What Students Say
Likes
- Huge campus, with plenty space to do nature walks, and sporting activities
- Brilliant course modules, including Big data and Analytics, which are not offered by other universities providing the same course
- Very resourceful careers team, who assist in securing job ready skills, through mocks, CV reviews, career sessions and career fairs
Dislikes
- Very far away from the city, Cranfield is a village which is isolating
- Access to just one convenience store, and 1 petrol pump.
- The bus facilities going into the city are poor and unreliable
Course Curriculum
8
- It had a mix of theory-based learning and group assignments. Every module had one individual and one group assignment on which we were graded equally. We did not have exams for all modules. Mostly practical-based learning. I would say 60:40 favouring the practical side of learning.
- There are about 3-4 classes in one day with 1 hour each. Intake was around 90 students
- Indians were the majority, around 80%, with the rest being Chinese/Southeast Asian.
Admission Experience
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I applied to the following universities:
- Warwick Business School - rejected. My grades did not make the cut, and my profile was not competitive enough
- Manchester University - accepted. Did not choose it due to basic curriculum and poor peer reviews
- Cranfield University - accepted. Chose it due to its unique curriculum
- Lancaster University - accepted. Did not choose due to its location. Very far from London.
- I chose Cranfield due to its unique curriculum and its proximity to London, where all the job opportunities are.
- Application form online, IELTS score (min 6.5), SOP, job references, and min 2:1 in your first degree (any degree is fine). And then you await your response.
- No need for GMAT/GRE. IELTS minimum is 6.5
- Overall experience was very smooth. I got a response within 1 week of application. This university gets back with a decision much sooner than other universities.
- 2022. I applied a year later after Covid settled down. I applied in the September intake, as this course ends in the better season to get jobs. Admission process was only about 10-15 days, as Cranfield responds quickly. But preparing for documentation and SOPs took about 2 months. I started gathering all documents in October 2021 in the previous year and applied in January 2022 for the Sept 2022 intake
Faculty
8
- Faculty to student would be 1:45. There is one-on-one attention given to each student.
- The teaching methodology consists of pre-reads that are sent via email, then case studies are discussed based on the pre-reads in class, and then there is usually an activity to test practical application of the knowledge.
- We have a separate careers team to assist with careers and jobs, not faculty. My favourite faculty member was our Consumer Behaviour module lead.
Campus Life
6
- Just one in Cranfield. There are multiple different buildings within this township
- Library, Gym, Table Tennis, Football court, basketball court, swimming pool, prayer rooms, medical room,
- Cultural events: Diwali, Halloween, prom, back-to-school parties, literary fests, black history month, Christmas, and bank holiday parties. We have a cultural team that organises these events for students and faculty both
Part Time Jobs
- Very tough to acquire those positions; per course, just 1 would be elected as a teacher's assistant, and per thesis supervisor, there’s just 1 or a maximum of 2 research assistants
- Pay range is basic pay (13-15£ per hour)
- Other campus jobs are grocery store clerk, librarian, bartender, waiter
- 20 hours per week is the maximum. Campus part-times are very limited, and hence very difficult to secure
- Most Indian students prefer to work part-time outside of campus for getting more acclimatised with the culture. The best way to apply is through referrals; speak to your seniors and connect with them on LinkedIn. Other options include Linkedin, indeed, and other job portals. It’s not easy, as you have to apply to 100s of applications every day to get accepted to 10.
Placement
8
- About 10% secure jobs immediately after studying, but most people take at least about a year. About 50-60% secure jobs within the first year
- There is no placement concept in the UK. We have to attend career fairs to connect with employers.
- Major companies that hire do it based on your skill rather than university name. Top consultancies look for top universities
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- Found my accommodation on the university website,
- Monthly rent was about £800 pounds; it was the costliest of the 4 options. It was without mess services.
- No challenges; it was super smooth.
- I think it’s best to choose on-campus accommodation, as it becomes easier to collaborate on group assignments. My accommodation was on campus so it was a 10 mins walk from my lecture rooms
Exams
- No competitive exams are needed, only IELTS which is an easy English test. Minimum score is 6.5
- Mark sheets of undergraduate degrees, LOR from your past companies, SOP and CV are all mandatory. Work experience helps for this university, as they prioritise working professionals over freshers.
- No interview required for this University, only the application with all references should suffice
Fees
- £25,000 for the course and £850 per month for university accommodation. The tuition fees were paid yearly at the beginning of the year. While the accommodation fees were paid per quarter (every 4 months). Monthly expenses would come to around £400 with £150 for groceries. £50 for travel and £200 for shopping and other activities, over and above the rent costs.
Scholarship
- I did not receive any scholarship.
- There were customised scholarships available upon request. Each batch had 4-5 students on average who received a 10-25% waiver on their tuition fees. There is also a £10,000 scholarship for Indian students, which is rolled out this year. Usually students with brilliant academics or poor family income get more of an advantage in these scholarships.
