The school has a forty year history of delivering MBAs, making it one of the oldest business schools in the UK, and the Bath MBA is regularly ranked amongst the top programmes in the world. The Economist ranks the Bath MBA first in the UK for ‘increase in salary’.
A minimum of three years relevant work experience and 2:1 undergraduate degree are required, but the GMAT is not necessary for all candidates. Bath’s School of Management offers both a one year Full-time MBA programme, and a Part-time Executive MBA.
BusinessBecause has spoken to Rachel Foster-Borman, Marketing and Recruitment Manager for the MBA programmes at the University of Bath, about how to get one step ahead in Bath’s admissions process. When asked for an example of a Bath alumnus who has made an exciting career change, Rachel told us that there were so many examples she’d have to get back to us!
Read on to find out how admissions staff differentiate between the best candidates, what it’s like to live and work in the beautiful city of Bath, and why it’s worth considering an MBA at any stage in your career.
How long have you worked at Bath School of Management?
A month already. Before I was at a Further Education college, working with employers to find the right training solutions to meet their operational needs, and finding solutions for skills gaps.
What’s more important: GMAT score, or work experience?
Work experience every time. We’re looking for real people with real life experiences who can engage enthusiastically with the course, the materials, key concepts and the other candidates in the cohort.
We’re looking for well-rounded individuals who can contribute based on the best of their experience, and learn from each other as well as from the academics.
Have you ever had a candidate who applied for an MBA too soon or too late in his/her career? When is the best time to apply for an MBA?
I think it depends on how you define too soon and too late, and what the candidate is hoping to achieve.
By too soon, yes in the admissions sense of needing to gain more experience and reapply later. But no in that it’s never too soon to begin thinking about personal development, finding out the best solution for you, and thinking ahead to how you can fit this development into your professional career.
Too late? Well certainly not in terms of being a valued member of the cohort. There probably is a career age band where a salary increase would offer more subsequent years of enhanced pay (and logically return on investment in fees). But I find it hard to imagine that any candidate would fail to see a return on their investment in a short time horizon.
We only accept applications from candidates with at least three years of experience. Beyond that point, it’s more about what the candidate wishes to achieve with their MBA. As an MBA takes a lot of commitment, the timing has to be right for the individual.
What’s your favourite interview question?
It depends on the candidate’s experience and background… and you wouldn’t want me to give away all of my secrets, would you?
How do you differentiate between the very best candidates?
We look for highly intelligent candidates with great experience, but it’s not a simple case of considering IQ. In admissions we’re looking for the strongest fit between the experience of the candidate, their goals and aspirations, and the BATH MBA programme as a whole.
The best candidates are highly engaged with the programme. We select carefully to ensure the best fit of the BATH MBA to their needs, and the best fit of their contribution to the cohort. It’s about creating the right mix that generates the best outcomes for all concerned.
What does a Bath MBA get up to at the weekend?
It depends on the programme. If they are on the part time executive programme, which is taught in week long blocks, they would be living their normal lives. For full time students, they would be enjoying all the highlights of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Our full time students always treasure this aspect of selecting Bath. There are so many wonderful places to visit, and so many wonderful things to do. We offer the incredible experience of undertaking one of the best MBA programmes in the world, which also happens to be in a world heritage city. Bath is certainly ‘easy on the eye’!
What’s the top perk of working at a business school?
The candidates – they’re all such interesting people.
Compare b-school rankings from the FT, BusinessWeek and Economist on the MBA rankings table
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