Birmingham City University has contributed to the education of Birmingham's residents for 170 years, but it only gained university status in 1992, when it received the name it bears today. It is a fairly large, modern university with over 22,000 students and is ranked 88th in the UK. It has an excellent reputation in art, design, media, teacher training, music and the performing arts. The university is one of the best in the country for brokerage-related majors. Many programs give students the opportunity to spend a year or half a year on a work placement, increasing their chances of finding a job after graduation. The Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF) rated 90% of the university's research, which focuses on serious social and economic challenges of the modern world, as having outstanding impact. Some of its main research areas are art, culture, creativity, design innovation, sustainable development and public health. The university is in the top 10 for brokerage-related majors.
Birmingham is the second largest and second most populous city in the UK, located in the West Midlands of England. A medium-sized market town in the Middle Ages, Birmingham gained worldwide fame during the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, when the city became a center of scientific, technological and economic development. It was there that the foundations of modern industrial society were laid, and in 1791 it was considered the first manufacturing town in the world. A mix of modernity, culture and history, the city has a network of canals longer than that of Venice.
Main programs and majors (For a detailed list, ask an NGB Consulting advisor)
- Accounting & Finance
- Anthropology
- Architecture
- Art & Design
- Aural & Oral Sciences
- Building
- Business & Management Studies
- Business Studies
- Communication & Media Studies
- Computer Science
- Drama, Dance & Cinematics
- Economics
- Education
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering
- English
- General Engineering
- Land & Property Management
- Law
- Librarianship & Information Management
- Marketing
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical technology
- Music
- Nursing
- Other Subjects Allied to Medicine
- Politics
- Psychology
- Social Policy
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Town & Country Planning and Landscape Design
Key information
Duration of study:
3-5 years for Bachelor's programs
1-2 years for Master's programs
Academic year:
2 semesters - September and January
Start of the year:
September and January (for some programs only)
Application deadline:
January 15 is the recommended deadline for most majors. The final cutoff is June 30, but those applications will not be given priority.
March 24 for art and design, fine art and visual communication
There is no deadline for Master's and PhD/doctoral programs, but the university advises applying as early as possible.
Admission requirements:
High school diploma with a minimum GPA of 4.0, depending on the major.
For Master's programs, a Bachelor's degree with a minimum grade of 4.0.
IELTS
For Bachelor's and Master's programs, a minimum of 6.0, depending on the major.
TOEFL
For Bachelor's and Master's programs, a minimum of 80, depending on the major.
Scholarships and loans
The tuition fee for Bachelor's programs is £9,000. The UK government provides student loans with favorable repayment terms. Students only start repaying the loan once they earn an annual salary of more than £21,000. Some medical and healthcare majors may be funded by the NHS.
Master's programs cost £7,000, and the MBA costs £9,290. Getting a loan for them is more difficult, but not impossible.
Doctoral programs cost £3,900.
Accommodation:
University residence halls cost between £3,340 and £4,902 per year, depending on the hall and room type. Accommodation in a house or apartment outside the university residence halls costs between £2,600 and £3,120 per year.