University of Cambridge Judge Business School

History

Founding and early years

The school was established in 1990 as the Judge Institute for Management Studies. In 1991, donations from Sir Paul and Lady Judge, together with the Monument Trust, provided the funds for the construction of a building for the newly formed business school. Architect John Outram was appointed to the project, which was completed in August 1995 and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.

Before the business school's founding, management studies had been taught at the university since 1954.

Name changes

In September 2005, the Judge Institute of Management Studies was renamed as the Judge Business School. It then adopted the title Cambridge Judge Business School during 2010, and revised its logo to read "University of Cambridge Judge Business School" rather than "Cambridge Judge Business School" in November 2010.

Benefactor Paul Judge died in 2017.

Architecture

John Outram converted the listed ward blocks and arcades of the old hospital building, and rebuilt the central block into a space that now contains an information centre, library, common room, seminar, meeting and teaching rooms, floating staircases and balconies, break-out boxes, the main hall, and space for expansion. He also added three new buildings:

• The Ark, containing rooms for faculty, research graduates, and professional staff.
• The Castle, containing two key lecture theatres and MBA teaching spaces and room.
• The Gallery, an 80 ft high space containing seminar rooms, multi-level circulation routes, the social stair, and part of the hall.

Programmes

Executive Master of Accounting

The Cambridge Executive Master of Accounting degree is a two-year part-time degree programme in accounting and related fields. The curriculum is designed to help students learn to make complex decisions in the face of ambiguity relying on knowledge of accounting standards, judgment, and discretion; formulate questions, gather data, apply statistical techniques, and persuasively communicate inferences; and to anticipate and incorporate innovation.

The programme is oriented towards leadership and change management, not technical professional certification. Core courses include data and descriptive analytics, policy discussion regarding audit practice, financial reporting, and sustainability reporting, and courses in change management and interpersonal dynamics. The Cambridge EMAcc is designed to accelerate students for leadership roles within current employment or help students transition to roles such as accounting firm partnership, CFO, Controller, financial leadership, market regulator, climate-related or social-related disclosure, and finance or accounting public policy.

MSt in Entrepreneurship

The Master of Studies in Entrepreneurship (MSt) degree is a two-year part-time academic programme focusing on developing impactful entrepreneurs and growing entrepreneurial ventures. MStE combines online modules with in-person residencies, blending theoretical concepts with practical skills and offering opportunities to build valuable networks. The curriculum includes core courses on idea generation, audience persuasion, strategic capability development, and team management. The programme includes 58 students with an average age of 31, representing 30 industries and 21 countries of residence. Dr. Monique Ingrid Boddington, Associate Professor of Management Practice, directs the Master's in Entrepreneurship programme.

MBA

The one-year full-time Cambridge MBA degree is the flagship MBA programme of the university. , there are 217 students attending the programme, of which 86% come from outside of the UK and 47% of students are women. Admissions standards are high, with an average Graduate Management Admission Test score of 700. The average age of students on the full-time MBA is 29 and generally students come with extensive work experience. MBA students from Cambridge's Judge Business School and Oxford's Saïd Business School maintain a friendly rivalry and have numerous opportunities throughout the year to meet for athletic events and business conferences.

Executive MBA

The school also offers the Cambridge Executive MBA degree for those who have already reached a senior level in their organisations or professions, and are seeking to study part-time while maintaining their current role. As of 2017, the average age of students is 38, with around 14 years of working experience, who from a wide range of professional backgrounds.

Master of Finance

The Master of Finance (MFin) degree is a one-year specialist finance course designed for people with at least two years' experience in the finance and banking world who wish to accelerate their career in finance. The course is designed to give students a rigorous grounding in the theory and practise of finance. It combines a set of core courses that provide the theoretical and statistical foundations for a range of electives that cover the main areas of applied finance. There are three compulsory projects and one optional one, which help students to integrate theory and practise.

MPhil Management

The Master in Management degree is a nine-month full-time pre-experience postgraduate programme designed for students who have not previously worked in business or management and wish to pursue a professional business career. This programme aims to admit and educate outstanding students, both academically and in terms of personality and maturity, who are likely to become leaders in their chosen fields. The core of the MPhil in Management covers quantitative methods, accounting, organisational behaviour and analysis and marketing (foundation); business economics, finance and strategy (consolidation), operations management and the Management Consulting Project (implementation). This is complemented by a range of electives aligned to potential careers in management.

MPhil Finance

The Master in Finance degree is a one-year postgraduate course in finance designed for people with no prior work experience. The programme combines advanced study and research and is especially suitable for students intending to continue to a PhD degree, although the majority of graduates decides to work in the financial industry. Based on the number of applications, the MPhil Finance programme is the most competitive degree offered by the whole of the University of Cambridge; applicants need the equivalent to a first class degree to even be considered. Students on the MPhil Finance programme can choose from a variety of modules offered by the business school, the Faculty of Economics and the Math Faculty.

MPhil Technology Policy

The Master in Technology Policy degree is an intensive nine-month master programme designed for people with a background in science or engineering who are interested in developing the skills needed to meet the challenges of: integrating technology, management, economics and policy.

MSt Social Innovation

The Master of Studies in Social Innovation degree is a part-time two-year postgraduate programme for practitioners in the business, public and social sectors.

Executive Education open and custom programmes

The Executive Education portfolio consists of more than 20 open enrolment programmes, typically two-day to three-week programmes covering fundamental business management topics such as: finance, marketing, general management and strategy. These programmes are taught by Cambridge Judge Business School faculty and academic staff from the wider University of Cambridge community.

Cambridge Judge Business School also offers custom programmes which are tailored to the specific learning and development requirements of an organisation. Programmes are delivered internationally in areas such as leadership, strategy and finance.

PhDs and research master's

CJBS provides PhD degrees and advanced master's degrees, such as an MPhil in Innovation, Strategy and Organisation; an MPhil in Finance; an MPhil in Strategy, Marketing, Operations and Organisational Behaviour; and an MRes in Management.

Business Doctorate

The Business Doctorate (BusD) is a four-year full-time research-based doctorate for senior business leaders with at least 20 years of professional experience.

Other

• Professional Practice Masters and Diplomas
• Programmes for members of the University of Cambridge
• The Digital Business Academy
• DisruptEd Venture Creation Weekend: An annual intensive mentoring weekend to encourage and support new edtech start-ups.
• Cambridge Judge Business School collaborates with the Cambridge Centre for Development Studies for the MPhil in Development Studies.

Research centres

• Alternative Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Policy - El-Erian Institute
• Business Research
• Chinese Management
• Circular Economy
• Endowment Asset Management
• Experimental & Behavioural Economics
• Finance
• Financial Reporting & Accountability
• Health Leadership & Enterprise
• India & Global Business
• International Human Resource Management
• Process Excellence & Innovation
• Psychometrics
• Risk Studies
• Social Innovation
• Wo+Men's Leadership Center

Research Excellence Framework

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework conducted in 2021, the Judge Business School was ranked the number one research department in the UK for business and management studies.

Directors of the School (Deans)

• Stephen Watson, 1990–1994
• Dame Sandra Dawson, 1995–2006
• Arnoud De Meyer, 2006 – August 2010
• Geoff Meeks, acting director, September 2010 – August 2011
• Christoph Loch, 2011–2021
• Mauro Guillen September 2021 to June 2023
• Gishan Dissanaike Interim Dean, July 2023 – 30 November 2024
• Gishan Dissanaike 1 December 2024 – present

Notable alumni

• Diezani Alison-Madueke, politician and former President of OPEC
• Ben Barry, author and entrepreneur
• Semaan Bassil, Chairman & General Manager of Byblos Bank S.A.L.
• Alison Brittain, CEO of Whitbread, former head of Lloyds Banking Group
• Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises
• Sacha McMeeking, New Zealander academic, lawyer and activist
• Maggie O'Carroll, co-founder of The Women's Organisation
• Ollie Phillips, former Captain of England Sevens and "7s World Rugby Player of the Year"
• Tom Ransley, British rower and Olympic gold medalist
• Eben Upton, co-founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation
• Zhang Zetian, chief fashion adviser at JD.com
• Chuah Joon Huang, President and CEO of Southern University College

Notable faculty

• Dame Sandra Dawson, KPMG Professor of Management Studies from 1995 to 2013, and director of the School from 1995 to 2006, fellow and former master of Sidney Sussex College
• Mark de Rond, professor of organisational ethnography, fellow of Darwin College
• Gishan Dissanaike, Adam Smith Professor of Corporate Governance, fellow of Hughes Hall College
• Christoph Loch, professor of management studies and former director of the school (2011 to 2021), fellow of Pembroke College
• Sucheta Nadkarni, until October 2019, Sinyi Professor of Chinese Management, fellow of Newnham College
• Jaideep Prabhu, Nehru Professor of Indian Enterprise, fellow of Clare College
• Raghavendra Rau, Rothschild Professor of Finance
• Thomas Roulet, professor of organisational sociology and leadership, fellow of King's College

References

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