Entry to the MSt is competitive, so we advise candidates to apply at an early stage of the admissions cycle – which typically runs from September to March. This is particularly important if you are planning to apply for funding.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and you should typically receive an invitation to interview within eight weeks. However, you might hear from us towards the end of the recruiting cycle.
Browse the sections below to find out:
- requirements for applying as well as detailed information on each requirement
- how to apply (via Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) applicant portal)
- what happens after we have received your application.
Minimum requirements
More detailed requirements can be found further down the page.
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Professional experience |
Applicants should have at least two years’ full-time or equivalent work experience (excluding vacation employment and internships during the course of their undergraduate degree). |
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Undergraduate achievement |
At least a good 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent standard from an overseas institution. |
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English proficiency |
If you are not a national from a List A country or you have not completed a three years course of continuous study in a List A country that finished no later than two years before commencement of your programme at Cambridge, you may be asked to take an IELTS, TOEFL, CAE or CPE test to demonstrate your language ability. It is not required that you take a language test before applying. If you receive a conditional offer, we will inform you of whether you are required to take a test. Below shows acceptable tests and required scores. IELTS minimum overall score of 7.5, with not less than 7.0 in each element |
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Skills and competencies |
Ambition and a willingness to work hard, as well as a demonstrable enthusiasm and/or aptitude for social innovation. Evidence of good interpersonal, communication and team-working skills, in addition to numeracy, problem-solving and reasoning skills. All applicants will need to give the details of two referees who can provide references written in English. Ideally, we would like to see one academic reference and one professional reference. |
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Internet access |
You will require access to the internet and reliable hardware and software. |
Detailed requirements
In recognition of the fact that social innovation occurs across all sectors, the MSt is aimed at entrepreneurs and middle and senior level leaders in NGOs, public bodies and the private sector.
You must have completed an undergraduate degree in a UK University with at least a good 2:1. If you have completed your first degree overseas, please check the equivalence guidelines on the University’s website.
Check the suitability of your qualifications on the University’s website
Applicants who do not meet the University minimum entry requirements can be considered by the admissions committee but, should they be recommended for an offer, they will be asked to take a GMAT/GRE test and show evidence of ranking above the 50th percentile in each of the elements of the test. It is not necessary to take this test before you formally apply online. If you require one, we will let you know either at interview stage or when an offer is made. Please note that if you do not meet the academic minimum of a UK 2:1 or equivalent, it is advisable to make an early application to the course in order to allow sufficient time to prepare and take a GMAT/GRE test.
- GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
Cambridge Judge Business School’s institution code for GRE is 7020. - GMAT (General Management Admission Test)
Cambridge Judge Business School’s institution code for GMAT is WF1-T3-68.
Applicants to the programme need to be fluent in English. If English is not your native language you may be asked to take an IELTS, TOEFL, CAE or CEP test. However you don’t have to include your English language test scores with your initial application documents; they can be forwarded on later in the process. If you are made an offer, one of the conditions of entry will be getting the required standard of language test score.
Whether or not you have to take a language test will depend on a number of conditions, including your nationality and your most recent course of study. Check your language requirements on the University’s website.
We understand that many applicants have been out of the formal education space for a considerable amount of time. If this is the case, we will accept two professional references. As a guideline – we would expect at least one academic reference if five years or less has passed since graduating from your last academic course.
When you are completing the online application form you will be asked to provide the details of your referees, including their email addresses. A reference request can then be sent from the online application form to your referees. References are submitted by the referees via our online Referee Portal, and you will be notified when they have been submitted.
You should check that you have the correct email addresses for your referees and that your referees are happy and able to provide a reference for you. Institutional email addresses are preferred. Other email addresses can be used, and are sufficient at the application stage, but we would need to take extra steps to verify such references when we make an offer.
Application stages
Here’s an overview of the stages in the admissions process:
Ahead of submitting the application, applicants should:
- identify their two referees
- write up a statement of interest (no more than 1500 characters)
- decide on preferred College choices
- write up a summary of research interests and intended topics (no more than 3000 characters)*
- prepare your application fee.**
*The summary of research interests and intended topics should describe current interests related to social innovation. A formal research proposal or a research assessment is not necessary at this stage.
**There is an application charge of (GBP sterling) £50 per application (unless you are from a country which is eligible for a fee waiver). You can make the payment by providing your card details to our secure server when you submit your online application. More information about the application fee can be found on the University’s Application Fee page.
All University of Cambridge students are also members of a College. This is a requirement. Applications for membership will be made on the applicant’s behalf by the programme team after a conditional offer has been issued. To inform this process applicants are asked to select their two preferred College choices from a drop-down menu in the online application form. Note that some Colleges do not accept part time students.
College facts and figures can also be checked on the Graduate Admissions website.
Once the admissions team has received an application and the supporting documentation, the applicant is notified if she/he has been shortlisted for a video interview with the Programme Director. The purpose of the interview will be to further gauge the candidate’s suitability for the programme.
The Admissions Committee submits the outcome of their review of your application to Cambridge Judge Business School’s Degree Committee for approval.
When an applicant is successful, Institute of Continuing Education will issue a formal offer letter. The offer of a place on the programme will tend to come with conditions attached. These might be financial (proving that the applicant has the funds to needed to pay for the programme), language related (proving that the applicant’s English language skills are proficient), and/or academic (submitting original documents). It is the applicant’s responsibility to meet these requirements and provide the necessary evidence.
This is the final stage of the applications process. Once you have met all the conditions and have the offer of a College place, you will be notified that you may begin your programme at the start of the academic year. At this stage you can start making arrangements such as visa (for residential weeks only), travel and accommodation.
Applications
While this programme is entirely delivered by Cambridge Judge Business School staff and associates and on School premises (where practicable), applications are administered by the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) in the first instance.
Access the University of Cambridge Application Portal to apply
An MSt application guide is available from the ICE website. It is worth taking the time to read the instructions carefully as any mistakes in your application may make it invalid and delay the application process.