The Master of Business Administration is a business degree that originated in the United States in the 19th Century. As industrialisation grew it required more scientific approaches to business management, which has led to the expansion of MBA programs across the world. Here’s a look at how it all started...

Established in 1881, the first business school in America was at the University of Pennsylvania. Dartmouth College founded the Tuck School of Business in 1900, which was the first institution offering a masters degree in business, the forerunner to today’s MBA. The MBA model itself emerged during the first years of the 20th Century, to be followed in Europe by similar program. Business schools such as Webster Graduate School at Regent’s College and the Cranfield School of Management, both in London. The first Executive MBA (EMBA) – designed for working professionals – was introduced by the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1940, and this is not offered by most business schools.

The first MBA to be awarded outside of the US was at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, followed closely by the University of Pretoria in South Africa, in 1950 and 1951 respectively. All six continents now have universities offering an MBA degree.

The UK based Association of MBA’s (AMBA) was established in 1967 and is an active advocate for MBA degrees. AMBA offer the only professional membership association for MBA students and graduates.

If you’re interested in doing an MBA in the UK, the Ashridge Business School is one of the biggest institutions offering the degree. From here you can find out about the types of jobs you might be able to obtain with an MBA. Happy studies!