12 Business Management Programs for High School Students in the UK
- Stephen Turban
- 2 minutes ago
- 8 min read
If you’re interested in business management, you might be looking for ways to explore how companies, markets, and organizations operate beyond what you learn in school. Structured programs can introduce you to subjects like entrepreneurship, finance, economics, marketing, and operations while helping you build skills in analysis, communication, and decision-making. They also provide exposure to university-style learning environments and collaborative academic work.
In the UK, business management programs are offered through universities, financial institutions, academic organizations, and career-focused summer schools. These opportunities include short-term intensives, research programs, career simulations, and pre-university courses that vary in structure, subject focus, and level of specialization.
Why should I do a business management program in high school?
Business management programs allow you to explore how businesses make decisions, respond to market challenges, and manage growth in different industries. You might analyze case studies, develop startup ideas, study financial systems, participate in simulations, or work on collaborative projects while learning from faculty and industry professionals. Over time, these experiences can help you strengthen problem-solving and communication skills, explore potential career interests, and prepare for future study in business-related fields.
To help get you started, here are 12 business management programs for high school students in the UK.
If you’re looking for summer programs in the UK, check out our blog here.
Location: Imperial College London, London, UK
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: July 14 – 17 | July 21 – 24
Application deadline: March 5
Eligibility: Students in Year 12 (England or Wales), Year 13 (Northern Ireland), or S5 (Scotland), or the equivalent | Must be under 18 when the summer school begins and must currently attend, or have always attended, a UK state-funded (non-fee-paying) school or college
This is a four-day residential business management program for high school students in the UK that introduces you to university-level study within a specific subject area. Before arriving on campus, you attend two preparatory webinars that explain the academic structure and introduce current student mentors. During the program, you take part in lectures, workshops, and practical sessions led by Imperial faculty, as well as guided discussions on university applications and personal statements. The Economics, Finance, and Data Science pathway examines how quantitative tools are used to analyze financial systems, policy decisions, and economic behavior. Case studies and applied exercises highlight how data-driven methods influence modern business and public decision-making.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort. You can find more details about the application here.
Eligibility: High school students with an unweighted minimum 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale are encouraged to apply
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program allows you to conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a PhD mentor, with subject options spanning business, economics, data science, and entrepreneurship. You’ll begin by selecting or designing a research question, then progress through research methodology workshops and regular mentor meetings. Throughout the program, you receive targeted feedback on academic writing and argument development from a dedicated writing coach. Business-focused tracks may include behavioral economics, economic policy analysis, or technology adoption in firms. The core outcome is a full-length academic research paper that reflects original analysis. While a university does not run the program, some students may be eligible for UC San Diego credit.
Location: UK JPMorgan offices in London, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Edinburgh
Stipend: Paid
Dates: 1 week in the summer
Application deadline: November 2
Eligibility: Students aged 14-16 (Years 10-11 in England/S3-S4 in Scotland) with an interest in finance or technology
The JPMorgan Chase Work Experience Program introduces you to business and technology roles within a global financial institution. The experience begins with a virtual workshop covering CV writing, interview skills, and professional expectations. You’ll then attend a two-day in-person experience at a UK office, where you engage with teams across finance, operations, and technology functions. Activities include workplace simulations and a small-business challenge that reflect real organizational tasks. You also participate in networking sessions and career discussions with employees. A follow-up virtual session supports reflection and skill consolidation.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program provides school students with an opportunity to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. Participants work with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. They attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with their tutor. The program includes practical experiences such as dissections in medicine, building robotic arms in engineering, and moot courts in law. Students can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the end of the program, they complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: London and Leeds, UK
Stipend: Monthly salary + full university fee coverage
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Three-year commitment
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students ages 16+, based in the UK, and able to satisfy entry requirements at FDM partner universities
The FDM Apprenticeship Programme combines paid work experience with academic study, offering early exposure to business management within technology-driven environments. Participants rotate through internal projects such as IT business operations, software development, information security, and process automation. Alongside technical training, you’ll gain experience in project coordination, stakeholder communication, and operational decision-making. The program follows a four-day work and one-day study model through university partnerships, blending theory with workplace application. Business management exposure comes from working on live projects within client organizations.
Location: Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Cost: From £8,995
Dates: August 2 – 15
Application deadline: Typically rolling
Eligibility: Students ages 16–18 on August 1 of the year the program runs
Oxford’s Future Entrepreneurs Summer School focuses on how entrepreneurial thinking can be applied to real economic, social, and environmental challenges. You’ll work through the full startup lifecycle, beginning with opportunity identification and idea development before moving into business modeling and pitching. Teaching is delivered through workshops, discussions, and collaborative projects supported by Saïd Business School faculty and industry speakers. You’ll work on developing a startup concept and test it against market constraints and impact considerations. At the same time, pitch sessions require you to justify decisions related to value creation, feasibility, and execution. This business management program for high school students in the UK also examines how innovation operates across different stages of company growth.
Location: King's College London, London, UK
Cost: £3,195 – £12,360 (tuition) | £3,965 – £15,440 (tuition + accommodation), depending on the number of courses selected + £65 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 1,500+ students from over 70 countries join the program each year
Dates: July 6 – 10 | July 13 – 17 | July 20 – 24 | July 27 – 31
Application deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Students aged 16–17 can apply; you can check the English language requirements here
King’s College London’s Pre-University Summer School offers one-week business management courses that reflect first-year undergraduate teaching formats. You’ll engage with topics such as marketing, finance, operations, and people management through lectures, seminars, workshops, and group activities. This business management program for high school students in the UK emphasizes how firms compete in global markets, drawing on real-world examples linked to London’s financial and commercial environment. Assessment requires completing the assigned tasks and meeting attendance thresholds to earn a Certificate of Completion. Students may take multiple courses across different weeks, allowing for focused or broader subject exploration.
Location: London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
Cost: £3,350 – £9,600, depending on the number of sessions + £50 non-refundable application fee; scholarships available
Cohort Size: Up to 20 students per course
Dates: June 22 – July 10 | July 13 – 31 | August 3 – 21
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Recent high school graduates with a GPA of 3.3 (around a B+) and proof of a university offer can apply for 100-level courses. You can check the requirements here.
LSE Summer School’s 100-level courses allow you to study undergraduate business, management, accounting, or finance subjects at degree standard. These courses run for three weeks each and involve approximately 54 contact hours, split between lectures and small tutorial groups. The instruction is led by LSE faculty using the same academic frameworks applied during the regular academic year. You’ll complete problem sets, case analyses, or seminar papers, depending on the course you select. While there are no formal subject prerequisites, some courses expect quantitative competence. Each completed course carries transferable academic credit and results in a graded digital transcript.
Location: University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
Cost: £5,250
Dates: July 14 – 24
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 16–17 can apply; you can check the English language requirements here
This business management program for high school students in the UK introduces you to university-level economics and finance through lectures, seminars, and applied workshops. The “A Taste of Business, Economics and Finance” course examines decision-making, behavioral economics, game theory, and financial markets. You’ll study how individuals, firms, and governments respond to incentives and constraints within economic systems. Political and social contexts are integrated into discussions of markets and monetary systems, and faculty-led instruction is combined with academic activities and discussion-based learning. A Certificate of Attendance is awarded upon completion.
Location: King's College London, London, UK
Cost: £3,095 per week
Cohort size: 12 students per class
Dates: 2-week courses start on June 30 and July 14
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 13–17 with a minimum B1 (intermediate) level of English
Bucksmore’s Young Professionals Business & Finance course introduces you to financial markets, entrepreneurship, and corporate strategy through applied learning. As a participant, you’ll study topics such as investment banking, stock markets, startups, and business operations while completing case studies and simulations. A capstone project requires you to evaluate business pitches from a financial perspective in a simulated investor setting. The program also covers English language development through subject-based instruction and presentations. You’ll build a portfolio of completed business and finance work by the end of the course.
Location: Essex Business School, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
Cost: £900 per module + on campus B&B accommodation available from £45 per night
Dates: July 7 – 18
Application deadline: April 8
Eligibility: Students who are 18 or older at the time of the program and have an English language qualification equivalent to IELTS 5.5
Essex Business School’s Summer Sessions offer a two-week intensive program with options in AI in marketing or sustainability in business. In the AI in Marketing track, you analyze how predictive analytics, customer data, and automation tools shape marketing strategy and decision-making. The sustainability track focuses on ESG frameworks, responsible business practices, and the use of data tools to measure impact. The curriculum combines expert-led sessions, case studies, and collaborative group projects. Ethical considerations, including bias, privacy, and governance, are addressed across both tracks in this business management program for high school students in the UK. You’ll work with international peers while applying concepts to real business challenges.
Location: University College London (UCL) and the surrounding University of London campus, London, UK
Cost: Programme fees: £2,225 – £4,400; Residential package: £3,725 – £7,550; Optional Heathrow airport transfers: £300
Cohort size: Limited spots per program
Dates: July – August
Application deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18
InvestIN Summer Experiences place you in short-term career simulations designed around real professional workflows. Business-focused programs include strategy development, pitching, and market analysis delivered through hands-on tasks and site visits. You’ll attend academic sessions hosted at London university campuses alongside practical workplace activities. Some programs offer the option to earn a Level 3 Award in Work Experience, contributing to UCAS points. You’ll receive a certificate upon completion and may request an industry reference.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.