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The London Institute of Banking & Finance Higher Education Strategic Statement

The London Institute of Banking & Finance has a heritage of more than 140 years of delivering world-class, professional education to students in the UK and internationally. It is a not-for-profit educational body with charitable status, incorporated by Royal Charter.

On 2 January 2010, the ifs School of Finance (as it was then called) received taught degree-awarding powers (TDAP), the first and still the only 'professional body' in the UK to achieve this distinction. In August 2013 it was granted University College title by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. More recently in 2019, we were  registered as an approved provider by the regulator, Office for Students.

We are committed to providing both part-time and full-time students with quality higher education that is academically rigorous, rooted in practice and with a focus on employability. We currently  deliver undergraduate honours degrees and postgraduate programmes.

Our main campus is located in the City of London with regional workshops offered throughout the UK and delivery for international students through distance learning.

Through our alumni and membership services we support a professional network exceeding 20,000 individuals which provides valuable support for the internship and mentoring programmes offered to our undergraduate students. We contribute strongly to the development of the higher education sector through our membership of a number of formal committees and working parties as well as sector bodies. We are committed to the widening participation agenda and publish a 'statement of intent' on our website.

Graduation 2019

The key strategic objectives for The London Institute of Banking & Finance, relating to our Higher Education provision, are to:

  • Develop a unique portfolio of academic programmes that are internationally recognised as market leading in the sector by all stakeholders
  • attract and support focused students, faculty and staff to build an engaged community of the highest calibre
  • provide all of our students with an exceptional student experience that establishes a life-long relationship
  • build a network of international collaborations and partnerships that will enable our brand to be globally recognised and to place an international dimension at the heart of our staff and student community
  • ensure that our policies, procedures, structures and infrastructure can operate efficiently and effectively to successfully compete in the international HE environment.

We subscribe to and carry the Quality Assurance Agency's (QAA) Quality Mark, are a member of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) and hold Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) status for the recruitment of international students. We are a member of the University & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and our full-time undergraduate programmes are designated for Student Loan Company (SLC) funding support.