What Students Say
Likes
- A robust curriculum that combines theoretical insights with practical applications.
- The multi-project suite that enables the students to work with real clients as part of the academic assessments.
- The professors are really approachable and knowledgeable which makes the classroom discussions worthwhile.
Dislikes
- The University is located at the top of the hill which is a bit far from the city centre considering the most viable mode of transport is the Bus which runs at regular intervals except on holidays.
- For a student living on campus, it becomes a bit boring on the weekends since you are secluded from the things and events happening in the city centre.
- The accommodations on campus are very expensive compared to any other student accommodation but it does provide amenities.
- I applied to over 20 business schools in the UK.
- The universities I got rejections from are as follows: University of Leeds, Aston Business School, Kingston University, University of Stirling, University of Liverpool, University of Glasgow. The rejection was mainly due to a lack of business or managerial experience in my CV. These universities mainly look for 3-5 years of managerial experience. I had roughly 4 years of experience (includes lead experience but not managerial).
- I applied to these universities apart from the above: University of Bath, Lancaster University Management School, University of Strathclyde, Durham University, University of Birmingham, University of Sheffield, University of Nottingham, Loughborough University, Cardiff University, University of Surrey, Brunel Business school, Queen's University Belfast, Birmingham City University, Buckinghamshire New University, University of westminister, Hult business school, University of East Anglia, Bangor University, University of Sussex.
- While most of the universities did not reply, I got offer letters from the following: University of Surrey, Brunel Business school, Lancaster University, Queen's University Belfast, University of Bath, Bangor University, Hult business school.
- Here are the factors I considered while choosing Bath over others: QS ranking of the university, proximity to major cities like London, university reputation, extra-curricular activities, scholarship, no hard need to write GMAT, career prospects, multi-project suite and reviews from alumni.
- Once applied and waited for 10 days, I got an email for the first round of interviews which was more of a culture fit interview, explaining my professional experience and intention to do an MBA. After a week I got selected for the second round which was with the career head, where they will assess if MBA is the right way and how they can help us achieve it. Got the conditional letter after two weeks or so. There was a video submission done to apply for a scholarship (optional).
- If the candidate's professional experience suffices, they do not ask for a GMAT but an IELTS score of 7 or above is a must. It was very smooth and probably one of the fastest ones comparing to other universities.
- September 2023 intake was the one I planned for. In the UK, there are generally 2 intakes: September and January, only 5-10% of all universities have Jan intake which is a selected list of good colleges.
- I wanted to do an MBA to start my own business in the future. Due to rising competition in India, the best way for me to do this was through an international MBA. Overall, the timeline was spread out over 2 months. From the initial date of application, to the unconditional letter.
Course Curriculum
8
- It was a perfect mix of theory and practicals. The week initially looked like Monday to Friday (Wednesday being a self-study day) from 9 am to 5 pm. Each day has its own subject. We study around 4 subjects until we finish them and the associated projects to move on to the next 4. The core subjects are all finished and then we have optional modules to choose from based on our interests.
- Positive aspects include the diverse classmates and the professionals who come to give talks regarding different industries, supportive staff, tech-enabled classrooms and the practical discussions that happen on a regular basis.
- Negative aspects for me were the long hours made me feel tired sometimes; the course gets really intense at certain times, career prospects in the UK itself is a bit skeptic.
Faculty
8
- The ratio was good, overall we had around 20 in the faculty(resident and guests). The cohort size was 48.
- The teaching involved theoretical concepts first, followed by examples and case studies and often gave the students tasks which we would carry out in groups in breakout rooms. The course definitely helps in attaining confidence, opens up your mind and way of thinking.
- The faculty is helpful in the way of connecting you with relevant people or guiding them. They will not proactively help you in seeking any opportunities.
- I found the entrepreneurship subject professor to be the best one. He was highly optimistic, cheerful, dynamic and had wonderful discussions in the classrooms which were really inspiring.
Campus Life
10
- One campus, we have a separate building for School of Management. All facilities are available from on-campus medical assistance, library, student accommodation centre, cafe, supermarket to sports centre.
- The Bath Freshers' week is a bug celebration, along with Summer ball and multiple events happen on a regular basis. They are primarily targeted at the undergrads so MBA students would not go to much. We had entrepreneurship clubs, seminars, talks, webinars, networking events and a lot that were better suited for us.
- Bath has the second-best sports club in UK with a big sports centre called the STV (Sports Training Village). A world class athletics track, gym, tennis courts and much more. Bath also has a good number of student clubs for all activities, culture and others.
Part Time Jobs
- I am not sure about this since I prioritized only academics and networking. Only a few people in the MBA cohort chose to do part-time and that was mostly off-campus. We did see some openings on campus at the pub, and supermarket.
- The typical pay is around 10 pounds for an hour and the maximum hours allowed for students are 20 hours per week. It is easy to get part time jobs in Bath.
- As I mentioned, it is around 10 to 11 pounds an hour. It is easy to secure part-time jobs but based on what I know from speaking to friends, one needs to be relentlessly applying to secure the same. I did not intend to work part-time but the process usually involves application followed by an interview and decision. This is then followed by a formal training and onboarding process.
Placement
6
- It has not been 6 months since our house was completed. I did apply to a lot of jobs online for the last 3-4 months I was in the UK but the rejections came in mainly due to preference over locals who do not need a sponsored visa to stay and work.
- Theoretically, one can expect 50-75K annually as an MBA graduate in Bath, Bristol, or London but since the economy has taken a hit, getting a lower-paying job is highly probable.
- Networking and referrals are the best ways to get a job in the UK. Just applying to random jobs does not work out.
- In my cohort, roughly 60% have secured employment outside of the UK (in their respective countries). Out of the 40% of international students who are in the UK, around 5-10% have secured job offers in the UK.
Accommodation
Off Campus
10
- As I previously mentioned, I stayed at the most expensive student accommodation provided by the university which was on campus. Booking and payment was all through their portal.
- Monthly rent was roughly 1050 pounds. This included everything from cleaning charges(communal areas only), free access to the washing machine, drying room, common games room, an ensuite bedroom(attached bathroom) with a common kitchen.
Exams
- IELTS is a must for a non-English speaking native candidate. GMAT is conditional and can be required for someone who does not have an impressive academic and professional background.
- SOP is a must, typically they ask for 2 LoRs (one academic and one professional) both in their respective letterheads, CV/Resume is also a must. In our university, they also ask a set of questions in the application form which expresses the intent to do an MBA and to understand the leadership roles held previously.
Fees
- The fee for the full-time MBA course was 37,500 GBP for an entire year(international and local fees are the same). Since I got a scholarship of 10K GBP, I had to pay 27,500 GBP overall in 2 installments (September and January).
- The accommodation I stayed in was on campus. It was probably the best one in Bath which had modern rooms, bi-weekly cleaning by the cleaning staff, a free washing machine within the flat, free drying room access, and a big kitchen. The weekly rent was 251 GBP which had to be paid in 4 installments over the year. The total was around 13K GBP.
- I spent around 600 to 800 pounds on average monthly as part of my expenses.
Scholarship
- Yes, I received a scholarship called the Bath South Asia Outstanding Students with Potential which was 10K GBP. Eligible to apply if you are a student from South Asia.Yes, roughly 30-40% of all MBA students received a scholarship.
- The scholarship has 3 divisions, 5K, 10K and 15K. The decision is made based on the video submitted combined with CV. Roughly 30% or more from MBA would receive this every year.
