Executive MBA programme content and structure

Study a range of business topics and do two consulting projects with real organisations on our Executive MBA.


Our Executive MBA offers a comprehensive and demanding curriculum. Over the taught phase, you’ll meet other senior executives, and apply what you learn to issues in your organisation.

We’ve built an extensive strand of leadership and managerial skills into the programme. You’ll complete seven core modules covering a range of business areas.

Year one: achieving operational excellence

You’ll cover the fundamentals of leadership excellence, focusing on productivity and efficiency.

Year two: visionary leadership

You’ll study the subjects you need to take you to the next level of your leadership journey.

Assessment

All assessment focuses on practical learning: coursework, presentations and other hands-on methods. We avoid exams because we think it’s more important for you to apply what you’ve learned to real life situations.

Please note that the modules and course information below relate to the 2025/26 part-time Executive MBA programme. Availability of modules is subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes and timetabling factors, as well as a student’s ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.

Integrated modules

Teaching that reflects how organisations work.


Our integrated modules combine business subject areas. We teach these together to reflect how modern organisations work. You’ll be able to take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to real business situations.

With our range of modules, you’ll explore contemporary topics vital for the success of any business. Our modules will also prepare you for whatever challenges lie ahead. Explore sustainability, data-driven leadership, disruptive technology and more. This is your MBA, designed for our times.

Personal and professional development

Develop the skills and confidence you need to achieve your goals with our Executive Impact programme.


Our Executive Impact programme runs for the duration of your MBA. Over two years, you’ll:

  • experience a range of tools
  • work with expert coaches
  • get knowledge and develop your skills through practical experience

We’ve designed Executive Impact to help you build up your leadership toolkit. It’s so important we’ve made it a core part of the programme.

Sustainability

Develop a leadership mindset that balances profit with planet and people.


We’ve integrated as many of the UN’s sustainable development goalsas possible into all our taught units.

Balancing profit with planet and people

This keeps our Executive MBA relevant and impactful. Studying our MBA will help you:

  • become a forward-thinking leader
  • learn to drive sustainable innovation
  • create long-term value for your organisation and society

Year 1 modules - achieving operational excellence


Executive Impact

A two-year unit to help you fulfil your leadership potential. In the first year, you’ll focus on self-discovery. You’ll identify your unique energisers and energy drains, and create a personal Leadership Manifesto.

Managing the customer experience

Explore how organisations create, communicate and deliver value to their customers by:

  • using their resources
  • providing appropriate products and services

You’ll learn about strategic marketing, including how to communicate value to existing and potential customers. You’ll also explore operations management and supply chain management.

Key content:

  • marketing
  • operations management
  • supply chain management
  • analytics

Market dynamics and financial management

Learn how to analyse financial statements, capital budgeting techniques and cost of capital calculations to optimise resource allocation.

You’ll explore:

  • risk
  • portfolio theory and investment strategies
  • the economics of market structures
  • economic perspectives on the competitive process
  • the macroeconomy

You’ll use real-world examples from complex financial and market environments to develop your critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Key content:

  • accounting
  • financial management
  • business economics

People and organisations

Explore key leadership concepts in people management, and organisational behaviour and culture.

You’ll learn about:

  • strategic human resource management
  • working across organisations and cultures
  • working in virtual teams
  • environmental contexts that shape people and organisation management, for example technology like artificial intelligence

Key content:

  • people management
  • organisational theory and culture
  • talent and performance management
  • organisational change
  • conflict, power and politics

Year 2 modules - visionary leadership


Executive Impact

A two-year unit to help you fulfil your leadership potential. In year two, you will explore the dynamics of high-performance teams, learning how to cultivate empathy and harness situational awareness.

Crafting the future through innovation and entrepreneurship

Use disruptive technology to develop your innovative thinking and practical skills. You’ll also explore the ‘Entrepreneurial Mindset’ and how to use it to find opportunities and develop creative teams.

Key content:

  • disruptive technology
  • the entrepreneurial mindset
  • change and innovation

Leading responsibly and sustainably

Learn how to make ethical and responsible strategic decisions.

Explore sustainability and corporate social responsibility in business and apply them to assessing risks and opportunities.

You’ll learn to navigate complex ethical dilemmas. You’ll also explore how to create a culture of accountability that considers environmental, social and governance issues. This will help you to make your organisation become future-fit and resilient.

Key content:

  • sustainability
  • corporate social responsibility
  • ethical decision-making
  • responsible leadership

Transformational leadership

Choose an organisation and develop a new competitive strategy for it. Considering technological acceleration and geo-political shifts (the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’), you’ll plan how you would:

  • implement your strategy
  • lead the initiative, reflecting your personal leadership manifesto
  • secure buy-in

 Key content:

  • resource based advantages
  • adaptive leadership styles
  • balanced goal-setting
  • competitive analysis
  • change leadership

Integrated projects

Get real, practical experience with our distinctive alternative to a dissertation


A lot of MBA programmes finish with a dissertation. On the Bath Executive MBA you’ll do two separate projects instead. Working with experienced business leaders will give you the confidence, skills and knowledge to do the same in your future career.

Year 1 – achieving operational excellence

Work as a team with real clients on a real business issue to develop your consulting skills. You’ll enhance your learning by applying it to a real business issue and developing practical solutions.

Year 2 – visionary leadership

Do an individual capstone project. Apply change and leadership strategy to a complex business challenge. We call it the Capstone Project because you’ll use what you’ve learned on your MBA to build a constructive analysis and recommendations.

Meet other business leaders

We have partnerships with over 400 companies. Throughout your Executive MBA, you’ll have opportunities to network with senior leaders from a range of sectors.


Guest speakers

Hear insights and experiences from business leaders. They will share their thoughts on topics such as current business issues, corporate strategies and complex management situations.

Business is all about making connections. Start now.

Recent speakers have included experts in:

  • digital and social media
  • management consulting
  • data analytics
  • branding
  • global trading platforms
  • private equity
  • entrepreneurship

The Bath Executive MBA - a student's perspective

Jane Phillips is Nuclear Island Deputy Programme Director, Hinkley Point C Project. She joined the Executive MBA in 2019.


Executive MBA student Jane Phillips stands in front of a white studio backdrop wearing a dark green silk blouse with her arms crossed.
‘The collaborative atmosphere is superb, and hearing inputs from a diverse range of backgrounds is fascinating.’
Jane Phillips

Further information

Information about how we deliver the Bath MBA and additional costs.


Teaching and learning

You’ll learn from academics who are experts in their fields. Their leading research and collaborations keeps the content fresh and relevant, enriching your learning experience.

This will consist of mainly in person taught sessions on campus, supplemented by online taught sessions.

You will experience a variety of teaching methods including:

  • case studies
  • lectures
  • online resources
  • seminars and tutorials

Methods of assessment

Modules are assessed by:

  • individual and group reports
  • individual and group presentations
  • reflective journals
  • statistical and quantitative analysis exercises

Additional costs

Your tuition fee covers tuition and academic materials.  Other aspects (e.g. social activities, networking and events) are provided at the University’s discretion and are not part of the tuition fee.

The fee includes the cost of:

  • essential textbooks
  • case material
  • journal extracts

We provide all course materials in digital format.

Regulator

This course is regulated by the Office for Students.

Information about the recognition of professional qualifications.

Entry requirements

The academic and professional experience you'll need to apply for our Executive part-time MBA