About this University

Birmingham City University (BCU) is a comprehensive and student-centred place of higher learning. It is home to over 24,500 students from over 100 countries. Students enjoy studying in the professional and friendly atmosphere of Birmingham. Some 8% of the university’s international students are of Indian origin.

The university is a dynamic learning environment, offering programmes approved by professional bodies. The BCU curricula helps students gain hands-on learning and develop skills needed to thrive in the workplace.

A range of subjects can be chosen from the four faculties at BCU – the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, the Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media. 90% of BCU’s international students stated they were satisfied with its quality of lectures and course content as per the i-graduate International Student Barometer 2018.

Students can pick from a varied number of services at the university, including accommodation and immigration support, financial assistance, career and job advice, and health and wellbeing support. The Centre for Academic Success helps students improve their academic writing skills through workshops and tutorials.

BCU students are highly employable, with 97% of graduates finding employment or starting further studies within six months of graduating (Destination of Leavers from HE survey 2017/18) – the highest in the city of Birmingham.

An investment of GBP 340 million has already been made towards major facilities and the City Centre Campus at Eastside. One of the latest developments includes a GBP 57 million Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, which is world famous and received ‘royal’ status in 2017. Birmingham is the UK’s second-largest city, with a long history of welcoming international students, and there are scores of things to do and see in the city.

Graduate outcomes

Birmingham City University has been launching careers since 1843 and is dedicated to ensuring that students develop the skills employers need.

Six months after graduating, 97.3% of the university’s graduates were in employment or further study, according to the Destination of Leavers from HE survey 2017/18.

Gain an advantage

The university’s graduates gain an advantage in the job market because it:

• Works with major companies like Microsoft, Cisco and Jaguar, in a range of industries, to develop cutting-edge curriculum and to collaborate on course projects.
• Attracts the best staff – including both academic experts and experienced business leaders with the latest knowledge and industry contacts – to ensure students get practical and academic teaching.
• Offers students opportunities for work placements, Erasmus+ years and sandwich courses.
• Operates an ‘employer mentoring scheme’, which gives second and third-year students the chance to learn from employers or successful alumni.

A number of team and programmes operate to help make Birmingham City University graduates the most employable in the job market:

• The Careers and Job Prospects Service works with both students and graduates, with a focus on skills for employability and career management. The service includes opening up opportunities for work experience, mentoring and recruitment events.
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) create three-way partnerships between graduates, leading businesses and the university to solve real world problems.
• The bespoke Knowledge Innovation Technology Transfer Scheme (KITTS) matches the skills of qualified graduates and postgraduates with the specific needs of businesses, increasing student employability.
• The Education Development Service (EDS) is working with academic staff and course teams to develop student employability in the classroom as an integral part of the curriculum, so the jump from study to work is manageable for students.

What’s new

Birmingham City University is constantly looking at ways to improve the student experience. Recent changes include:

• A new GBP 41 million extension to the City South Campus, which opened in 2018. It includes specialist laboratories for Sports and Life Sciences students, as well as broader social learning spaces and classrooms that sees Education students developing as future educators. The campus also has a lecture theatre and a café.
• In 2017, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire music building opened at the City Centre Campus. The centre of the new complex is the 500-seat concert hall and there are five public performance spaces in total, plus rehearsal and training spaces. It is the first new, purpose-built conservatoire in the UK for over 30 years, and includes the only permanent jazz space in any UK conservatoire.

Birmingham City University provides updates to any changes across the university relating to COVID-19. Prospective students should use this information source to understand any changes that will impact future study at the University.

Finances

How much will it cost?Average tuition fees per year

Rs. 12,47,093 - Undergraduate

Rs. 16,25,969 - Postgraduate

Living costs

Rs. 6,65,262 - Living costs

Rs. 5,31,298 - To live on campus

Scholarships & funding

Birmingham City University offers a range of scholarship opportunities for international undergraduate and postgraduate self-funding students. Students are only eligible to receive one bursary - whichever is greater.

Non-EU only

The university provides a number of scholarships based on merit, with a contribution towards tuition fee costs for new international students. Those enrolling as undergraduates are automatically considered for a scholarship of up to GBP 2,000, based on the applicant’s academic background.

EU only

All new students from the EU who are undertaking undergraduate awards are eligible for GBP 150 of credit, which can be spent on learning materials, books and other items.

Prompt Payment Bursary

Students who pay their tuition fees in full before arriving in the UK, or during the enrolment process, will be entitled to a discount on their tuition fees worth GBP 300. It is deducted on top of any scholarships or bursaries already awarded.

Discover scholarships

Birmingham City University provides scholarship for students enrolling for the courses offered by them
View all scholarships available

Eligibility

Entry requirements

The type and level of qualifications students require will vary depending on their chosen course, but there are some guidelines on entry to the university for all international applicants:

Competence in English requirements

International students from a non-EU country where the vast majority of people are not English-speaking are usually required to take a Secure English Language Test (SELT). BCU accepts a wide range of English language qualifications in lieu of SELT.

If they are planning to study a course which is below degree level, they must take a SELT with one of UK Visas and Immigration’s (UKVI) approved English language test providers, unless UKVI has already accepted their high school qualification.

Pre-sessional courses

If the SELT result is below the required standard, students will be eligible to study the university’s pre-sessional courses, where they will learn general English and be introduced to Academic English.

Students will also practice writing, reading, grammar, listening, speaking and complete a mini-project while finding out more about British culture and society.

Courses in country

In addition to running pre-sessional English courses in the UK, the university also arranges in-country courses which help students improve their English skills before coming to the UK to begin their main course.

Department and Faculty

Teaching quality

Silver grades have been awarded by the government to universities offering courses with “high levels of stretch that ensure all students are significantly challenged and acquire knowledge, skills and understanding that are highly valued by employers”.

Birmingham City University was particularly praised for its student support, world-class facilities and the professionalism of its teaching staff.

“We have worked tirelessly to ensure we provide our students with a practice-led, knowledge-applied education that is interdisciplinary, employer-driven and has a global outlook,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Philip Plowden.

A number of factors are assessed, including completion rates, student satisfaction and graduate employment. The assessment looks at teaching, the environment students are taught in and the outcomes they achieve, taking into consideration both their subject and their background.

Department structure

There are four faculties at Birmingham City University:

Business, Law and Social Sciences

The faculty offers a wide variety of courses, including some that are vocationally focused, and available on a flexible basis. The faculty also supports lifelong learning and equips students with the skills needed to thrive.

The faculty is recognised for the quality of its academic programmes. Many of the courses on offer have accreditations from professional bodies, an advantage when students seek jobs and further study after leaving university.

Arts, Design and Media

The faculty has impressive links with industry, including many high-profile brands and companies. Creative Skillset has accredited a number of the Faculty’s media courses.

It has the only centre in the Midlands approved by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) to offer their Advanced Certificate and Diploma courses and runs courses in Hong Kong and Thailand.

Health, Education and Life Sciences

The focus of the faculty is on training for health and education professionals. However, its emphasis on life sciences is growing. It has a good record when it comes to graduate outcomes, and students are successful in finding employment after studying the practically-minded courses. Experienced practitioners teach the courses and help guide students into their chosen industries.

Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment

With close links to industry partners, the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment (CEBE), helps students to get involved in the latest research and to make real and lasting contributions to their chosen industries.

The faculty also has good international links, allowing students to explore emerging technologies from across the world, and offering changes for exchange programmes abroad.