The 10 Best Business School Campuses To Spend Time On This Christmas

Thousands of miles from home? After some Christmas cheer? We list the best business school campuses for the festive season

It's been a long and busy term for MBAs and now it's time to wind down and relax. But not everybody’s driving home for Christmas.

For those staying on campus this holiday season, there are lots of activities to keep MBAs busy during the winter break.

Whether it's Christmas markets, skiing, writing up your Christmas wishlist, getting into the spirit of things with a carol concert, or even heading to the beach, here are 10 of the best business school campuses to spend time on this Christmas.

1. ESMT, Berlin

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Germany is famed for its Christmas markets. If you’re an ESMT student you can look forward to your Christmas shopping knowing that Gendarmenmarkt, Alexanderplatz, and Potsdamer Platz—three of Berlin’s most loved festive markets—are just a short walk away from the school’s prime location in the middle of the city.

2. WU Executive Academy, Vienna

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Less than a 30-minute walk from WU Executive Academy’s campus is the historic Kursalon concert hall that saw Johann Strauss’ first performance. The Strauss and Mozart Christmas concert, which takes place on Christmas Eve, is a firm favorite in Vienna's festive calendar.

In the run up to Christmas too, be sure to check out the array of festive Christmas markets spread throughout the city, for an intake of local culture and cuisine.

3. University of Edinburgh Business School, Edinburgh

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A cold and wintry Scottish chill cuts across Edinburgh in the run up to Christmas. A lovely time to grab a hot chocolate from a winter market, or to wrap up warm next to a fire in one of the city's many bars and cafes.

Santa Land is also a 15-minute walk from Edinburgh Business School and includes a Christmas tree maze and a medley of rides including a roller coaster, carousel, and ferris wheel as a well as a Christmas market which makes the gardens a hub of festivity throughout December.

4. NYU Stern, New York City

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There are certain perks that come from going to business school in one of the most iconic cities in the world. At Christmas, New York City lights up...

ding, skate on the ice rink next to the tree, or travel up the 70 stories to ‘Top of the Rock’ to see the city in all its snowy glory.

5. Tuck School of Business Dartmouth College, Hanover

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Reenacting the music video to ‘Last Christmas’ and going skiing is a sure fire way to feel festive. At Tuck it’s easily done. The New Hampshire school owns the 100-acre Dartmouth Skiway and there is a shuttle bus from Dartmouth's campus to the slopes.

READ: How Can MBA Candidates Get Ahead This Holiday Season?

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6. Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen

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Right next to Copenhagen Business School are the Frederiksberg Gardens which every winter play host to the Frederiksberg Runddel ice rink. Admission is free and the rink is open around the clock, ensuring that you can make the most of the winter months. And like Berlin and Vienna, Copenhagen is swell with Christmas markets and local festive culture and cuisine.

7. Warwick Business School, EMBA, London

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Nothing quite says Christmas like the streets of London in December, lit up festively and bringing an annual charm to the land of Dickens and his infamous Scrooge.

The festive season is about good food and drink and, luckily for students of Warwick's EMBA based in London, the school's campus is home to some of the best bars and restaurants in England's capital. Aqua Shard typically has a huge glass Christmas tree, which is sure to twinkle and provide the perfect ambience as you celebrate 31 floors up with panoramic views of London.

8. HULT Executive Education at Ashridge House, Hertfordshire

Few schools have such a picturesque and scenic campus as HULT’s EMBA at Ashridge House in Hertfordshire. Each Christmas the house hosts a party that continues until the early hours. It’s an event not to be missed!

9. Saïd Business School, Oxford

The University of Oxford is well-known for its Christmas carol concerts hosted in the various chapels of the historic city. Christ Church services are perhaps the most famous, and various carol concerts are held there throughout December to get you into the true Christmas spirit.

10. Australian Graduate School of Management, Sydney

Whilst a ‘white Christmas’ might be the first thing that springs to mind for many when they think of the holiday season, down under they celebrate differently. With the beach just a 10-minute drive from AGSM’s campus, students can swap snow for sand with surfing and beach BBQs on the agenda for a Christmas in Sydney.

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