MBA Master of Business Administration (MBA) (Full-time)
Page last updated 1 August 2025
Please note this course is closed to new international applications for September 2025 entry.
Introduction
The Bristol MBA degree is practical, flexible and focused. This highly regarded full-time course has been designed to enhance your management career, helping you to reach new heights in business.
Fulfillment in business
Our Bristol MBA prepares managers for the changing demands of the global market and the increasing challenges of contemporary business. You will gain practical insight into the key issues facing organisations today and investigate key methodologies relevant to the real world.
We'll encourage you to think about business in a responsible way, creating sustainable value for business and society at large, and contributing to a healthy economy.
An MBA helps you towards better prospects, salaries, and ultimately, further fulfillment in business. Our MBA is rooted in the real world of business and has been carefully designed to give you a practical insight into the key issues facing organisations today in all parts of the world.
This course can have a profound impact on your career, helping you exceed your potential, and prepare you for the challenges ahead. Our well-established international links help transform Bristol MBA students into effective business leaders with a global outlook.
People choose to study for an MBA for different reasons and with different outcomes in mind. Our course is vocationally focused, allowing you to tailor your studies to develop areas of knowledge relevant to your career plan, meet your particular goals, and shape your business future.
Whatever you want to get out of the course, it's going to be demanding and challenging - dedication, energy and enthusiasm are a prerequisite.
Personalised virtual tour
There's no need to visit us in person to explore our facilities and campuses. Take a personalised virtual tour and discover it all for yourself from wherever you are.
Take a virtual tourStructure
Content
The elective (optional) modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
The Bristol MBA will serve you well in your day-to-day business as well as giving you a passport to a higher-flying career.
You'll study:
- Executive Project and Research Methods: MBA
- Financial Decision Making
- Leadership, Complexity and Change
- Managing People in a Global Context
- Marketing Management
- Professional and Academic Development - Integrating the MBA Learning Experience
- Strategy and Implementation
- Systems, Structures and Operations.
Plus one elective (optional) module from the below list (subject to availability):
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Digital Business Information Systems
- Emerging Markets: The New World Order
- Management Consultancy
- Professional Practice in Self-Leadership for Senior Leaders
- Project Management in a Complex World.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.
Learning and Teaching
The Bristol MBA is a proactive learning experience so while there are some classroom and one-to-one sessions, these are combined with individual research projects and applied study. Our approach is hands on and practical, focused on developing tangible personal and professional skills.
An important part of the course is the 'Professional and Academic Development - Integrating the MBA Learning Experience' module, which is woven throughout the programme, connecting the various elements together. This module focuses on personal development planning, reflective learning and creating a portfolio. You are encouraged to devise a tailored programme of study that aligns with your professional and personal circumstances.
Collaboration is right at the heart of everything we do, with staff and students sharing knowledge and experience of their business worlds. Bristol MBA students learn through syndicate work, group and individual presentations, student-led seminar groups, case studies, experiential learning, role play and business simulations.
See our glossary of teaching and learning terms.
Study time
The course starts in September and the duration is 12 months.
Assessment
Assessment for the Bristol MBA is by a mixture of work-based assignments (supervised mini projects), examinations, presentations/vivas and your final project.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
Features
Professional accreditation
Bristol Business School has forged close links with a broad variety of business organisations at local, national and international level. These partnerships give you the opportunity to complete a 'live' project as part of your MBA course.
As part of your practical coursework, you may get the chance to work inside an organisation for several weeks on a standalone strategic project, testing your skills and knowledge in the field. This taste of up-close management consultancy, critically analysing business problems in a workplace context, provides an invaluable form of active preparation. It helps develop decisiveness and judgment for timely, informed decisions.
Fieldwork
Bristol Business School also has connections and affiliations with influential business institutions locally and nationally. These include Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Bristol City Council, Bristol Junior Chamber, Bristol Post, Business West, The Confederation of British Industry, The Chartered Management Institute, The Federation of Small Businesses, The Institute of Directors, The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.
Study facilities
As an MBA student at Bristol Business School, you'll have access to dedicated rooms with WiFi and study space for individual and group work. You'll also be able to access the Business School's Postgraduate Resource Centre, as well as the Academic Support Centre and Executive Development Centre.
You can take advantage of Bristol Business School facilities including a Bloomberg trading room. This facility is used as part of your learning on certain optional modules.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Business Management facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
Stimulating speakers and contacts
We organise the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, regularly inviting distinguished experts from industry and professional bodies to speak at UWE. This opportunity provides students with insight into the challenges and decisions being made at the highest level of strategic leadership.
Speakers include: Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint, Mike Haigh, Executive Chair of Mott MacDonald, Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of the Arts Council England, Theresa Wise, CEO, The Royal Television Society.
Bristol Business School is also actively involved in other events including the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards, which pay tribute to the women whose determination and success are helping to drive the local economy.
These occasions also provide a valuable opportunity for students to tap into our professional networks and connections and start building their own.
Life
Postgraduate support
Our support includes access to fantastic facilities, study tools and career consultants, plus practical help to access everything from funding to childcare.
Bristol
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
Sports, societies and activities
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
Health and Wellbeing
We provide support in the way you need it.
Campus and facilities
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Careers
Careers / Further study
The Bristol MBA course will help you move your career forward, providing you with the relevant skills, experience and networks to become a leader in your chosen field of business.
Our award-winning careers service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.
Fees
Full-time
Supplementary fee information
Fees can be paid in full at the start of your course or in installments.
See our funding pages for more information.
See details of scholarship opportunities for international students.
Entry
We are pleased to confirm that our New students webpages are now available for students starting this course in September 2025. Here you can find links to useful information about registering, course start dates, arriving on campus what to expect before and when you arrive.
We automatically send a message via your Welcome website plus an email to notify you once your Preparing to Study information is available. It is important that you regularly check your Welcome website for new messages.
Entry requirements
You'll need:
- an honours degree of a minimum 2:2 or above from a recognised higher education institution or equivalent from a recognised overseas institution, and;
- three years post-graduation relevant management/organisational experience.
Post-graduation experience is vital on the MBA programme. We draw on students' professional experience within our sessions but also within the assessments on the programme. Students learn a great deal from their peers gaining valuable insights into different industries, cultures and experiences. The MBA is as much about professional development as it is academic.
If you do not meet the above requirements but have at least three years management experience and equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis.
Personal statement
You are required to complete a personal statement for this course. Please read the personal statement guidance carefully and make sure that you answer the questions on the postgraduate application form within the personal statement tabs, keeping to the advised word count.
UWE Bristol's International College
International students who do not meet the academic or English language requirements to study this course can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
English language support
If you meet the academic requirements but require additional support to take your language skills to the required level, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Students who successfully complete the pre-sessional course can progress onto their chosen degree course without retaking an IELTS or equivalent.
Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
Deferred entry
We are not able to offer deferrals for this programme. However, we appreciate there may be extenuating circumstances to consider and therefore we will consider requests on a case by case basis.
English Language Requirement
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The University accepts a large number of UK and international qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section.
How to apply
Apply now
Read more about postgraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email: Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 83333
