- Level
- Master Degree
- Duration
- 18 month master degree
- Open intake
-
Off-shoreSep 2027
- Field
- Business, Commerce, and Management
- Institution
- Public University
- Offer speed
- Superfast Offer Speed2–3 days
Program overview
A pre-masters preparation stage followed by the eighteen month international MBA, covering academic and business foundations before strategy, finance, marketing and operations.
This pre-masters route into the MBA runs eighteen months in total and is recorded at GBP 18,970, the same as the direct entry MBA rather than at a premium.
Pre-Masters Continuing to the International Master of Business Administration is taught at the Birmingham City University, a UK university with degree awarding powers. Because the pre-masters MBA route is a degree, it supports an application under the UK Graduate Route, which gives two years of unsponsored work in Britain after the pre-masters MBA route ends, or three years for a doctorate. To claim it after the pre-masters MBA route you must be inside the UK on a valid student visa when you apply. One limit applies to the pre-masters MBA route as to every taught course in Britain: the rules introduced in January 2024 stop taught students bringing a spouse or children as dependants, so the pre-masters MBA route cannot support a family move.
Admission to Pre-Masters Continuing to the International Master of Business Administration requires a bachelor degree at 70 percent. The English requirement is IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5, and tuition for the pre-masters MBA route is recorded at GBP 18,970 a year. BCU charges no application fee, so applying for the pre-masters MBA route costs you nothing, and no scholarship is recorded against it. the pre-masters MBA route lists three September entry windows, in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Apply Study Visa manages the the pre-masters MBA route application, the deposit, the offer, the CAS and the UK student visa as one process.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: A completed bachelor degree from a recognised university, at the percentage stated.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5; TOEFL iBT 72 with reading 18, writing 17, speaking 20 and listening 17; or PTE Academic 59 with no component below 59. BCU does NOT accept the Duolingo English Test on any course.
- Application and deposit: BCU charges NO application fee, so applying costs you nothing. Confirm the tuition deposit and its refundability in writing before any money is transferred.
- Scholarship: No scholarship is recorded against this course. Budget the full tuition.
- Additional requirement: This route includes a pre-masters preparation stage before the MBA. Confirm the progression requirements between stages in writing before accepting an offer.
- Graduate Route: the pre-masters MBA route is a degree, so it supports a UK Graduate Route application giving two years of unsponsored work after you finish. You must apply from inside the UK on a valid student visa. Students on taught courses cannot bring a spouse or children as dependants under the January 2024 rules.
- Student visa: Apply Study Visa prepares the CAS request, the financial evidence and the UK student visa submission with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- Bachelor's degree marksheets & final certificate
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
- Updated CV / resume
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical destinations for graduates:
- Management Consultant: advisory practice
- Operations Manager: across sectors
- Business Development Manager: growth functions
- Project Manager: delivery roles
- Commercial Manager: corporate teams
- General Manager: after substantial experience
Reality check: an MBA rewards prior work experience above all, so a pre-masters route taken straight after a first degree delivers less than the same fee would after some years in employment.
About Birmingham City University (BCU)
- Type
- University
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.7
- World rank
- #1189
- Established
- 1843
- Reference No.
- 10007140
