc in Law and Finance is taught jointly by the Faculty of Law and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and equips students with an advanced interdisciplinary understanding of economic and financial concepts and their application to legal topics.

This full-time master's degree programme offers an advanced understanding of economic and financial contexts. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to law and finance, it’s designed to provide lawyers and those pursuing a career in financial institutions, government or business with a thorough grounding in finance.

We take an in-depth approach to the key ideas and research within these two fields of study. As a result, our graduates are exceptionally well-qualified to address the challenges facing businesses, governments and regulators. Students take three core courses:

1. Financial economics

2. Finance

3. Economics of corporate transactions

These are supplemented by courses from the Law Faculty and Saïd Business School, including:

• Principles of financial regulation

• C orporate finance law

• Entrepreneurial finance

• Private equity and debt

• Investing in private markets

• Investing in public equity

• Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring

There are also pre-sessional courses in maths and financial reporting. Assessments are varied and may include timed examinations, group practical work, coursework and a dissertation.

MSc in Major Programme Management

A part-time master's degree for experienced programme managers seeking to make an impact on the world's greatest challenges.

The MSc in Major Programme Management is an intellectually rich, academically rigorous part-time degree informed by cutting-edge research. It also teaches practical ways to manage large-scale, complex and transformational programmes.

Designed for experienced mid-to-senior-level programme managers, the MSc brings together global cohorts to share their challenges and expertise. Students will develop the understanding, skills and confidence to address these challenges and manage programmes – the scale of which can transform a company, a city, or even a country.

The programme takes an interdisciplinary approach and has an overarching theme of leadership with three sub-themes which, broadly, are introduced in the order they occur in typical programme lifecycles: design, governance and impact. Delivered in eight, five-day modules taught in Oxford, the format enables participants to combine work and study.

The class

‘The way I see the bigger picture now has really benefitted what I’m doing…I’m continuing to influence the organisation.’

Emma McDaid Head of Project Management, Magnox Ltd, UK

MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership

The MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership is designed to develop experienced leaders with the skills to deliver affordable, effective and efficient healthcare in complex global systems.

This multidisciplinary master’s degree is led by the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences in partnership with Saïd Business School, creating an innovative and integrated programme that harnesses the University’s world-leading expertise in healthcare, business and policy.

Taking a holistic approach, the MSc looks at healthcare from an individual, organisational and systemic perspective. The programme will help participants develop resilience, increase their confidence and give them the capability lead change to innovate and strengthen healthcare provisions, both clinical and non-clinical.

Intellectually rigorous and highly practical, the part-time modular format consists of seven in-person modules taught in Oxford and one online. During these courses, students will benefit from discussion and networking with an international group of world-class faculty, guest experts and peers.

‘I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone, advocated for my profession, questioned certain assumptions and grown from the experience.’

The class

Celine Goetz – Associate Division Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, USA

DPhil in Management and DPhil in Finance

Unique doctoral programme that combines Oxford tradition and Saïd Business School vision. Candidates are treated as junior research colleagues while they learn.

We provide courses in a wide variety of research methods and candidates work closely with their supervisors to define their research question and develop their thesis. In addition, they will have opportunities to gain teaching and research assistant experience.

They also become involved with the intellectual community within both Saïd Business School and the wider University. They’ll attend academic conferences, make presentations, organise lectures and seminars, and contribute to management and academic decisions. In that sense, their ability to make an impact is present from the start.

There are nine places available each year between the two DPhil programmes. Both of our doctoral programmes run in parallel, with two possible research pathways:

• T he financial economics pathway embraces subjects such as asset-pricing and corporate finance, the design and regulation of securities markets, corporate financial policy and the impact of financial markets on real economic activity

• T he management research pathway focuses on using quantitative and qualitative methods in the wider field of management studies

We’ve deliberately kept the programmes small, so that in the vast majority of cases students are fully funded, allowing them to devote their energies to research. The DPhil corresponds to a PhD degree offered at most other universities.

Executive Diplomas

Part-time executive study. Full-time global impact.

Our postgraduate, master’s-level Executive Diplomas are designed for experienced professionals to refine their advanced expertise and drive unparalleled performance in five specialist areas.

Executive Diploma in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Business

Harnessing the power of AI to drive extraordinary performance

The Executive Diploma in Artificial Intelligence for Business creates a close-knit community of experienced practitioners, technical specialists and future leaders around the world who are, or aspire to be, involved in the application, management or governance of AI.

Executive Diploma in Financial Strategy

Driving superior financial performance through impactful strategies

The Executive Diploma in Financial Strategy equips senior professionals with the highly specialised, practical, financial and strategic tools needed to effectively navigate new business growth scenarios and advance their careers.

Executive Diploma in Global Business

Connecting leaders to make a global impact

The Executive Diploma in Global Business connects experienced professionals around the world to share and develop the best practice needed to successfully navigate complex international business environments.

Executive Diploma in Organisational Leadership

Elevating your impact as a resilient, strategic leader

The Executive Diploma in Organisational Leadership creates meaningful connections between experienced leaders, enabling them to share and develop the best practice required to navigate change, lead with purpose and strategically respond to future challenges.

Executive Diploma in Strategy and Innovation

Developing innovative strategies to make a dynamic impact

The Executive Diploma in Strategy and Innovation equips experienced professionals with the practical tools to formulate and execute transformative strategies that drive growth, maximise value and make a dynamic impact in our rapidly changing world.

Delivered in a part-time format of four modules taught over one year, the diploma programmes enable busy executive to continue with their full-time work commitments and make an immediate impact in their organisations and beyond.

Former students have gone on to reach new heights in their careers, pursue a change in career field or industry, develop a clearer strategic direction for their organisation or rapidly develop and scale a venture from the ground up.

‘...changed the course of our start up dramatically and for the better.’

Aaron Logan, COO, Excir, Canada – Executive Diploma in Global Business, 2020

Education

Executive Education

A life-changing learning experience that will transform your thinking and understanding around the complex issues facing business leaders today.

We offer an unmatched learning experience that is immersive, collaborative and career-enhancing. Our programmes are specifically designed for business professionals and executives to enhance their skills, knowledge and leadership capabilities. We provide executives with the latest insights, tools and frameworks to help you navigate the rapidly changing business landscape and make informed decisions.

100+ Programmes Nationalities

223 Participants

70,000+ Flexible

Oxford, online and global locations

Learn in a way that suits you

Learn from Oxford academics and industry experts in a way that suits you or your organisation, whether that’s in-person, online or a bespoke learning solution for your organisation.

Programmes for organisations

Our bespoke programmes are customised to address the unique challenges and goals of your organisation and industry. We offer flexible learning formats, whether you prefer short or intensive programmes, interactive workshops or online modules, we provide a variety of options to suit your organisation and can adapt any of our programmes to suit your needs.

Programmes for individuals

Offered in person or online, you'll have the opportunity to gain perspectives from a global cohort of peers. Our programmes bring together best in class pedagogy combined with world-class research, empowering you to take a step forward in your career and make a long-lasting impact within your organisation.

Programmes for organisations

Cutting-edge education and ground-breaking research that transforms individuals, organisations and society.

From navigating complex supply chains to mastering effective client relationship management, we have supported organisations all over the globe to achieve new levels of success.

Every organisation is different, and we know that each require unique interventions to address particular challenges and opportunities. We integrate a range of components into a bespoke and powerful learning experience to deliver your desired outcomes.

We have collaborated on executive education solutions for a diverse spectrum of global businesses and major public sector bodies, including:

• Government

• Pharmaceutical

• Aerospace and machinery

• F TSE 100

• Professional services

• Energy and resources

• Finance

• Retail

• Technology

• Public administration

‘This is just the start of our leadership development journey at Alpine F1. The Oxford programme has been a fantastic foundation for both the individuals and the whole organisation.’

Alastair Pemberton, Head of Talent, Alpine F1 Team

Bespoke business solutions Programmes for individuals

Customised programmes

In close collaboration with our clients, we co-create tailor-made programmes that inspire teams, empower organisations and drive progress in business by collectively tackling today’s greatest challenges.

By combining Oxford academics and leading research with the specific goals and challenges organisations face, we create a fully customised learning experience, in-person, online or via blended study that delivers real value for your business.

Online tailored programmes

Our world-leading online portfolio is tailored to align with your organisational needs, offering a truly bespoke experience that will help your teams thrive.

Each online programme is hosted on sophisticated, industry-leading technology that provides an immersive learning experience for your employees. This supports them to reach their learning and development goals by bringing together best-in-class pedagogy and a tailored syllabus to meet your organisation’s objectives.

In-person

Our in-person programmes are designed to ensure a practical learning experience that will challenge and engage you, as well as equip you with the skills you need to excel.

In-person study allows you to benefit from access to some of the greatest minds across a wide range of industries, as well as real-time feedback and tailored coaching from acclaimed mentors.

Through team discussions with a diverse global cohort, simulations and practical sessions, you will embark on a learning journey that will prepare you to thrive in the workplace.

Online

Our online programmes bring together best-in-class pedagogy, a tailored syllabus and an unmatched networking opportunity with a global cohort, encouraging you to consider different perspectives.

Dedicated support networks are in place, including peer-to-peer discussion and success advisers, that will guide and encourage you throughout your study.

Each online programme is updated regularly to align with topical and current industry challenges, ensuring real-world post-course application.

Programme topics

Leadership

Entrepreneurship and innovation

Finance Strategy

Sustainability, ESG and social impact

Learn more

Programmes for individuals

Create meaningful change

Leadership and change programmes

Our leadership programmes offer a transformative learning experience that will provide a new perspective on your role and organisation. We coach you towards achieving greater clarity around the challenges you face as a leader and help you identify solutions that will evolve your career further.

In-person

• Advanced Management and Leadership Programme

• Healthcare Leadership Programme

• High Performance Leadership Programme

• Strategic Leadership Programme

• Women Transforming Leadership Programme

Online

• E xecutive Leadership Programme

• Enterprise Leadership Programme

• Leading Professional Service Firms Programme

• Leading Strategic Projects Programme

• Leading Sustainable Corporations Programme

• Leading Through Uncertainty and Disruption Programme

• Senior Leadership Executive Programme

• Strategic Management Executive Programme

• Women’s Leadership Development Programme

Sustainability, ESG and social impact programmes

World-leading academics will guide you in navigating challenges, so that you can create meaningful change and ensure a positive impact from within your organisation.

In-person

• Impact Finance Innovations

• Impact Investing Programme

• Impact Measurement Programme

• Social Finance Programme

Online

• Climate Emergency Programme

• ESG and Sustainable Financial Strategy Programme

• Leading Sustainable Corporations Programme

Stay at the forefront of innovation

Entrepreneurship and innovation programmes

Keep your finger on the pulse of the latest developments, with programmes that will equip leaders to confidently navigate the new frontiers of business. Our entrepreneurship and innovation programmes will provide you with the skills and experience to set you apart from other leaders.

In-person

• Impact Finance Innovations Programme

Online

• A rtificial Intelligence Programme

• A rtificial Intelligence in Marketing Series

• A rtificial Intelligence in Trading Series

• Entrepreneurship: Venture Creation Programme

• Entrepreneurship: Venture Finance Programme

Strategy programmes

‘In a nutshell, Women Transforming Leadership changed my life’.

Rachel Williams – Partner (Head of Qualitative Specialism), Yonder Consulting Ltd.

Practical programmes that use real-life situations to transform and elevate your understanding of essential strategic skills. This suite of hands-on, practical programmes transform and elevate your understanding of essential strategic skills like scenario planning, navigating uncertainty and negotiation.

In-person

• Programme on Negotiation

• Scenarios Programme

• Bank Governance Programme

• C orporate Affairs Academy

Online

• E xecutive Strategy Programme

• Digital Marketing: Disruptive Strategy Programme

• Leading Through Uncertainty and Disruption

• Leading Strategic Projects Programme

• Strategic Innovation Programme

Empowering financial leaders

Finance programmes

Perform at the top of your game with our leading finance programmes.These programmes will challenge you to hone your strategic financial management and strategy skills and give you unparalleled access to expert industry leaders.

In-person

• Private Equity Programme

• Real Estate Programme

• Programme on Valuation of Private Assets

Online

• A I in Fintech and Open Banking Programme

• A lgorithmic Trading Programme

• A lternative Investments Series

• A rtificial Intelligence in Trading Series

• Entrepreneurship: Venture Finance Programme

• ESG and Sustainable Financial Strategy Programme

• E xecutive Finance Programme

• Private Markets Investments Programme

• Real Estate Investment Programme

• Strategic Management Executive Programme

• Venture Series

Digital finance programmes

Our comprehensive offerings delve into the realms of fintech, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital finance, preparing you to navigate the dynamic landscape of the digital transformation that's reshaping the global financial ecosystem.

Online

• Blockchain Strategy Programme

• Fintech Programme

• Cyber Security for Business Leaders Programme

• Cyber Security Briefing for Banking and Finance

People and campus

Faculty

Members of faculty at Saïd Business School are grouped into three academic areas.

Each area is led by an Academic Area Head, a senior academic usually appointed for a three-year term by the area, in consultation with the Dean. The three areas incorporate all the research centres and institutes with different specialisms.

1. Finance, Accounting, Management Science and Economics (FAME)

2. Strategy, Innovation and Marketing (SIM)

3. Technology and Operations Management, and Organisation Studies (TOPOS)

Faculty Services team

The Faculty Services team provide high-level administrative support to the Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research, the Director of Faculty Services, faculty and researchers. Anne-Marie McBrien, as Director of Faculty Services, leads the function, working across academic governance and with the HR team to support recruitment, induction and development. Other support in Faculty Services is split across three teams:

• Faculty Operations provides front-line admin support to the three academic areas and the Academic Area Heads and is split into two teams, focusing on administrative support and event management.

• The Academic Planning Offi ce coordinates teaching, planning, provision, budgeting and stint allocation.

• The Research Offi ce coordinates applications for internal and external grant funding, ethics administration, impact monitoring and major exercises such as the Research Excellence Framework.

Careers

Empowering our students to achieve their career ambitions.

With more than 20 career experts, our dedicated team offers professional coaching, hosts career development and sector-specific workshops, spearheads leadership development initiatives, organises career fairs, and welcomes on-campus recruiters, providing support to both full-time and part-time degree students throughout the academic year.

The careers team at the School works closely with employers to put together a programme of activities that includes on-campus recruitment presentations and webinars, careers fairs, treks to company offices, case competitions and through partnerships with the student-led Oxford Business Networks (OBNs)/Clubs.

The team cultivates relationships with organisations in sectors such as consulting, finance, tech, healthcare, media, retail, space, government, as well as careers and recruitment at the executive level. They provide students with the advice, training, connections, and preparation to excel in every stage of the job application process, from understanding their goals, to CV writing and interview preparation.

In 2022, post-pandemic resilience saw our MBA graduates achieving a rise in overall average salaries across all sectors and more students than ever secured roles in consulting firms.

87%

Employed after three months

58%

Switched sector

27%

Switched sector, location and job function

66%

Switched location

£63,251

Average base salary

In 2022, our MSc in Financial Economics was named best in the UK by the Financial Times and our careers support was ranked number five globally.

Development and alumni relations

The Development and alumni team manage the School’s relationships with alumni, elumni and donors around the world. We are proud of our alumni and elumni, many of whom are leaders in their field or innovative entrepreneurs making an impact on global problems.

Truly global and diverse in nature, we’re committed to ensuring our participants’ connection to the School and to Oxford is lifelong. We nurture our mutually beneficial and enduring relationship with alumni and elumni through access to myriad benefits and innovative engagement touchpoints. In turn, many alumni choose to support the School’s advancement by sharing their time and expertise, often providing vital financial support through donations. The team also foster and nurture relationships with individuals, trusts and companies who support the School’s strategic objectives resulting in more than £100m of philanthropic income raised in the last six years alone. Philanthropy has always played a key role in the fabric of life at Saïd Business School. From its founding benefactor Wafic Saïd’s first major gift to establish the School, donations from alumni and our supporters around the world who share our vision has always been central to our work. Philanthropy enables the School to fund more than 100 scholars in any given academic year, allowing us to attract the brightest and most deserving students from around the world. It funds key research projects, establishes and endows professorships, and creates inspiring spaces to learn in, including the new Global Leadership Centre which is scheduled to open in 2025.

Alumni

On receiving their world-class qualification from Oxford Saïd, alumni have access to a broad suite of benefits and are automatically members of the Oxford Saïd alumni community.

There are many ways for alumni to stay informed and get involved. Benefits include:*

• Access to lifelong learning through ongoing access to select library databases; discounts on further study; and faculty insights and research through our bi-monthly e-zine, The Insider

• Global networking opportunities through membership to our international alumni chapters, special interest groups including the Oxford Saïd Alumnae Leaders group, and sector-specific content and events programmes

• Invitations to attend and speak at exclusive international events

• Awards recognition scheme

• Lifelong career support

Oxford Saïd is proud to be embedded within an 800-year old world class University, and through our benefits scheme, Oxford Saïd alumni have access to the wider Oxford University alumni community across the globe.

*access subject to course of study.

Elumni

159 Countries

Participants who successfully complete an Executive Education online programme are automatically part of the Oxford Saïd community. Our global elumni community includes professionals from 176 countries, working in diverse sectors such as finance, law, marketing, healthcare and energy. We continue to support elumni to enhance their professional growth, enabling them to build impactful organisations, accelerate transformation and collectively tackle local or world scale problems.

Elumni enjoy exclusive discounts on all Executive Education online programmes as well as access to the Oxford Saïd Elumni Network – our bespoke online platform. This global hub enables elumni to connect, collaborate and innovate, sharing their knowledge and expertise in a stimulating environment.

Features of the network include the ability to connect within the community, enjoy continued access to academics and experts through thought-leadership, cutting edge research and news from the School and multidisciplinary perspectives, as well as collaborate via discussion boards and join innovative community events. +27,000 Individuals

60 Global alumni chapters Alumni donors

20 Alumni ambassadors

Development and alumni relations

Giving

All gifts, large or small, can make a huge impact at Saïd Business School – and hence, the world.

Scholarships

Access to education is more important than ever, given its potential to enhance career prospects both outside academia and within. Scholarships ensure that the School can attract the most talented candidates irrespective of financial means, achieve gender parity and increase diversity.

• Support the Rewley Scholarship programme

• Fund a 'Rewley Scholar powered by x'

• Fund an endowed, full or partial named scholarship

Research and teaching

Our faculty are at the forefront of their fields and provide exceptional teaching, intellectual leadership and high-quality academic research for our students, businesses, governments and NGOs. This enables us to attract and retain the brightest, world-leading experts and educators, who are engaged in driving innovation and creative ideas, spurring advances that make global impact. This can be achieved through the endowment of key academic chairs and providing support for a wide range of fellowships and research projects.

• Endow or provide spend down for an existing faculty post

• Become a partner in a research initiative

• Provide funding for a research project

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial thinking is key to innovation as entrepreneurs seek resources and combine them in new ways to solve problems. Oxford Saïd welcomes gifts to support a variety of seed funds,

grants and awards across our entrepreneurship programmes which enable our students and stakeholders to develop the skills, attitudes and qualities needed to think differently and make an impact. There are a variety of initiatives donors can contribute towards, including support for:

• Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

• Creative Destruction Lab

• Entrepreneurship Centre

Regular giving

Regular giving is a continuous investment in the School community, helping us drive change and deliver impact. By choosing to make a regular donation into the unrestricted Rewley Fund, donors enable investment in long-term development by providing a steady and predictable stream of financial support, facilitating greater investment in our students and faculty.

Annual giving day

Giving day enables our community to come together to make the school the best it can be. By contributing, donors can be part of transformational change and help widen access.

Recognising our benefactors

Saïd Business School would not exist without the generosity and vision of its supporters and benefactors. We are delighted to recognise the support of our donors in a variety of ways such as naming opportunities, including recognition on the Deans’ Cloisters wall, invitations to exclusive events and recognition in donor publications. Major Benefactors of Saïd Business School may be invited to join the Dean’s Circle and wider University recognition societies, such as the Vice Chancellor’s Circle and Chancellor Court of Benefactors.

Global Leadership Centre

Just a few minutes’ walk from our main campus lies the former Osney Power Station. We are developing this much-loved building to be an inspirational Global Leadership Centre.

This award-winning teaching and residential facility will provide leaders of global business, government and civil society, with access to the University’s leading academics and brightest minds to help them reconsider their purpose as well as their operations.

Business is a vital force in economies and societies. We will provide expert insights and perspectives to enable them to challenge existing systems and become a positive force to address environmental, social and governance issues and benefit society as a whole.

The Centre will provide an outstanding learning environment designed for the highest quality education. It will facilitate challenging conversations and practical innovation in a range of formal and informal teaching spaces. It will also include 121 hotel-style bedrooms for executive accommodation, alongside leisure and dining facilities.

We are actively seeking philanthropic support for the Global Leadership Centre. This will strengthen the foundation of Saïd Business School and intensify Oxford’s efforts to connect, develop and engage leaders to reshape the economy for the benefit of people and planet. It will allow supporters to leave their mark on Oxford forever, by naming a space or room in the Centre and by enjoying University-level recognition reserved for major benefactors.

Sustainability

Saïd Business School fully respects our world-leading sustainable business teaching and research by practicing what we preach, embedding the core principles in every aspect of our operations.

We are determined to inspire our community by achieving the highest standards of environmental sustainability. Oxford Saïd has already made significant progress against the commitments detailed in our bespoke Environmental Policy. We have implemented many initiatives including purchasing 100% renewable electricity, planting wildflower meadows and applying a Carbon Levy on all flights to raise money for decarbonisation projects. There’s more information about our progress in greater detail in our Annual Sustainability Report.

Looking to the future, we have committed to ambitious targets of Net Zero Carbon and Biodiversity Net Gain, both by 2035. We are also excited about the opening of the groundbreaking Global Leadership Centre, which has sustainability embedded throughout and will operate as a zero-carbon building.

Our ‘Green Impact’ Employee Resource Group meets monthly to discuss sustainability at Oxford Saïd and plan new projects for the School.

Events

We offer a global platform to a

diverse range of speakers to stimulate and educate our community.

Over the course of the academic year, the School secures a wide range of external speakers to come and address our students, staff, alumni and other members of the Oxford University community. These events are generally delivered in-person and are also made available online. As well as our School events, many of the teaching programmes also invite specialist speakers into the School to share their views on specialist topics.

We are fortunate that the reputation of both the University and Saïd Business School enable us to attract the highest calibre of speakers to come to Oxford. Recent speakers include Professor Joseph Stigliz, Rt Hon Sajid Javid, Sir Dieter Helm, Alex Gorsky (Chairman Johnson & Johnson), Muhtar Kent (former CEO & Chairman Coca Cola) and Al Gore.

We also run a number of event series, where we invite specialist external speakers to talk on important topics such as ‘Smart Space’, Leadership and EDI.

Diversity and inclusion

We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected.

We recognise that the broad range of experiences that a diverse staff and student body brings, strengthens our research and enhances our teaching, and that in order for Oxford to remain a world-leading institution we must continue to provide a diverse, inclusive, fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

What equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) means to us at Oxford Saïd:

• A sense of belonging

• C omfort, enabling people to express themselves freely, be who they really are, without being judged

• Foster a culture of acceptance, the desire to learn about someone with a different experience from themselves

• Creating an environment which encourages and values the expression of diversity of thought, opinion, experience and points of view, which may differ, but may still be correct