Known as "The Global Business School", Hult traces its origins to both the Ashbridge Business School founded in Hertfordshire, UK in 1959 and the Arthur D. Little School of Management founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1964.
The key period of the school’s international history started in 2002, when Swedish billionaire and education advocate Bertil Hult bought the Arthur D. Little School and established a global business-facing curriculum. Hult's global campuses followed in London (2007) Dubai (2008), San Francisco (2010), and Shanghai (2011). In 2014, Hult International Business School acquired and merged with Ashridge Business School, creating one of the largest business schools in the world.
The campuses break down into specific roles with three undergraduate and postgraduate campuses (London, San Francisco, and Boston), four postgraduate campuses (Dubai, Shanghai, New York City), and one executive education campus (the Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire, UK).
Hult’s 3,000 students are spread across the following courses: a global MBA, across one or more campuses; flexible Executive MBA with electives across various campuses and online options; master's options in international business; international marketing; finance; business analytics and disruptive innovation; and the undergraduate BBA programme and Ashridge’s Executive Eductation programme.
Hult characterises its research activity into two categories: creating disruption and transforming behaviour. The former looks at what shapes international markets and what difference strategies make. Meanwhile transforming behaviour relates to the continuous improvement of organisational and personal leadership practices.
As of spring 2018, Hult achieved Triple Crown accreditation gaining recognition from the the three largest and most influential business school accreditation associations (AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS). Not only does this put Hult as one of only 1 per cent of all business schools to hold this status, but Hult is also the only American business school to hold triple accreditation.
Hult is also noted for the Hult Prize for social good, launched in 2010 with the United Nations Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative.