University of Birmingham

Overview

The University of Birmingham is a Russell Group uni that was founded in 1900 and now has a campus stretching 672 acres. It was the first university to include a medical school, as well as the first to allow women to study medicine.

The uni has a rich history of research successes, including pioneering allergy vaccines and conducting the first clinical trials outside of the US for the contraceptive pill. It remains one of the leading research institutions in medicine and the sciences, especially in areas like nanotechnology, gene therapy, robotics and virtual reality.

The city of Birmingham is the second largest in the UK and is often known as the “second city”. As such, there’s plenty going on and it’s a lively and exciting place to be a student. You’ll find restaurants, bars and clubs that produce a good nightlife, as well as plenty of culture and sport.

There are also lots of parks and an impressive canal system for those who enjoy a more natural setting. Additionally, the Bullring centre provides some of the best shopping opportunities in the country.

With a couple of major train stations and an international airport, Birmingham is a well-connected city, allowing you to get to other UK cities, as well as abroad, easily.

There are over 350 undergraduate courses to choose from at the University of Birmingham, across a broad range of subject areas. Courses are split across five departments – the college of arts and law, the college of medical and dental sciences, the college of life and environmental sciences, the college of engineering and physical sciences, and the college of social sciences.

Typically, undergraduate degrees at Birmingham take three or four years to study, but a number of courses include placement years, study abroad options or an integrated master’s year. These courses usually take four or five years to complete, as do most medical degrees. The majority of degrees include optional modules, as well as core modules, meaning you can study the degree topics you’re most interested in.

It's also possible to combine two or three subjects within an undergraduate degree in what’s called a combined honours degree. For example, it’s fairly common to study a humanities course, like history, alongside a language, such as French or Spanish.

Most courses are only offered on a full-time basis, however, you can find some that are offered online through distance learning, using interactive resources and materials. Courses that can be studied from distance can also be studied part-time if that’s more suitable for your personal circumstances.

To be offered a place on an undergraduate course at the University of Birmingham, you’ll need to meet the uni’s general requirements, as well as the course’s specific entry requirements. The general requirements include literacy and numeracy skills of a certain level (as shown by your GCSE grades).

A-levels are the most common qualification accepted, but Birmingham accepts several others, like the International Baccalaureate, SQA Highers and Advanced Highers, and the Cambridge Pre-Us.

You can find specific entry requirements for each course on the uni’s course pages online but we’ve given you an idea of what grades you’ll need to study various subject areas here as well.

For example, to study a degree that sits in accounting, business & finance, you’ll likely be asked for A-level grades ranging from A*AA–AAB (or equivalent qualification). Additionally, to study a degree in the hard sciences or maths, you’ll probably need A-levels of A*A*A*–AAB (or equivalent qualification). For degrees in the humanities, you’ll likely need AAA–ABB (or equivalent qualification).

It should be noted that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying.

Undergraduate students are guaranteed a room in uni accommodation at the University of Birmingham. You’ll need to make sure you apply before the deadline to get the guarantee and you’ll be asked to submit six accommodation preferences based on location, room type and catering type.

There are over 6,000 students from all over the world living in the uni’s accommodation with most residences found in one of the three student villages – Pritchatts Park, The Vale and Selly Oak. Each village offers something different - The Vale sits alongside a lake, Selly Oak is known for its amenities and nightlife, and Pritchatts Park is known for its suburban feel.

There is a range of room and catering types available to choose from, including catered and self-catered options, as well as en suite and shared bathroom facilities. You’ll find a dedicated accommodation help team, as well as hall reps and student mentors. As well as that, 24/7 security is a feature of all uni accommodation and there is often CCTV, as well as free bike locks.

If uni halls aren’t for you then there are private accommodation options that the university can help you find.

At the University of Birmingham, you’ll have opportunities to improve your employability prospects and learn more about the working world. Work experience opportunities, research projects, alumni mentors and summer internships are just some of the things you’ll be able to get involved with to help improve your job prospects. 

The uni’s specialist careers service is called the Careers Network and is made up of careers professionals who will provide you advice and support to help you through the next stage of life after graduating.

You’ll be able to attend events like careers fairs, workshops and employer presentations. These will give you a chance to learn more about the employment market and possible employers, as well as give you a chance to grow your professional network.

One-to-one meetings with careers professionals will give you a chance to talk things through on a personal level and develop important skills, like interview technique. You’ll also be able to get advice on how to write CVs and covering letters, as well as how to successfully prepare for a job interview or assessment centre.

Birmingham offers a range of financial support to eligible students, in addition to the standard student funding that’s available. This is mainly in the form of scholarships and bursaries.

Scholarships are usually awarded based on academic and extra-curricular excellence, while bursaries are awarded based on personal circumstances. Scholarships and bursaries don’t need to be repaid.

Among the scholarships currently available for eligible students are the music scholarships. These provide around 17 hours of musical tuition per year for three years, being valued at a total of £3,000. Scholarship criteria for this funding includes needing to be at grade 8 level and having a place on a full-time undergraduate course.

Additionally, sports scholarships are available for around 125 athletes and are valued at up to £8,000. You’ll also find scholarships are given out by individual subject faculties.

You can find information and eligibility criteria for all available scholarships and bursaries online, using the uni’s undergraduate funding database.