FT Rank #69

Management MSc

Cranfield School of Management
Cranfield, UK
Fees
£35,950
Duration
1 year
Language
English

Cranfield School of Management’s Management MSc is a one-year, pre-experience Master in Management from a triple-accredited UK school best known for its MBA — ranked 69th in the Financial Times Masters in Management and 41st by QS, with a three-month internship and a study tour in Spain built into the year.¹ ²

Overview

Cranfield School of Management holds the triple-crown accreditation — AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS — that places it in the top 1% of business schools worldwide.³ Its Management MSc is the school’s pre-experience master’s, designed for “graduates with a desire to develop their knowledge and skills in management before seeking their first professional role.” Cranfield is explicit that this is the early-career route rather than the MBA: applicants with three or more years of experience are pointed toward its Transformation MBA instead.¹

It is, in other words, a classic conversion MiM — no business background and no work experience required.¹

Curriculum & Structure

The programme pairs a core management curriculum with two distinctive experiential elements: a one-month study tour in Spain covering cross-cultural management, and a three-month internship in the final term, which students can fold into their thesis.¹ In Term 2, students choose one of four specialisation options — Management, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship or Human Resource Management — to angle the degree toward a particular path.¹ The degree is dual-accredited with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), adding a professional credential alongside the MSc.¹ For how to weigh a specialisation, see our guide to choosing your MiM specialisation.

Application & Deadlines

Entry is a UK first- or second-class honours degree (or international equivalent), with no subject restriction and no work experience required.¹ The GMAT is not required. Non-native English speakers need IELTS 6.5 overall, with at least 5.5 in every component.¹ Cranfield admits for a late-September start (28 September 2026 for the 2026 intake) and assesses applications as they arrive, so international candidates who need a visa should apply early and confirm the current timeline on the school’s admissions page. For more on test-free routes, see studying a MiM in Europe without the GMAT.

Tuition & Funding

Tuition for 2026/27 entry is £18,900 for UK/home students and £35,950 for international students.¹ The international figure sits at the upper end of the UK one-year-master’s range; weigh it against Cranfield’s triple-crown standing, its FT and QS rankings, and the three-month internship the programme is built around. For how UK fees compare across Europe, see how much a MiM costs in Europe.

Career Outcomes

Cranfield lists typical career paths in consultancy, project management and business operations, with recent graduate employers including Virgin Active Group, Whirlpool, BNP Paribas, IKEA and Skanska.¹ Cranfield does not publish a single headline graduate salary for this cohort that we can verify, so we don’t quote one; confirm current salary and destination data on the school’s own page, and see the wider picture in our UK MiM career outcomes and UK job market pieces.

Reputation

A triple-crown business school best known for its MBA, an FT Masters in Management place (69th) and a QS place (41st), plus a CMI-accredited degree with a real internship and an international study tour, make Cranfield a credible — if premium — one-year UK MiM for graduates who want a practical, employer-facing year. Read positions as bands, not exact ranks — see how to read MiM rankings. For the wider context, see whether a MiM is worth it in 2026, browse the MiM in the UK hub and the best MiM in the UK shortlist, and compare programmes across the full rankings.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Cranfield's Management MSc cost?
Tuition for 2026/27 entry is £18,900 for UK/home students and £35,950 for international students. Cranfield School of Management is triple-accredited (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS) and the Management MSc is dual-accredited with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
Where does Cranfield rank for the Master in Management?
Cranfield's Management MSc is ranked 69th in the world (5th in the UK) in the Financial Times Masters in Management 2025, and 41st in the world (8th in the UK) in the QS Masters in Management 2026. Read rankings as bands rather than exact positions.
How long is Cranfield's Management MSc and what makes it distinctive?
It is a one-year, full-time programme with a late-September start. Alongside the core management curriculum, students complete a one-month study tour in Spain on cross-cultural management and a three-month internship in the final term, and choose a Term-2 specialisation in Management, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship or Human Resource Management.
Do you need a GMAT or work experience for Cranfield's Management MSc?
No to both. The GMAT is not required, and no work experience is needed — Cranfield steers applicants with three or more years of experience toward its MBA instead. Entry is a UK first- or second-class honours degree (or equivalent), plus IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 in each component) for non-native English speakers.
What careers do Cranfield Management MSc graduates pursue?
Cranfield lists typical career paths in consultancy, project management and business operations, with recent graduate employers including Virgin Active Group, Whirlpool, BNP Paribas, IKEA and Skanska. Cranfield does not publish a single headline graduate salary for this cohort, so we don't quote one; confirm current outcomes on the school's own page.

Sources

  1. Cranfield School of Management — Management MSc cranfield.ac.uk ↗ — Cranfield University (retrieved Jun 2026)
  2. Cranfield School of Management — Rankings cranfield.ac.uk ↗ — Cranfield University (retrieved Jun 2026)
  3. Cranfield School of Management — Accreditations and awards cranfield.ac.uk ↗ — Cranfield University (retrieved Jun 2026)