Nottingham University Business School

<a href="http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article6265728.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/NUBS.jpg" /></a>

Age: 20

History: Originally known as the School of Management and Finance, the school was formed following the merger of three departments – industrial economics, accounting and insurance – and the Institute of Management Studies.

Address: The business schools is part of Nottingham University's Jubilee campus, two miles from the city centre and a 15-minute walk from the University Park campus.

Ambience: Students are housed in two new state-of-the-art buildings, wood and tinted glass structures containing large atria with trees, overlooking a lake. The latest business school building, opened in 2004, boasts a dedicated business library, MBA break-out rooms and a wireless network. An "innovation park" and "ingenuity centre" opened in 2008.

Vital statistics: A strong UK business school offering MBAs in finance, entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility, as well as general and executive options, including an MBA in healthcare. There's also a modular MBA in Singapore, and the opportunity to study at the university's far-flung campuses in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Ningbo in China.

Added value: The super-flexible executive MBA allows students to vary the number of modules they take each year.

Easy to get into? For the MBA you'll need a good degree or equivalent professional qualification, and three years' work experience.

Glittering alumni: Jeff Randall, journalist and broadcaster; John Timpson, chairman, Timpson Shoes; Ted Childs, managing director, Childscreen Ltd; Thomas Angear, chairman, M&A International; Robert Lerwill, CEO, Aegis; Michael Hodgkinson, chairman, the Post Office Ltd.

International connections: Between 60 and 70 per cent of the full-time MBA students come from abroad. The school has good links with France, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United States at MBA level, offers an MBA in Singapore, and the university has campuses in Malaysia and China, where MBA students can also study.

Student profile: The average age on the full-time MBA is 30; on the part-time it's 37. The male-to-female ratio on the full-time course is 55:45.

Cost: Between £18,500 and £19,500 for UK and EU students on the full-time and part-time MBA programmes. This rises slightly for students from overseas.

Return on investment: On average, MBA students see a 93 per cent salary hike.

Who's the boss? The new dean is Professor Martin Binks, an expert in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Prospectus: +44 (0)115 951 5500; www.nottingham.ac.uk/business; mba@nottingham.ac.uk