Frequently asked questions for Engineering Business Management (EBM)

The course starts each year in January, May and September.

The online course takes about two years and three months to complete, or you can take up to a maximum of five years to complete it.

A commitment of 12–15 hours of study per week is anticipated for most students. If you have less experience in particular areas or have taken a long break from study, you may need to allow more time during some weeks.

Units are run consecutively, with each one taking eight weeks to complete. Terms are based on two units and are structured with short breaks in April, August and December.

• Spring term: January to April
• Summer term: May to August
• Autumn term: September to December

Tailored to fit your lifestyle, our online course perfectly suits individuals with full-time work and/or family commitments. Course curriculum includes content that you can move through at your convenience so that your education fits your schedule.

Our online Engineering Business Management MSc costs £833* per 10 credits (10% alumni discount). Fees are paid in unit instalments corresponding with the course units. Each taught 10 credit unit is £833 and for the 60 credit dissertation students will pay two instalments of £2,499. To qualify for an MSc you will need a total of 180 credits. All courses will have the project payment split into two equal instalments with the first instalment payable in advance of the start of the project, and the second instalment due during the following enrolment and payment window period (8 weeks after the start of the project). Learn more about fees and funding.

To enrol on our MSc course, the following criteria apply:

• You should have a Bachelor’s honours degree or international equivalent, typically a 2:2 or above.
• Ideally, you should have an undergraduate degree in an engineering or management discipline, but other subjects will be considered.
• We may make an offer based on a lower grade if you can provide evidence of your suitability for the degree.
• If your first language is not English, you must have passed IELTS with a grade of at least 6.5 overall and no less than 6.0 for any of the four parts (listening, reading, writing, speaking). If English is not your first language and you completed all your undergraduate studies in the UK within the last two years, you may be exempt from the language requirement. Alternatively, you can also complete the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) or a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam.

How to apply

No, you don’t need engineering experience for this course.

Within the virtual learning environment, you can access a discussion forum within each unit where you can post questions to your teacher and fellow students. You can also email any questions you may have to your teacher. If you are seeking support, you can contact our student support team, or if you have a technical issue, you can ask our 24/7 technical support team.

You are welcome to visit the University if you wish, where you can enjoy facilities such as our campus library, in addition to your access to our online library. You can apply for a library card by emailing our library services with your name, address and photo.

The School of Management is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and EQUIS.

Here are some of the recent University, School of Engineering and Design, and School of Management rankings.

The University of Bath is ranked:

• 8th in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2022¹
• 9th overall by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022¹
• 8th best university in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2023¹

Bath's School of Management is ranked:

• 4th in the UK for Business & Management in The Complete University Guide 2023. ¹
• Top 5 in the UK for Accounting and Finance in The Guardian University Guide 2022 and The Times and The Sunday Times University Guide 2022¹
• Top 10 for Business, Management and Marketing in The Guardian University guide 2022 and The Times and The Sunday Times University Guide 2022¹
• In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) 21, 92% of our research was assessed as "world-leading" or "internationally excellent.". 
• 8th in the UK for business and management studies according to the Times Higher Education's REF rankings¹

The School of Engineering and Design is ranked:

• Top 10 in three national league tables in 2022¹
• 3rd for Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022¹
• 2nd for Mechanical Engineering in the Guardian University Guide 2022¹

Unlike taking separate courses or Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), the MSc in Engineering Business Management will provide individuals with the niche tools and skills required to lead and manage within the engineering and technology industry context. This is crucial for individuals who may hold an entry-level engineering or technology role and are eager to impact their organisations and advance their careers.

Plus, members of the EBM teaching team come from both Engineering and Design and the School of Management. They draw on their own industrial experience as they deliver innovative academic content.

Students are assessed through various methods, including multiple-choice quizzes, problem sets, reports, group work, case studies and presentations.

The course is 100% online, so there is no need to visit campus at any point during your studies. You can attend campus if you wish, for instance, if you want to use the library, but it’s not a requirement.

Yes, we encourage all students, whether on campus or online, to take part in graduation in person.

Our online environment features regular interaction with your lecturers and fellow students to give it that classroom feel. To help you connect with the content, the environment includes video content, case studies and a library of digital resources. Although our online courses allow you to study at a time and place that suits you, we ask that you complete your assignments against a set schedule.

University of Bath online learning experience

Your advisor and the Faculty of Engineering Business Management course will help coach your topic choices. You can choose a topic inspired by your working environment, and there will also be a list of project ideas available for you to choose from.

All your required reading will be made available via the University Library’s reading list system and will be available to read electronically. Once you have fully registered as a student and received your university username and password, you can access library services and online resources.

It is recommended you have the following operating systems to fully enjoy the benefits of our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE): either Windows 8, 10, 11, Mac OS X 10.11 or later, Linux based operating systems will likely be sufficient but please note they are not officially supported by our technical support teams. You will need 4 GB or more RAM and a high-speed/broadband connection (at least 25Mbps). If you are unsure, you can test your internet speed here.

It is also important you have an up-to-date web browser: Chrome (version 30.0 or higher), Firefox (version 25.0 or higher), Microsoft Edge, or Safari (version 6 or higher). Cookies must be enabled in your browser for our VLE to function correctly. Most browsers have cookies enabled by default. If you are unsure whether your browser is configured properly, please contact technical support for advice.

One of the main forms of interaction is on discussion forums on our virtual learning environment, where some of the weekly activities involve discussions with your classmates. You can independently message each other and connect via email, text, WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

Yes, there will be some optional live sessions where you can build on your learning, interact with classmates, and we will also bring in guest speakers and alumni who will talk about their experiences in the industry.

This course helps you enhance your knowledge to advance in your current role or become a manager in engineering and technology. Graduates of this course might also pursue additional education for executive management positions. Learn more about career options.

The degree certificate and transcript do not mention ‘online’, and the degree qualification is equivalent to a full-time campus degree. The fact that you have completed an online course of study whilst working may even add to your prospects. Explore career prospects.