Birmingham city University

Birmingham City University was originally founded as the Birmingham College of Art in 1843. In 1971, it was designated as a polytechnic, and in 1992, it received university status. Recently, it has undergone a £125 million extension project, which has expanded the campus and allowed for new teaching and learning facilities. 

With over 31,000 students from around 100 countries, its a large and diverse university set in the heart of Birmingham with a focus on practice-based learning.  Our faculties include arts, design, and media; computing; engineering and the built environment; health; education and life sciences; business, law and social sciences.

Birmingham is home to amazing architecture, art, music, theater, and sports venues; an excellent nightlife; great shopping and dining; and the world-famous Bullring Centre. It also benefits from brilliant transport links with the rest of the UK and Europe.

The Birmingham City University acceptance rate is 53%.

Courses

The university offers 493 courses across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate levels. 93% of the university’s research was recognised internationally for originality, significance, and rigour. 19% was judged world-leading by the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

Many of the university’s courses have internationally recognised accreditations, such as the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), and RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects).

The university has invested £340 million in its campuses and facilities, including a major expansion of its City Center Campus. There has also been a £41 million extension at its City South Campus with specialist laboratories for new courses in sport and life sciences.

Birmingham City University is situated in the centre of Birmingham. Known as the second biggest city in the UK after London, it is famed for its multicultural society and for its musical history. Located in the middle of the country, the people are known for being friendly; there are world markets and restaurants offering world cuisine on every corner; and the nightlife is varied according to the city’s size. Compared to the national average, the cost of living in Birmingham is largely affordable.

Birmingham City University has multiple halls of residence throughout the city. Most residence halls are within a 10-minute walk of the city centre and close to the university campus. The majority of university housing is en-suite, with laundry facilities, shared social spaces, and often a gym contained within the flats.

The university provides an accommodation guide for students to make the best choice for them. International students sometimes choose to stay in homestay arrangements with a local host house. These are arranged separately for the university.

Birmingham City University encourages students to take pride in their work and to plan for their future. There is a wealth of student support, including the centre for Academic Success and Student Mentoring Programmes, in addition to professional health and wellbeing services. The hundreds of student societies include faith clubs that celebrate all different cultures.

Students need to look at the specific requirements of their chosen course. However, they are generally asked to submit academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and their scores from an English language proficiency test.

97% of Birmingham City university students are in employment or further study within six months of graduating, the seventh best in the UK. Its student employment agency allows students to apply for paid roles at the university, gaining experience in crucial aspects of job applications. The university also works on course-related projects with companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Jaguar Land Rover, Sky UK and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It offers career support and advice throughout studies and for up to three years after graduation. Its Graduate+ scheme embeds career-related skills into every one of its degree courses.