University of Brighton • Brighton

The Brighton MBA
at Brighton.

A branded one-year MBA on the south coast — an hour from London, with September and January starts and fees that undercut the capital comfortably.

£16–21.1k
PG international band 2026/27
~1 hr
from central London
2 intakes
September and January
£5,000
deposit, deducted from fees

Our take

Is this the right course for you?

The Brighton MBA — the university brands it exactly that — offers the South East compromise: London an hour away for networking and the post-study job hunt, without London fees or, on the tuition side at least, London costs. The postgraduate band runs £15,960–£21,114 for 2026/27, with September and January starts. Brighton itself adds a distinctive angle — the city runs one of the UK’s densest small-business and creative economies outside the capital, and the MBA’s applied projects draw on it. Budget honestly for rent (Brighton’s is the South’s priciest outside London), and weigh the experience expectation: this is a managers’ programme, with the university’s MSc International Management serving earlier careers.

Duration1 year full-time
IntakeSeptember & January
AccreditationBrighton Business School
TuitionWithin Brighton’s 2026/27 international postgraduate band of £15,960–£21,114; the exact MBA fee is confirmed in your offer. The £5,000 deposit is deducted from tuition.

Where this leads: A master’s-level business qualification — no professional registration involved. Pairs with the Graduate visa for post-study work in the South East.

Two intakes; January availability varies by cohort size — confirm for your year.

Why Brighton

What makes this course at Brighton different.

London reach, coastal base

An hour to the capital for interviews and events, with a study base in one of the UK’s most liveable mid-size cities.

A real SME economy

Brighton’s dense small-business and digital-creative sector supplies the applied projects — useful preparation for building or growing your own venture.

Competitive fees for the South

A band starting under £16,000 in southern England — the region’s MBAs rarely price this accessibly.

Two starts a year

September and January intakes give applicants a recovery window after a missed cycle.

What you study

Indicative course content.

  • Strategic thinking and business models
  • Finance for decision-makers
  • Marketing and customer insight
  • Leadership, people and change
  • An applied business or consultancy project

Entry requirements

What you need to apply.

  • A bachelor’s degree, typically 2:2 or above
  • Managerial or professional experience expected — earlier careers fit the MSc International Management instead
  • IELTS around 6.0–6.5 or an accepted equivalent
  • Realistic accommodation budgeting — Brighton rents are the South’s highest outside London; we plan this with you

English language

Brighton asks IELTS 6.0–6.5 as standard — clinical courses often ask more.

Brighton can consider Medium of Instruction (MOI) evidence for some courses — though clinical and regulated programmes usually still require a formal test. Brighton publishes that it accepts MOI letters from certain institutions in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — the accepted list is held by the admissions team, so we check your university before you book a test. School-level English also counts in some markets: CBSE/CISCE Standard XII English at 65% or above is accepted from India, and WAEC English at grades A1–C6 from Nigeria. Pakistani and Emirati school English qualifications are not accepted, so most applicants from those markets sit IELTS or an approved alternative.

Also accepted: PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Duolingo English Test, Oxford ELLT, Trinity ISE, LanguageCert Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency, WAEC English A1–C6 (Nigeria), CBSE/CISCE Standard XII English 65%+ (India). Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.

Careers

Where this course takes you.

  • Management roles across the South East’s corporate and SME base
  • Digital, creative and tech-sector business roles in Brighton’s cluster
  • London employment via the one-hour commute or relocation
  • Entrepreneurship — the SME ecosystem is a live incubator
  • Graduate visa post-study work, then Skilled Worker sponsorship

Your country

Applying to Brighton from your country.

From Pakistan

HSSC (Standard XII) holders typically complete an international foundation year before the bachelor’s degree; a two-year BA/BSc or Associate Degree can also be considered for undergraduate entry. For master’s courses Brighton asks for a four-year bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.5 or around 55%, subject to assessment. Pakistani school English qualifications are not accepted, but Brighton does consider MOI letters from certain Pakistani institutions — ask us to check yours before booking IELTS.

Full guide for Pakistan

From India

Undergraduate entry usually needs a Higher Secondary School Certificate / Standard XII average of around 60–65%, including at least five subjects at 40% or above. Master’s applicants typically need a three-year bachelor’s degree from a recognised university at 55% or above. English is where Brighton is genuinely flexible for Indian students: 65% in Standard XII English from CBSE or CISCE is accepted in place of IELTS, and MOI letters from certain institutions are also considered.

Full guide for India

From Nigeria

WASSCE holders usually take an international foundation year first, though a National Diploma or OND at Merit/Lower Credit (around GPA 2.5) can allow direct Year 1 entry, and a relevant HND may earn advanced entry to Year 2. Master’s applicants typically need a bachelor’s degree at Second Class Lower or above from a recognised university. Helpfully, WAEC English at grades A1–C6 is accepted in place of IELTS, which saves most Nigerian applicants a test fee.

Full guide for Nigeria

From the UAE

Tawjihiyya (secondary school certificate) holders complete an international foundation year — the University of Brighton International College runs pathway programmes — before starting the bachelor’s degree. Master’s applicants from recognised Emirati universities typically need a GPA of 2.5/4.0 (C+ or roughly 75–79%). Emirati school English qualifications are not accepted, so plan for IELTS or PTE Academic; Indian-curriculum students in the UAE with CBSE/CISCE Standard XII English at 65% can usually use that instead.

Full guide for the UAE

FAQ

The Brighton MBA at Brighton — common questions.

How much does the Brighton MBA cost?

Fees sit in Brighton’s 2026/27 postgraduate band of £15,960–£21,114, confirmed exactly in your offer letter. That is markedly below London MBAs — but offset it honestly against Brighton rents, the highest in the South outside the capital.

Is Brighton practical for a London career?

Yes, deliberately so. The train reaches central London in about an hour, which makes networking and interviews routine during study — and after graduation many cohorts split between Brighton’s own economy and capital relocation on the Graduate visa.

Do I need work experience?

The Brighton MBA expects managerial or substantial professional experience. Recent graduates are better matched to the MSc International Management, which shares the school’s teaching without the experience gate.

What makes Brighton different from other affordable MBAs?

The SME and digital-creative economy. If your post-MBA plan involves building, buying or growing a business rather than climbing a corporate ladder, Brighton’s project environment maps to it better than most corporate-oriented programmes.

Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply. Facts on this page last checked July 2026.

Intakes shown are for this course specifically; Brighton runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Brighton profile.

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