Master of Business Administration

Every function of a business in turn — finance, marketing, operations, strategy, people — then a consultancy project in which teams take a live brief from a real organisation.

• Strategic analysis
• Financial literacy
• Leadership
• Negotiation
• Working across functions

A representative structure for a course of this kind. Module names, the balance between compulsory and optional, and the order they run in are set by each university — two courses with the same title can be taught very differently.

Requirements are set per course, per intake, by each university. The figures below are placeholders showing the shape of a typical offer for a course of this kind, not an offer from anyone.

The same course, at the universities that teach it. The spread is normal — it is why applying to a range rather than to one level of offer is the standard advice.

• Example Castleton University

  ABB–BBC at A-level or an equivalent international qualification

  IELTS 6.0–6.5 depending on the course

• Example Riverside University

  AAA–ABB at A-level or an equivalent international qualification

  IELTS 6.5–7.0 depending on the course

• Example Harbourside University

  BBC–CCC at A-level or an equivalent international qualification

  IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5

Across the universities that teach it, tuition runs from £15,000 to £38,000 a year. Tuition is the largest single line and the one you have least control over once you have accepted an offer — accommodation and the city are where a year actually gets cheaper or dearer.

• Example Castleton University

  Birmingham · about £1,020 a month to live

  £17,000–£25,000

• Example Riverside University

  Bristol · about £1,250 a month to live

  £22,000–£38,000

• Example Harbourside University

  Cardiff · about £950 a month to live

  £15,000–£19,500

Full scholarships are rare and competitive. Partial awards and fee reductions are far more common, are often assessed automatically at the point of offer, and a surprising number go unclaimed.

• Example Castleton University

  • Castleton Global Scholarship — £3,500. Awarded on academic merit at the point of offer.
  • Business Leaders Award — £2,000. Competitive, for business and economics entrants.

• Example Riverside University

  • Global Excellence Scholarship — £5,000. Competitive, awarded on academic record and a written statement.
  • Science Bursary — £2,000. For students entering mathematics and the physical sciences.

• Example Harbourside University

  • Harbourside International Bursary — £2,500. Automatic fee reduction for international undergraduates.
  • Healthcare Commitment Award — £2,000. For students entering nursing and allied health programmes.

Averages are useless here. The only figure worth planning against is one built from the city, the accommodation and the course you are actually considering.

• Cost calculator
• Scholarship finder
• What a UK year costs

Graduates of courses like this commonly move into the areas below. None of them is a fixed track — a degree opens doors rather than choosing one for you.

• General management
• Consultancy
• Founding or scaling a business
• Sector or function change

Each one covers what the work actually involves, the skills it needs, and the other degrees that lead there.

• Management Consultant

  Go into an organisation and work out what's wrong.

  Read the guide

• Financial Analyst

  Work out what something is really worth.

  Read the guide

3 universities teach this course in the example catalogue. The course is the decision; the university is the setting you make it in — so compare them on the city, the cost and the support rather than on reputation alone.