Birmingham City University

Overview

Birmingham City University has a history dating back to 1843 and achieved university status in 1992. Situated in the heart of the West Midlands, Birmingham City University offers the chance to live and study in one of England’s biggest cities, an incredibly diverse and bustling area. Birmingham is specifically ideal for students, having been named Europe’s youngest major city, with 29% of its population aged under 20. 

Birmingham is also centrally placed for travel across the UK and is a major national and international hub. Birmingham Airport flies directly to over 150 destinations worldwide, while Birmingham New Street station makes travel within the UK easy for all students located in Birmingham. 

The city itself offers you a wide variety of entertainment, food and drink. It’s well-known for its culture, and this shows through in its variety of eating establishments as well as its art galleries and museums. It also has a strong nightlife culture, offering you a wide selection of bars and clubs to dance the night away in.  

Birmingham City University is also proud to have recently invested £340 million into their facilities and campuses. The City Centre campus has recently undergone a major expansion, and the City South Campus has also recently benefitted from an extension.

With well over 300 courses on offer for undergraduates, Birmingham City University has a course to suit almost any student. Departments range from Art & Design to Engineering to Social Sciences to Sport, offering students a huge range of choice. Many subjects have a variety of different options, including sandwich years and integrated masters’ courses, which lets you easily progress from undergraduate to postgraduate. 

Birmingham City University also has study abroad programmes, letting you spend time abroad studying at an institution in a different country. The university has partners worldwide, though where you can go to study depends on your course, and the length of study abroad may also be dictated by the course you’re on. 

Part-time study is available at Birmingham City University, with over 80 undergraduate courses offering this mode of study. Part-time study allows undergraduate students greater flexibility, which is excellent for working students or students who are also parents or carers. There are also over 150 courses offering a foundation year, and some courses offer the opportunity to undertake a professional placement year, while many courses also have the option to undertake a shorter placement.

Entry requirements will depend on what course you’re interested in studying. Generally, the uni will consider A-levels, BTECs, Scottish Advanced Highers, Irish Leaving Certificates and IB for entry on to their courses. Some courses have subject-specific requirements, and other qualifications may also be accepted depending on the course. Check the entry requirements tab on the course you’re interested in for more detailed information. 

A typical offer for fine art is for 112 UCAS tariff points gained from a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent qualifications. For fine art, students will have to submit a portfolio to demonstrate their skill as well as achieve the required grades. 

In contrast, BSc Psychology requires 112 UCAS tariff points (BBC at A-level, and from a maximum of three A-levels), with no subject-specific or extra requirements at Level 3. 

Entry requirements vary from year to year and across courses, and all offers are made based on the individual application. Please contact the admissions department with any questions and treat all typical offers as examples only, as they may not be representative of all offers and are subject to change.

At Birmingham City University, student halls are located throughout the city, as well as on campus. All student halls have laundry facilities, and most halls offer ensuite accommodation. Most of the student halls at Birmingham City University also benefit from three-quarter double beds. Prices in halls range from £125 a week to £195 a week for a studio apartment. 

Much of the university accommodation is managed by accommodation partners rather than the university itself, so the facilities provided do vary across different providers. Some of the halls offer facilities such as common rooms, parking and on-site gym, so students can take advantage of the halls that offer facilities most suited to their individual needs and interests. 

On average, you can expect to be living in a flat of up to six rooms in Birmingham City University accommodation, though this varies slightly between the different halls. As the halls aren’t all located on campus, Birmingham City University offers you the chance to experience city living from your first year.

Birmingham City University offers a Careers+ service to help students and graduates build their CVs and succeed in interviews. The Careers+ service offers careers events as well as mentoring, guidance with career planning and appointments with advisors. 

The Careers+ service is available to graduates up to three years after their graduation, so the uni continues to look after its students long after they finish their studies. As well as this, the Careers+ site also helps students and graduates find jobs to apply to through its ‘Jobs and Opportunities’ section. There’s also a section for volunteering opportunities to offer students the most possible chances to develop their employability skills. 

The uni also has a ‘Grow your Own’ initiative, which supports graduates to apply for roles at BCU. Graduates using this scheme to apply for roles at the uni will also benefit from feedback at every stage of the process as well as access to a 12-month graduate training package and a personalised match to a professional mentor. 

Birmingham City University offers a ‘Meet or Beat’ scholarship to undergraduates who meet or beat the published entry requirements for their course. Recipients of this scholarship will have £1,000 paid directly into their bank account in three instalments throughout the academic year. There’s no need to apply for this scholarship as the admissions team will check eligibility for all first-year students. 

As well as the Meet or Beat scholarship, students studying medicine-related courses or other courses that lead to careers in the NHS may be eligible for the NHS bursaries, a nationwide scheme to support students getting into the healthcare profession. More information about NHS bursaries and eligibility can be found on the UK government website. 

These bursaries and scholarships are non-repayable, unlike the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan offered by student finance services. They’re also additional to these loans, and receiving them doesn’t impact your eligibility.