The A-Z of Business Schools; University of Bath School of Management

Age: 35.

History: Roots go back to the Bristol Trades School of 1856. That gave birth to Bristol College of Science and Technology. Management school chose to go in with the University of Bath, moving there finally in 1975. MBA began in 1986.

Address: On a hill 650ft above Jane Austen's spa town. Gorgeous views of the Mendip Hills - when it's not raining. Management school is one of the newest bits of the campus i.e. better constructed than the 1960s stuff, and MBA students get their own Centre for Executive Development.

Ambience: Part of the University of Bath, laid-back, friendly and spacious. Far removed from the urban jungle. You can keep fit by walking one mile up the hill from the town or by using some of the best university facilities in the UK. There's an Olympic swimming pool and a sports village with its own cafe.

Vital statistics: One of the older schools of management in Britain which is expanding fast and acquiring an impressive reputation in teaching and research. Has one of the highest levels of research income of any business school. Total in 1996-97 was pounds 2.1m. Runs four MBAs - full-time, executive (part-time), modular and a joint MBA with the Malaysian Institute of Management. MBA class size kept to 50 maximum. Has always emphasised teamwork, leadership and personal skills rather than number-crunching.

Added value: The Cleverton Enterprise Project in which full-time MBA students propose a start-up business. Sponsored by 3i, teams of students have to present the case for funding to the venture capital company. The best team wins a prize - each team member receives a cheque from 3i. Good preparation for real life. Teams learn to work together through bonding on an outward bound weekend in Wales.

Easy to get into? You need three years' managerial experience for full- time MBA and five years for the part-time. Plus a degree/professional qualification. Exceptional candidates without degrees will be considered. GMAT needed for full-time MBA.

Association of MBAs accreditation: Yes - for all four MBAs.

Glittering alumni: Lord Thomas of Macclesfield, recently retired managing director of the Cooperative Bank; Tony K Illsley, president of Walkers snack foods (the crisps people); Stewart Till, international president of Polygram, the man who bankrolled the UK's best-selling movie Four Weddings and a Funeral, as well as Trainspotting, Jude the Obscure and Sleepers.

International connections: A half of full-time MBAs are from abroad - Egypt, Malta, Canada, Norway, Finland, Australia and Vietnam. Exchanges organised with Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University, Copenhagen business school, ESC in Paris and ESC in Rouen; in North America, exchanges with HEC Montreal, University of Texas at Austin and University of Virginia Business School.

Research: Awarded a top grade five in 1996 research assessment exercise.

Teaching: Rated excellent by higher education funding council's quality assurance people.

Student profile: Average age is 31 on full-time MBA and 36 on part-time and modular. Ratio of men to women on full-time is 60:40; on part-time 80:20.

Example of management speak: object-orientated paradigm.

Cost: pounds 11,000 full-time; pounds 14,000 part-time; pounds 11,000 modular.

What do you get for your money? Salary boost. Average salary of those who have done part-time MBA at Bath is pounds 69,000 four to five years after graduation, according to recent FT survey.

Who's the boss? Professor Brian Bayliss, eminent transport logistician; that means he's an expert on lorries.

Next week: Birmingham