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Bath Spa University

Bath Spa University

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Bath Spa University
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Key stats

Postgraduate student body breakdown
Source: HESA, 2021

  • Study mode: This university
    39%
    Part Time
    61%
    Full Time
  • Study mode: All universities (avg)
    44%
    Part Time
    56%
    Full Time
  • Student nationality
    91%
    UK
    9%
    International
  • Study level
    5,585
    Undergraduate
    1,595
    Postgraduate
  • New students
    37%
    School leavers
    63%
    Mature students

Overview

Bath Spa University offers a range of taught and research postgraduate courses across its two state-of-the-art campuses. The university’s historic Newton Park boasts ultra-modern teaching facilities in historic surroundings, and its Locksbrook Campus is an innovative and inspirational hub for creative practices.

At Bath Spa, teaching and research is centred around student experience. The university places high priority in creating a diverse and inclusive environment, where students are able to develop a range of transferable skills. Postgraduate students are taught and supervised at Bath Spa by academics who are experts in their specialist fields, and all courses at the university are focused on preparing students for future professional success. In the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), Bath Spa was awarded a rating of ‘Silver’, which designates the university as providing students with a ‘very high quality experience’ and a ‘typically very high quality’ level of student outcomes.

Bath Spa University is situated in the heart of Bath, one of the most stunning historical cities in the UK. The university has a rich cultural heritage as a learning institution, and its history can be traced back over 160 years to its early days as the Bath Academy of Art.

Postgraduate

At postgraduate level, students can undertake taught and research courses over a diverse range of subject areas at Bath Spa, including science, social sciences, arts, humanities, business, and education. There is a dynamic ecosystem of thriving research centres at the university, which support students as they hone and develop their specialist skillsets and knowledge. Postgraduate study can often be pursued part-time at Bath Spa, while modules can be flexibly adapted to fit around work and other commitments.

 

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Course and lecturers

Course and lecturers

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Postgraduate courses at Bath Spa are split across the university’s seven schools of study.

Courses at the Bath School of Art, Film and Media cultivate creative practices across diverse fields in the arts and media, while the Bath School of Music and Performing Arts offers postgraduate programmes ranging from performance to sound composition and sonic art. A multimedia approach to design is central to courses in the Bath School of Design, and a compelling range of industry focused programmes are available through the School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities.

The Bath Business School develops future business leaders and entrepreneurs with student centred research and teaching from experienced industry professionals. There is also a range of innovative postgraduate courses available in biology, criminology, environmental sciences, geography, psychology, and sociology through the School of Sciences. The School of Education, meanwhile, provides professional research and taught courses designed to develop dynamic approaches in pedagogy.

Staff across all of Bath Spa’s seven schools bring passion and a high level of professional experience to their teaching and supervisory roles. Lecturers are engaging, supportive and approachable teachers who assist postgraduate students as they build towards future career success in both academia and industry.

 

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Entry requirements

Entry requirements

To apply for postgraduate courses at Bath Spa University, prospective students are required to create an online account and make their application via the university’s application page. Typical taught postgraduate entry requirements are listed on individual course pages, but if applicants do not meet the listed entry requirements, the university may accept applications based on prior work or learning experience. As part of the application process, prospective students may be required to submit a reference, evidence of qualifications, a portfolio, and a copy of their passport.

For research degrees and PhDs, prospective students are generally required to hold (at a minimum) a first or upper second-class honours degree from a higher education institution in the UK or an international equivalent. Prospective students who do not hold a master’s degree may still be accepted, but will be required to complete a course of formal research training. Applicants may also be required to submit a research proposal, academic transcripts or certificates, two academic references, and a writing or portfolio sample as part of their application.

Applicants pursuing both taught and research postgraduate courses at Bath Spa may also be required to attend an interview as part of the application process.

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Academic strengths

Academic strengths

Bath Spa provides a range of innovative taught and research postgraduate courses. Taught courses are recognised as providing students with a ‘very high quality experience’ (TEF 2023) with attentive lecturers and clear pathways to successful future careers. The university has a strong tradition of employing outstanding professionals and courses prioritise creativity, culture, and enterprise.

Bath Spa’s academic strengths in research are evidenced by the university’s results in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). Recording its best ever REF results, research at the university deemed ‘world-leading’ was up by 60 percent since 2014. REF2021 also saw Bath Spa’s research impact increase by 130 percent.

Particular areas of research distinction at Bath Spa (according to REF 2021) include research undertaken in English and creative writing. 84 percent of research in English and creative writing at the university was deemed either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2021), the two highest distinctions awarded in the survey. Additionally, research in culture, media and communications also scored strongly, with 78 percent of Bath Spa’s research deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2021).

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Job prospects

Job prospects

Postgraduate courses across Bath Spa University are designed to prepare students for successful future careers. Students are equipped with the transferable skillsets needed to flourish in the global workplace. Bath Spa helps students to become socially engaged global citizens. Postgraduate students emerge from the university as critical thinkers who can work creatively and enterprisingly in specialist areas of industry and academia. Alumni of Bath Spa University include Olympic gold medallists, successful business owners, award-winning novelists, designers, musicians, painters, and filmmakers.

Bath Spa supports students who are looking to establish their own business or start a successful freelance career while studying at the university. In partnership with Santander Universities, Bath Spa offers three entrepreneurial grants: ‘Explore It’, ‘Launch It’ and ‘Grow It’. Available grants range from awards of GBP 500 to GBP 5,000.

Additionally, there is a successful graduate placement scheme at Bath Spa which matches students’ unique talents to exciting career opportunities. There is a range of career short courses, bootcamps and one-to-one appointments available through the Grad Support Unit at Bath Spa, all of which are designed to help students enter the professional working world.

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Student life

Student life

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Bath Spa University’s Students’ Union (SU) ensures that all postgraduate voices at the university are listened to and acted upon. The SU supports students throughout their time at the university with any issues they may face.

SU recreational facilities available to all students include a bar and kitchen, shop, and modern gym.

There are over 70 different clubs and societies available to postgraduate students via Bath Spa’s SU. These range from traditional sports clubs to a number of special interest societies, as well as faith and cultural groups.

Bath is a stunning city steeped in history. In Bath, students are surrounded by beautiful Palladian architecture and have access to an extensive range of contemporary amenities. Cutting-edge creative spaces, theatres, museums, and shopping districts are complemented by perfectly preserved period buildings and rolling parkland in this breath-taking UNESCO world heritage city.

Bath is a buzzing cultural hub with award-winning restaurants and an eclectic mix of pubs, bars and venues for music and comedy. There are festivals held in and around the city throughout the year celebrating culture and food, including the world-renowned Jane Austen festival. One of the great spa towns of Europe, Bath is only a 15-minute train ride from Bristol and 90-minutes from London.

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Accommodation & facilities

Accommodation & facilities

Accommodation

While the majority of postgraduate students do not live in Bath Spa’s halls of residence, the university’s accommodation team is always available to help students find suitable accommodation for their specific needs. The accommodation team provides postgraduate students with a wealth of information and resources for private accommodation options, both in the city of Bath and in the surrounding area.

Facilities

Bath Spa University is equipped with a range of state-of-the-art multipurpose facilities. There are vibrant collaborative spaces, industry-standard art technology facilities, studios, workshops, laboratories, and glasshouses. The university library houses a large physical collection of print books, journals, and audio-visual materials, in addition to providing access to over 30,000 e-journals and 350,000 e-books.

Newton Park is home to the Commons, the campus’s main teaching building. In addition to modern teaching facilities, the Commons houses specialist resources such as a television studio and a publishing lab. The Studio, meanwhile, is located in the centre of Bath. It is a dedicated space for local micro-businesses and is a facility where students can work on creative projects and innovative technological research.

There are also a number of subsidised cafes and coffee shops on-campus, in addition to the SU Bar and Kitchen.

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Student support

Student support

There is a range of student support services available to postgraduate students at Bath Spa University. Many of the university’s wellbeing and mental health services are accessible 24/7 online and via telephone. Student wellbeing advisors are always available to provide information, advice and referrals to services that may help students in both the long and short term with any problems they are facing.

Students can book 50-minute mental health appointments with the university’s team of professional mental health advisors to address any issues they may face while at Bath Spa. There is a counselling service available at the university and various wellbeing groups which are free to join. The university is partnered with Nilaari, an agency who provide a range of culturally appropriate counselling options for students of colour, and there is specialised support in place for trans and non-binary students.

Bath Spa ensures that all students are given the equal opportunity to thrive while studying at the university. It provides a range of practical support for students who identify as neurodivergent or disabled. There is also a student medical service on campus and innovative wellbeing programmes such as the university’s care dog drop-in scheme.

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Scholarships/Bursaries

Scholarships/Bursaries

There are a range of funding options available to postgraduate students at Bath Spa University. A full up-to-date list of available scholarships and bursaries can be viewed on the university’s funding page.

Bath Spa’s postgraduate alumni scholarship is available to students who have graduated from the university from undergraduate or PGCE/PGDE courses. For the 2023/24 academic year, alumni progressing onto master’s courses could be eligible to a GBP 2,000 fee waiver.

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Study options

Study options

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Taught postgraduate degrees at Bath Spa normally last one year when studied full-time but the university also offers many of its courses with part-time study options.

Bath Spa offers research degrees at both PhD and MPhil level, with options to complete a research degree either full-time or part-time. PhDs are generally expected to be completed within 24-60 months full-time and 36-84 months part-time. Professional PhDs are allotted a completion time of 36-60 months full-time or 48-72 months part-time. MPhils, meanwhile, are usually expected to take 18-36 months to complete full-time and 30-48 months part-time.

Four of Bath Spa’s postgraduate courses are offered as distance learning courses. A distance learning MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice is designed to complement professional counselling and psychotherapy training, while the online Criminology MSc is a fantastic way for students to deepen their understanding of methods, debates, and current theories in criminal justice. The distance learning MA in Writing for Young People is a specialist creative masters taught online by published authors and there is also a distance learning PGDip course available in Waldorf Education and Creative Pedagogies. The PGDip course is intended for students who hold a teaching qualification and is designed to develop students’ understanding of creativity in education.

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Virtual events & open days

Next open day 19th Jun 2024 Postgraduate open day BOOK EVENT
Can't make this one? VIEW ALL EVENTS AT THIS UNI