MBA in the UK
The pandemic is over, and everything is shifting from online to offline. If studying MBA from UK University was your forever dream, now it’s the time to live it. Luckily universities have started accepting students from around the world. If you fulfil a few requirements (monetary + academic), then you can pursue your dream to study abroad to take numerous advantages.
In this article, we are focusing on studying Master in Business Administration from a UK university because
- It’s better and cheaper than pursuing MBA from universities in USA or Canada.
- After completing the course, you get an almost 95% to 100% hike in your salary.
- You can apply for scholarships to get your MBA done at discounted rates.
- You are not bound to the curriculum forced by the college. Top business schools in the UK allow you to choose your programs and subject.
- You get options in 130 fields, including economics, health administration, international business, etc.
There are many more benefits of studying MBA in the UK. This article will cover every detail you must know before looking for colleges, including eligibility criteria, universities, scholarships, costs, etc. Read it till the last, and you won’t have many questions.
Why do students prefer studying MBA in the UK?
A Master in Business Administration degree pursued from abroad will always overpower the degree completed at a local college. Usually, students get an 80% to 100% hike in their salary. All your investments made for pursuing an MBA delivers high returns. If you are looking for MBA jobs in the UK, you are offered an annual package of up to 100,000 GBP (~97 LPA).
Due to this reason and high return on Investment, students prefer to complete their MBA from a UK university. The university’s reputation also adds up a lot to your salary package. Some more reasons include
- The UK is among the best countries to gain education, and around ten universities in the UK rank for FT business schools ranking 2021.
- Most managers are constantly searching for skilled talent, and they prefer hiring people with a degree from a reputed university.
- The UK is in extreme need of skilful people to handle managerial positions, and it’s easier to get a job.
- The average cost of pursuing a degree in the UK is lower than USA or Canada.
Some more reasons make the UK a desired place for many students to pursue their degrees and get a job in the UK. Most students repay their student loans within a few years of starting their careers.
Requirements to study MBA in the UK
Before you jump to search universities and complete UK entry requirements, including Visa and more, financial conditions, language proficiency test, insurance, etc., here is a detailed overview to stay in the UK to complete your MBA course.
1. Academic – A undergraduate degree with a 2:1 qualification equivalent to 50-60%. It depends on your business school. Some of them may ask for more.
2. Work Experience – It is not mandatory to have work experience, but a minimum of 2 years is preferred. Also, 5 to 6 years of experience will have a huge impact.
3. GMAT Score – Again, it’s not compulsory, but around 90% of schools will ask you for a 600+ GMAT score for admission.
4. Language proficiency – To be eligible, you need IELTS: 6.5+ TOEFL: 95+.
5. LOR – LOR means a letter of recommendation, and you need 1 to 3, preferably professional or from a supervisor. Academic LOR is not accepted.
6. Essay – You need to write 500 words, including questions like short & long-term career goals, describing your teamwork experience, why you chose the program, and how will MBA will improve your future.
7. Resume, Visa and funds – You need an updated Visa with completed documents, an updated CV and enough funds to pay for the college and your stay.
Upon completing the eligibility requirements, you can search for universities to apply for, depending on your budget. Some popular universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College of London, University College London, and more provide the best-in-class education but charge the most.
If these universities don’t fall under your budget, you can prefer other universities or look for scholarship options discussed below in the article. Also, most colleges mandate GMAT, ILETS and Work experience. But a few colleges may accept you without these requirements. We have added a list of them.
MBA in the UK without work experience
No work experiences? Don’t worry! These business schools will accept without any work experience.
1. University of Derby: They require you to fulfil the language proficiency requirements to take admission.
2. University of Northampton: You need a UG degree of second-class honours and complete a language proficiency test.
3. Cardiff University – They consider the work experience if you have any, but it’s not compulsory. Make sure you fulfil other requirements, and you are good to join.
4. University of Greenwich: This university doesn’t want you to have work experience, but they need ILETS and GMAT.
MBA in the UK without GMAT
GMAT is a test that checks your analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English. It’s a basic requirement to pursue MBA abroad, but if somehow you cannot crack the GMAT, you can prefer these universities as they don’t mandate GMAT for admission.
1. University of Central Lancashire – You must clear the proficiency test and have the required experience with ILETs. GMAT is not mandatory for admission.
2. Birmingham City Business School – offers full–time MBA courses for students from abroad without GMAT. They are flexible with other terms, but you need to check the details personally.
3. Lancaster University Management School – This university allows you to choose between the GMAT of admission essay. Therefore, the GMAT is not the basic requirement.
4. Durham University Business School – You may need to submit a GMAT score if your portfolio or academic qualification is considered insufficient by the university.
MBA in the UK without IELTS
A few colleges in the UK provide admissions without IELTS scores. But you need to have an English background for such access. Also, you must provide proof of first-class numbers in English in classes 11 and 12. Also, you must have an undergraduate degree in English or a pre-sessional language course available for international students. Anything including ILETS, GMAT or Work experience is not a mandatory requirement to join any UK university but make sure you fulfil the alternate provisions for successful admission.
MBA from UK University for Indian Students
Most Indian students prefer a Master in Business Administration degree from the UK because it’s comparatively cheaper than other countries and provides huge benefits upon completion. In addition, most students repay their debt within starting years of their job. Indian students mandatorily need a minimum of 2 years of work experience to study MBA in the UK. Some other basic requirements include.
- An undergraduate degree with work experience.
- You must have competitive GMAT and ILETS Exam Score
- MBA Essays or Personal statement depends on the universities you choose.
- Letter of recommendation.
Once you submit all documents to the required university, they will call you for an interview. Upon clearing the interview, you will get documentation for admission, and then you can leave the country to pursue your dreams.
List of top universities in the UK
| INSTITUTION | DURATION | EXAMS ACCEPTED | COURSE FEE |
| University of Oxford | 1 Year | GMAT, GRE | INR 65.1 Lakhs |
| University of Cambridge | 1 Year | GMAT | INR 58.9 Lakhs |
| London Business School | 15-21 Months | GMAT: 600, GRE | INR 60.6 Lakhs |
| University of Warwick | 1 Year | GMAT, GRE | INR 41.8 Lakhs |
| Lancaster University | IELTS: 7, PTE: 62 | IELTS: 7, PTE: 62 | INR 34.1 Lakhs |
| Cranfield University | 13 months | GMAT, GRE | INR 40.3 Lakhs |
| Brunel University | 1 Year | IELTS: 6.5, PTE: 58 | INR 24.4 Lakhs |
| University of Bath | 1 Year | GMAT: 600. IELTS: 7 | INR 38.8 Lakhs |
The average cost to study MBA at UK University
Another important requirement of studying abroad is the budget. However, you can select many universities based on your budget, but MBA in the UK range from 31,000 GBP to 88,000 GBP. It is equal to 29 Lacs to 83 Lacs in Indian currency.
We recommend you thoroughly check the list of colleges and fee structures before taking admission. You may pay a huge amount for the same course that other colleges charge less. Also, your pre-arrival costs will include fees for TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and VISA Applications. It will account for an average of 900 GBP.
Cost of living
University is not enough to consider the cost; you need to live and eat. The rent, transportation, mobile phone, Internet, clothing, laundry, stationery items, food and other expenses will come to around 950 GBP monthly.
Considering the overall cost of living and studying MBA from a UK university will cost you around 32,300 GBP/Year for overseas students. If your university charges more, then accordingly, the amount will increase. However, other costs of living will remain the same as now.
Can you get a scholarship?
Indeed, studying MBA in the UK is an expensive deal that most middle-class families cannot afford. But it shouldn’t restrict you from achieving your dreams. If you are intelligent enough, but money is the issue, a scholarship programme will help.
Tuition accounts for more than 50% of your overall costs. Most scholarship programmes aim to help you with tuition fees, and the rest you have to manage. Some even help you with your living expenses, but you need to check. Here is the list of some famous scholarship programmes you can grab to study MBA in the UK.
- GREAT Scholarships
- The University of Lincoln Scholarships
- Research Council UK Scholarships
- Graduate Scholarships at LSE
- The Rhodes Scholarships India
- The Gates Cambridge Scholarships
- University of East Anglia Scholarships
- Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship
- Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships
- Hornby Scholarships 2018
- Education Grants by Tata Trusts
- Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships
- Academy Asia Senior Fellowship
- Felix Scholarships
- Chevening Scholarship
- Oxford India Centre Scholarship
- Inlaks Scholarships
They all have different requirements, so search the Internet to learn more about these programmes. They are pretty famous with tons of information available online.
Additionally, there are two types of scholarships internal and external. Internal scholarships are provided by the institution you are joining. Every institute won’t provide you with this facility. Oxford, Brokerfish and Cambridge provide scholarship benefits, but you need to check for other institutes. The external scholarship is the one provided above. They are not related to colleges or institutions but support you with your financial needs.
Placement opportunities
The next thing on the list is getting a job and repaying the debt. Luckily getting a career in the UK upon completion of the course is not very difficult, and their country is already in need of skilful managers. However, the bigger the name of your university, the better placement opportunities you get.
If you have deep knowledge about the course you pursued, it’s easier to crack interviews with reputed companies. We can divide placements with MBA in the UK into three main types: internships, placement years, and Sandwich courses.
The internship’s duration can be between 6 weeks to 6 months. They are specific jobs that provide money with limited working hours.
Various colleges want you to work as a compulsory part of their curriculum for placement years.
Sandwich courses are pretty common in undergraduate classes where you have to work for one particular year related to the subject you are studying during the period.
You can get any type of placement upon successful completion of the course. Getting a post in the UK is not difficult, and you have equal opportunities in many fields, including finance, HR, Marketing, Sales, and Operations. Despite Brexit, there isn’t a huge drop in the job market. So don’t worry about a job. Just make sure you perform well in your academics, and the rest will happen automatically.
Top recruiter in the UK includes
| RECRUITER | PAY-SCALE OFFERED (GBP/YEAR) |
| Oliver Wyman | 75,000 |
| Roland Berger | 54,000 |
| FTI Consulting | 64,000 |
| Bain and Company | 83,000 |
| JP Morgan Chase & Co | 143,000 |
| HSBC | 128,000 |
| Accenture | 139,000 |
| Barclays Bank PLC | 79,000 |
| Ernst Young | 125,000 |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | 64,741 |
| Lloyds Banking Group | 66,188 |
| Santander | 40,000- 60,000 |
Salary hike and ROI
Getting a job is not enough. You need to make sure that your job provides enough Return on Investment to repay your dues easily. In addition, it should come with incentives and better growth opportunities.
The best part is most jobs provide you with a decent return and almost 80% to 120% salary hike depending upon your work category. The UK is full of opportunities with a huge chance of growth. Even you can get better job opportunities in any other part of the world. Average salaries of a few positions in the UK include.
| JOB DESCRIPTION | ANNUAL AVERAGE SALARIES (GBP/YEAR) |
| Assistant BD Manager | 131,000 |
| BD Manager | 184,000 |
| General Manager | 173,000 |
| Manager | 204,000 |
| Project Manager | 134,000 |
| Planning Director | 202,000 |
Pros and Cons of pursuing an MBA from UK University
Indeed, studying MBA in the UK has many benefits, and it completely changes your life. But it comes with a cost, and it’s not free from problems. Many people ask about a simple comparison between the benefits and difficulties of studying MBA in the UK. So here are the details.
Pros
1. You get the much-required international experience
In a globally connected world, we need to understand how the other part of the world works, their culture and the ideas they implement to better the business. Gaining such experience is impossible in local colleges.
An international experience adds a lot to your profile, opening up better job opportunities worldwide.
2. Better quality of education
Do you know that the UK is among the most popular international study destinations and houses nearly 20% of the world’s top universities? So, a degree from a UK university can boost your career in the direction of betterment and global exposure.
The UK heavily invests in the quality of education, which is seen in the framework of their business schools, universities and colleges. So, if you are willing to gain a quality education, an MBA from UK University will surely help.
3. You get a chance to work in a foreign country
If working abroad in an exotic location is your dream, it can be fulfilled by studying for a Master in Business Administration at a UK university. Additionally, foreign land has far more potential growth in your career and salary.
After completing the course, compare yourself to an outsider searching for legal immigration status from her home country. They have to enter long embassy queues, visa headaches, and many broken hearts.
4. Improves your language and communication skills You cannot be proficient in a foreign language without communicating the native speakers. Studying and working abroad helps you gain the best language and communication skills required to compete in the current world.
Cons
1. It’s expensive
The biggest disadvantage of studying abroad is it’s too expensive that a middle-class family cannot afford it without loans or scholarships. As a result, most people refrain from taking a huge burden of loans and leave the opportunity.
Apart from the university fees, the living costs are an extra financial headache. You need to pay for rent, food, travel, and other miscellaneous expenses. On top of that, there are immigration restrictions on where and when students can work under a student visa.
2. You need to do all work by yourself
You cannot get domestic help in a foreign country. You need to do all household work and laundry by yourself. You need to manage your studies and score well for better placement opportunities.
Plus, the time you spend overseas building a global network of friends and colleagues will lose the professional and personal connection back home.
3. Differences in culture
It takes time to adjust to a foreign country and adapt to their language, culture, climate, etc. For example, some customs may be banned in your home country, but you need to follow them abroad. Many students face issues with that. If you are a homesick person, it will be difficult for you, and the lack of suitable adaptability can make life quite lonely in a foreign land.
FAQ’s
Most of you ask similar questions about studying MBA at a UK university. So, we have answered the list of common questions for you.
1. Is it worth MBA in the UK?
Surely, it’s worth it. It improves your knowledge and experience and provides you with better and high-paying international job opportunities, which are difficult to get with a local degree.
2. How much does it cost to do an MBA in the UK?
It will cost you somewhere between27,500 GBP to 87,900 GBP (approx 29 Lakhs to 81 Lakhs INR).
3. How many years does it take to complete an MBA course in the UK?
Unlike in India, MBA programs in the UK take one year to complete, but some programmes can last two years. Even universities provide you with an option to combine studies with a part-time job so that your career may continue.
4. Can I easily find a job in the UK after my MBA?
Searching for a job in the UK after completing the course is like a cakewalk. UK is full of opportunities and offers a starting salary of around 80,000 GBP or more per year after completing the course.
5. How can I start preparing for MBA in the UK from India?
The basic things you need include MBA in the UK
1. A minimum of 2-years of full-time work experience.
2. A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. 3. GMAT and at least 6.0 to 6.5 ILETS score.
Conclusion
Most of us dream of studying MBA from UK University, but we fail to achieve our dreams because of many problems, including lack of knowledge, funds or sources. So, we tried to help you in every way possible.
We guess most of your doubts are cleared after reading this article. However, if you still have anything on your mind, please leave your comments, and we will be happy to answer. If you face financial issues, check the scholarship programmes we mentioned in the article. It is not easy to get a scholarship, but it’s not impossible. If you are talented and good in your studies and match the requirements, no one can stop pursuing your dreams. Please leave your experiences and doubts in the comments.
