Aberdeen Business School was named Business School of the Year 2020 (THE Awards 2020) and is also accredited by AACSB International (AACSB), an accolade achieved by only 5% of global Business Schools. This means that we provide an outstanding business education and help create top quality work-ready graduates.

We develop professional thinkers and innovative contributors through business connected learning, award winning teaching and internationally recognised impactful research.

Our vision is to empower people and businesses today to change our tomorrow. At Aberdeen Business School we harness our business connectivity and applied research to provide an outstanding student experience and nurture the business leaders of tomorrow.

We offer a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, professional development and research degree programmes across a number of business areas such as management and international business and more specialist academic areas including;

• Accounting and Finance
• Strategic Risk Management
• Human Resource Management
• Procurement and Supply Chain Management
• International Marketing
• Digital Marketing
• Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
• International Hospitality, Events and Tourism
• Sustainability and Energy Transitions
• Project Management
• Energy Management
• Financial Management

Flexible Learning

At Aberdeen Business School we pride ourselves on our accessibility and flexibility. We treat you as an individual and work collectively to design the most appropriate route to maximise your individual career capital.

We offer on-campus, online and work based learning study, and many of our courses are available both in full time and part time modes. This range of course provision gives you the flexibility to choose the course that is right for you and your circumstances.

Business Creativity

We strive to provide you with an education that will equip you with the skills and capabilities for your future career or indeed your career development. We recognise the importance of creativity and innovation in business education and all our students are exposed to a variety of business creation, innovation and entrepreneurial related modules.

For example, most of our full-time, on campus undergraduate students undertake a Business Ideas and Opportunities module which provides you with the opportunity to develop your business creativity by working in multidisciplinary teams. You can further develop these ideas in the third year of your programme by spending time in the University’s Accelerator unit.

We will nurture your potential, expand your talent and ensure you have the edge when it comes to your career opportunities. At Aberdeen Business School, we are in the business of changing your tomorrow.

Awards and Recognition

• 1st in Scotland and top 5 in the UK for teaching quality in Accounting and Finance (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
• 1st in Scotland for overall student satisfaction in Business and Management (National Student Survey 2023, excludes colleges, small, specialist and private providers)
• 1st in Scotland for student satisfaction in Business and Management Studies (Complete University Guide 2025) 

Connect with us

Placements

We offer placement opportunities in all of our undergraduate courses, with many of these opportunities being salaried and a full year in duration. We also offer work-based learning opportunities across all of our full time on campus MSc courses with a 2-year Extended Masters route incorporating a paid work placement being available on many of our courses.

Your placement gives you the opportunity to take on the role of a graduate trainee within a business setting where you will see the workplace from an informed perspective and put into practice the theories, strategies and skills you’ve studied. In addition, many of our students are offered permanent positions within their placement company on graduation.

We have a dedicated Placement Office who help to find relevant placement opportunities at local, national and sometimes international organisations

Inspiring Alumni Stories

Alexandra Stasulli, BA (Hons) International Business Management Graduate

"I spent my third year in Colorado, working for a global technology company. This experience allowed me to cross-train in different departments, significantly enhancing my skillset. My placement year was outstanding and definitely increased my employability as a graduate. I have just been offered a position as Marketing Executive with The Scottish Salmon Company Ltd., after impressing my interviewers with my knowledge and expertise acquired during placement.”  

Laura - BA (Hons) Management with Marketing

Hear more about Laura’s placement with Microsoft UK during her third year studying BA (Hons) Management with Marketing.

Stuart Common

Stuart Common started his career at Mackie's of Scotland during his placement year while studying Management at RGU. It wasn't long before he returned to the company after graduating to spend the next decade working in various roles within the company. Stuart is now Managing Director of Mackie’s of Scotland. Hear more about Stuart’s inspiring story:

Study Abroad

Many of our undergraduate courses offer you the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Europe, North America and South East Asia and we in turn welcome students from around the globe. A semester abroad is extremely rewarding and will help develop your knowledge and skills by learning in a different social and cultural context.

Combining a semester abroad with a fully paid placement helps you to stand out from the crowd when seeking graduate employment.

Awards and accreditations

Business School of the Year

Aberdeen Business School was named Business School of the Year 2020 (THE Awards 2020). This recognises that we provide an outstanding business education and help create top quality work-ready graduates.

AACSB

Aberdeen Business School is accredited by  AACSB International (AACSB) joining an elite group of business schools around the world to be accredited by the global body.

We are one of only four institutions in Scotland to hold AACSB accreditation, with the accreditation only being earned by less than 5% of the world’s business schools.

Our undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degree programs have passed rigorous standards for quality.

AACSB-accredited schools are considered to have better programs, better students, more employers that recruit from them, and graduates that receive better salaries.

Small Business Charter

Aberdeen Business Schools has been awarded the Small Business Charter Award, in recognition of our commitment to supporting the small business community, student entrepreneurship, and the local economy.

Course Accreditations

Our courses are accredited by a range of professional bodies including:

• Institute for Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Association of International Accountants (AIA)
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute 
• The Association of MBAs (AMBA)
• Association of Project Management (APM)
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
• The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
• Energy Institute (EI)
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
• The Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
• Institute of Hospitality (IoH)
• Tourism Management Institute (TMI)
• Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM)
• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

Industry Links and Connections

Our courses are practical, relevant and designed in partnership with industry and relevant professional bodies to ensure you are equipped with professionally relevant skills that employers are seeking. Our Industry Liaison Groups provides a forum for dialogue between employers and staff members and to co-ordinate employer input to course development and design.

Most of our full-time undergraduate courses give you the opportunity to undertake a placement as an integral part of your degree programme. If you opt not to go on placement, you will have the opportunity to work on live client projects with a range of different organisations albeit within the University setting.

All of our Masters students are exposed to a variety of masterclasses by leading business professionals on contemporary business topics and there are various opportunities to interact and network with business experts in your chosen field of study. In addition, you will complete your postgraduate qualification with an applied research project which provides you with a variety of options most suited to your career aspirations including a business consultancy project.

Business led workshops and guest lectures are an integral part of our courses and give you the opportunity to interact, engage with and listen to a wide range of leading industry speakers from a variety of national and international business perspectives.

Educational Institutions

We have developed a strong relationship with the Business & Hotel Management School (B.H.M.S) in Lucerne, Switzerland. B.H.M.S, part of the Benedict Education Group, offer a number of RGU validated business courses:

• BA Hotel and Hospitality Management
• BA Global Business Management
• Graduate Certificate International Hospitality Business Management
• MSc International Hospitality Business Management
• BA Culinary Arts
• MSc Global Business Management

Scholarship Opportunities

We are proud to be associated with the following leading organisations who offer a number of scholarship opportunities to our students:

• Brett Simpson Scholarship
• CNR International - Cliff Murray Scholarship
• ICAS Foundation Awards for Accounting and Finance

Aberdeen Business School hosts a vibrant research community and is active in a number of applied research topics. We offer expertise and doctoral research opportunities in a wide range of business and management subject areas including accounting and finance, entrepreneurship, media, human resource management, tourism, marketing, operations, project management and supply chain management.

Our Research Groups

Small Business and Enterprise

Led by Dr James Cunningham, the work of the group focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation activities in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Continuing the legacy of entrepreneurship research within Aberdeen Business School, our researchers embrace a variety of perspectives on entrepreneurship and innovation, utilising a range of approaches to provide a multi-faceted view on how entrepreneurship and innovation contribute to our society. Recent studies by the group’s researchers and doctoral community have focused on the contextual nature of entrepreneurship, considering issues such as social interaction, particularities of place and industry, and the role of entrepreneurship in developing economies.

Energy, Sustainability and Society

Led by Professor Peter Strachan, the research interests of the group include circular economy, green businesses, energy policy, energy transitions, and social acceptance of major energy infrastructure developments.

Research Themes

Much of the work in Aberdeen Business School is interdisciplinary and themes include energy, health, digital, sustainability, heritage, place, gender, storytelling and inclusive and creative societies.