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The Bath Award 2026-27

“Working on the Bath Award has been a transformative experience.” MSc Applied Clinical Psychology student, May 2026
Register your interest in the Bath Award 2026-27

The Bath Award

The Bath Award is an annual programme that encourages you to get involved in activities beyond your studies and supports your professional development along the way.


The Bath Award logo

Whether you're already getting involved or looking for the push to get started, the award gives you a framework to reflect on your experiences and build evidence of your skills for employers. To earn the award, you will need to show how you have developed your skills in four key employability capabilities, through completing extra-curricular activities and achieving professional development goals.

The award will help you:

  • identify and showcase the key skills you have developed at university, so you can explain them confidently to employers
  • demonstrate your commitment to supporting your community, university, employability, or climate advocacy
  • take action to develop the skills you need to succeed at and beyond university

The Bath Award is open to all students currently studying at the university. You can be an undergrad or postgrad student, studying on campus or remotely, and a full- or part-time student. It doesn't matter which course you're studying, or which year you're in, the award is open to everyone.

If you have completed the Bath Award previously, it is possible to complete it again if you want to, but we don’t recommend it. There is no benefit to registering for 2026-27 as you have already completed the award and would get no additional certification from completing it again.

Celebrating our 2025-26 Bath Award recipients

We were delighted to be joined by almost 100 students at our celebration event on 29 May 2026 for all students who completed the award in Academic Year 2025-26.


The Bath Award celebration event 2026

How the award works

The award is based on the Capabilities Framework, 13 capabilities that employers value in their graduates. For 2026-27, you can choose four out of the following seven capabilities to focus on:

  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism
  • Resilience
  • Sustainability

For each of your four chosen capabilities, you will need to:

  1. Attend a Bath Award-endorsed workshop.
  2. Complete one piece of online professional development.

You also need to log 50 hours of extra-curricular activity, such as student leadership, volunteering, climate advocacy or part-time paid employment.

How to earn the award


There are five stages to completing the Bath Award, starting with registration and ending with a final submission. You need to have completed them all by the deadline of 1 May 2027. We're here to guide you every step of the way, so if you get stuck or need some advice, you can pop along to a drop-in or email thebathaward@bath.ac.uk.

Read our step-by-step guide to completing the award
Director of Employability, Helen Stringer, speaks to Bath Award recipients at the celebration event in May 2026.

Extra-curricular activities and professional development

The award is made up of three components, which recognise your extra-curricular activities and support your professional development.


50 hours of extra-curricular activity

You must log 50 hours of extra-curricular activity. Activity must have taken place since 1 September 2025 and while you were a student at the University of Bath. Activities must also fit one of four criteria.

Find out what counts towards the 50 hours.

Endorsed workshops

You must attend one Bath Award-endorsed workshop for each of your four chosen capabilities - four workshops in total. After registering, you will receive a link to a list of available workshops for your chosen capabilities.

Read more about the Bath Award-endorsed workshops.

Professional development

You must complete four pieces of professional development. When you have registered for the award, you will receive links to recommended professional development content to help you find resources.

Discover what resources count towards your professional development.

Certification


Everyone who completes a successful submission will receive a certificate signed by Professor Phil Taylor, the University of Bath Vice-Chancellor, and Angus Gueterbock, SU President.

We will review submissions as they come in, and you will hear from us within 14 working days to let you know whether your submission has been successful. If it has, you will receive a digital certificate by email and be given the option to collect a printed certificate. We’ll let you know when you can collect your printed certificate, or you can choose to receive it at our celebration event at the end of the year.

Three students with their Bath Award certificates in May 2026.

Celebration event


We will hold a celebration event on 28 May 2027 to celebrate your achievement and recognise everything you have accomplished throughout the year.

This is a fantastic opportunity to:

  • meet your fellow Bath Award holders
  • connect with the Bath Award organising team and the wider Employability & Student Success community
  • celebrate your hard work and commitment to professional development

We will send you a formal invitation once your submission has been successfully reviewed, simply RSVP to confirm your attendance. We would love to see you there, but please don't worry if you are unable to make it, attendance is completely optional. If you have other commitments or are no longer in Bath at that time, you will be able to collect your printed certificate at another time.

Everyone who successfully completes the award will receive a digital copy of their certificate by email, regardless of whether they attend the event.

The Bath Award celebration event 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

If you've got a question about the award, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. The chances are, you'll find the information you need here.


Students at the Bath Award celebration in May 2026.

From what counts towards your 50 hours, to what to do if you can't attend a workshop, the most commonly-asked questions about the Bath Award are all covered on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

What students say about the Bath Award


    % of respondents who rated their experience of the Bath Award in 2025-26 as Positive or Very Positive

    We asked everyone who completed the Bath Award in 2025-26 what they felt about completing it. We have used their feedback to make improvements to the award for 2026-27.

    The Bath Award blog


    Many students who completed the Bath Award in 2025-26 have written a blog post on their experiences. Check out their posts - whether you're a first year and worried about how much experience you have, or a Postgraduate Taught student concerned about the time commitment, or someone who'd just like to know more about what it's like, there's a post from another student to inform, inspire, and reassure you.

    Read blogs from students who completed the award in 2025-26
    Students chat at the Bath Award celebration in May 2026.

    Drop-in support

    We run regular drop-in sessions for the Bath Award.


    Our regular drop-ins are for all students. They take place on campus in the Careers Centre, and can help you if you:

    • haven't registered yet and want to find out more before you do
    • have registered and need some help to get started
    • have started with your activities and need support to update us on your progress

    We are happy to answer any questions. If you can't make it to a drop-in, you can email us instead at thebathaward@bath.ac.uk.

    Students listen to Director of Employability Helen Stringer speak at the Bath Award celebration in May 2026.
    ‘The experience proved to be far more than just a simple exercise; it was a genuine catalyst for personal and professional growth.’
    MSc Biotechnology (Hlth Tech) student Successfully completed the Bath Award in 2025-26

    Contact us

    If you have a question or would like to find out more about the Bath Award, please get in touch via email.