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University College Birmingham (UCB) is a university renowned for its inclusive and diverse community, along with its reputation for delivering world-class vocational education and training opportunities. The university cultivates graduates who are ready for success in a competitive and global employment market.
Business-facing and entrepreneurial, the majority of the university’s specialist degrees are accredited by the University of Warwick, which is part of the prestigious Russell Group and ranked as one of the top UK universities. There are also significant opportunities to undertake industry placements supported by employer advisory boards to reinforce student progression into rapidly growing sectors. The university is home to 7,500 students who come from 57 different countries around the world to learn from some of the world’s best educators and access the cutting-edge facilities on the university’s modern, vibrant campuses.
The university specialises in degree courses across the areas of business, marketing and finance, tourism, health and nursing, education, sport and physiotherapy, computing and digital and creative services, as well as its globally renowned hospitality courses within Birmingham College of Food.
The university’s newest portfolio of highly practical courses includes degrees focused on cyber security, engineering and sustainable construction, all developed closely with industry to meet today’s skills agenda.
University College Birmingham is located in the centre of second-largest city in the UK. Birmingham is regarded as one of the leading places to study across the UK due to its diversity, growing urban economy, and broad range of social or cultural activities available to students.
University College Birmingham provides around 60 undergraduate courses including honours degrees, foundation degrees, HNDs and degree top-up courses, as well as access to Higher Education Diplomas, through its School of Business, Tourism and Creative Services and School of Health, Sport and Food. Courses are mostly studied on a full-time basis, but some courses can also be studied on a part-time basis. Many of the university’s honours degree courses offer placement years, where students can gain experience in the workplace to further enrich their learning.
The majority of degrees at UCB are accredited by the University of Warwick, which is part of the prestigious Russell Group and ranked as one of the top UK universities. Many courses are also accredited by professional bodies such as the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The university is also recognised by government and employer bodies as a centre of vocational excellence.
Undergraduate study and research opportunities are available through partnership with the University of Warwick. There are also opportunities to enter national and international competitions, from the Nestle Toque d’Or Professional contest to the COP26 Innovation Challenge.
Lecturers are experts in their fields, giving students the confidence that they are learning the most relevant knowledge and techniques for their chosen industry. Students are encouraged and supported in mastering new practical skills, deepening their subject knowledge and understanding the real-world application of their newfound expertise.
Interested? Order a prospectus to find out more about the uni and the courses on offer.
GET PROSPECTUSUniversity College Birmingham welcomes applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and with a variety of different entry qualifications.
For students who have studied for qualifications that are included in the UCAS Tariff, an offer for a place on an undergraduate degree will generally be made based on their tariff points score. Qualifications in the UCAS Tariff that are accepted by the university include A-levels, T-levels, BTECs and Access to Higher Education Diplomas. The UCAS points needed for acceptance vary from course to course but for most courses, a minimum of 80-96 UCAS points is required.
For students who don’t meet those entry requirements, many of the university’s courses can be studied as a foundation degree (FdA or FdSc). These have much lower entry requirements, typically needing a minimum of 32-56 UCAS points.
For BA top-up courses, an HND or foundation degree in a relevant subject is required.
The university also accepts qualifications that may not be included in the UCAS Tariff (including NVQ qualifications), while students without any formal qualifications are also encouraged to apply if they have a minimum of three years of relevant work experience.
UCAS TARIFF CALCULATORSend a message directly to the uni to learn more about their entry requirements.
ASK A QUESTIONUniversity-owned halls of residence are situated in Birmingham city centre and provide a safe and secure, affordable, and happy environment in which students can study and enjoy an active social life.
Located beside the canal, just a 15-minute walk away from the campus buildings, The Maltings is within easy reach of a wealth of shops, pubs, cafes, student budget restaurants and rail and coach stations.
It offers 827 purpose-built study bedrooms – 809 en-suite rooms, 18 with shared bathrooms, and five twin bedrooms. All bedrooms are fully furnished with a bed, wardrobe, shelves, plus a desk and chair for studying. Halls are split into flats of six to nine bedrooms and each flat has a fully equipped kitchen and dining area.
Some ground floor rooms have been designed to accommodate students with special requirements, including accommodation for carers. In addition to a fitness suite, sports hall, and landscaped gardens on-site, The Maltings also features The Maltings Social Space, a communal area offering space for relaxation and events.
Weekly rent at The Maltings starts at £115 and there are no up-front costs or deposit required when students apply. Rent is inclusive of utilities, WiFi, and contents insurance. Contracts run for 42 weeks, from September to June, and many contracts are open to international and EU students on placement. The university has a dedicated accommodation team to support students, and students in their first year are guaranteed a place in the halls of residence, with social support before arrival through Unibuddy and the university’s UCBconnect.
University College Birmingham has invested more than £140 million into its campus buildings and training facilities in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
The university’s practical facilities include a health skills and simulation suite with a replica hospital ward, cutting-edge sports facilities including a human performance centre, one of the largest financial trading suites among all universities in the UK, a digital creative studio and IT suite, prosthetics studio, a £2.1m professional aesthetics clinic for trainee practitioners and an aviation and tourism suite complete with a mock plane cabin. New facilities include a sustainable engineering and construction centre to meet demand for specific skills required for a ‘greener’, modern age.
For students on food and hospitality courses, the university’s industry-standard kitchens and innovative Food Science and Innovation Suite provide the perfect environment to master culinary skills, while there is also an award-winning training restaurant on campus that enjoys a great reputation with the public and professionals alike.
Its Moss House and McIntyre House buildings in Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter are a short walk from the university’s Summer Row and Camden House campuses, as well as The Link support services building. There are numerous cafes and diners including a large, relaxing ‘living room’ featuring a coffee shop at Moss House for students to enjoy, as well a US-style diner with a centrepiece pizza oven that overlooks the courtyard and provides outdoor seating.
Find out more about the accommodations and facilities in person at the uni.
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With small class sizes for personalised, tailored support, University College Birmingham is committed to ensuring that all students have the best possible academic and social experience while studying there. Whatever help is needed to succeed, the university’s specialist teams are committed to giving all students the advice, skills, and support to discover their full potential.
The Centre for Academic Skills and English offers an array of services to help students throughout their studies. With one-to-one or small group sessions available, students can get helpful advice and guidance on writing essays and preparing for exams and presentations. They also have a number of self-help toolkits online for all students to access.
International students can also enrol on pre-sessional or intensive English courses to meet the level of English they need for their course through the centre. Graduate Advantage offers further tailored support, with sessions covering academic skills and preparing for the world of work. There are also dedicated support teams offering friendly, confidential, and impartial guidance and workshops on financial matters, careers and business, mental health and physical wellbeing (including an on-site nurse and trained counsellors), and other day-to-day issues that may arise while studying at the university. There is also pet therapy and special support for students with special educational needs and disabilities.
Students coming from abroad can access a designated, on-campus international centre for personalised support with everything from visas to health and wellbeing, and overseas offices to support with degree choices and the application process.
Find out more about the student support offered on the university’s website.
VISIT WEBSITEUCB specialises in internationally renowned vocational degree courses. Here are some of the areas in which University College Birmingham excels:
Business and finance
University College Birmingham offers business, finance and management-focused degrees that balance academic theory and research with practical experience and opportunities to work on real-world projects. Graduates have gone into careers with top employers including Collins Aerospace, IBM, Facebook (Meta), Hilton Group and Mondelez International.
Aviation and tourism
University College Birmingham has been classed as a centre for excellence by the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT). Aviation and tourism students develop their professional knowledge and practical skills in the university’s state-of-the-art Aviation and Tourism Suite, which comes fully equipped with a mock plane cabin and airport check-in and security areas.
Sport and nutrition
Students receive plenty of practical training using some of the UK’s best sports facilities, frequently used for training by commonwealth athletes, and some courses are accredited by professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Engineering and construction
University College Birmingham is set to lead the way with a portfolio of courses in the field of sustainable construction and engineering, specifically designed to train and upskill learners with skills that support employers and their supply chains. Training facilities include the under-development Engineering and Sustainable Construction Centre, giving students access to the latest equipment to help them develop practical skills and experience.
The Guild of Students is managed by a team of four elected officers, who work hard to ensure all students are represented and have the best time while studying at the university. As soon as students enrol on their course, they automatically become a member of the guild, which is based at the Moss House campus.
The Guild of Students represents students at university board meetings, making sure that students’ views are heard at the highest level and the changes students want to see are implemented. They also employ a number of course reps who work directly with lecturers and other faculty staff to ensure students’ education remains the very best.
In addition, the Guild of Students also runs regular campaigns on important topics such as mental health, harassment and sexual violence, and the black and Asian award gap to ensure students are fully informed about subjects that really matter to them.
They also provide plenty of free, impartial, and helpful advice and guidance to all students on all aspects of university life, whether it’s accommodation, finance, health and wellbeing or careers. Students can book an appointment with an advisor or access useful guidance on the Guild of Students’ website.
The Guild of Students also manages the university’s many clubs and societies and can help students in setting new groups up. They also run a variety of fun social activities and events throughout the year which all students are welcome to participate in.
The Guild of Students manages a range of clubs and societies which are run by University College Birmingham students, helping individuals connect with others, grow their community, and have lots of fun. Each society organises regular meetups and special events for its members.
Sports clubs offer students a range of sport and fitness activities such as cheerleading, football, netball, Jiu-Jitsu, pole fitness, rugby, and Zumba. These clubs are available to students of all abilities, whether they want to play competitively, improve their skills, or simply have fun with their new friends.
Societies cover academic, faith, culture, general interest, and political/campaigning themes. Examples include disabled students’ network, creative arts, first love, Malaysian, online gaming and anime, open mic and sustainability.
The Guild of Students is working hard to extend the range of clubs and societies available to students and offer lots of support to students who would like to set up their own new society.
Studying at University College Birmingham puts students right at the heart of one of the most dynamic cities in the country – a city that has been voted one of the top 10 places to study in the UK (QS Best Student Cities 2021). Home to five universities and approximately 65,000 students, the city has the youngest population of any major city in Europe with nearly 40% under the age of 25.
The city is also very affordable and is often quoted as being over 50% cheaper than London for essentials such as rent and transport. All that extra money saved can be spent enjoying all that the UK’s second city has to offer.
The city centre is a thriving shopping hub, from the big brands in several spectacular shopping centres to hundreds of independent boutiques. There is also no shortage of nightlife with thousands of restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs and live entertainment venues located across the city.
For students who prefer the quiet life, there is the opportunity to escape into Birmingham’s 8,000 acres of parks and open spaces or explore over 100 miles of canals around the city – reputedly even more than Venice.
Birmingham is undergoing an ambitious 20-year Big City transformation which will create new business hubs, leisure facilities, and public spaces, create enhanced walking and cycling routes and improve vital infrastructures – all to create 50,000 new jobs. Less than an hour-and-a-half from London with outstanding links to the rest of the UK, Birmingham is a rapidly growing business centre and cultural and social hub, offering many opportunities for employment after graduation.
See the campus and city for yourself in person by booking an open day place.
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As a vocational university, degrees at University College Birmingham aren’t simply about classroom learning. Courses focus on linking academic theory to the world of work, supported by outstanding training facilities and lecturers with specialist experience in a vast range of industry backgrounds.
The university works closely with over 1,000 employers, ensuring that courses remain relevant to the latest industry trends through regular specialist industry guest lectures and input from employer advisory boards. They also provide a range of industry placement opportunities that enable students to put their learning into practice as well as make valuable professional contacts for when they graduate.
Many of University College Birmingham’s courses also feature residential trips and overseas study, arranged and funded by the university.
Help and guidance on careers, employability, and work placements are available for all students through the Hired@UCB service, which is available to students up to five years after graduation and provides one-to-one advice, tips and support online, face-to-face or by phone.
The Enterprise Hive provides intensive start-up support for students aspiring to launch their own businesses, while HiredConnect provides an online support portal of tools and resources to help students stand out to employers.
Job search support is tailored to the student and is informed by the needs of employers. A designated career advisor is assigned to each international student to support their specific needs.
Alumni go on to forge successful careers, working everywhere from the BBC, Disney, Just Eat and Collins Aerospace to NHS, Michelin-starred restaurants and top-flight sports clubs.
University College Birmingham offers a range of scholarships and fee waiver programmes that support improved access to study and are available for both UK and international students on undergraduate courses.
The Academic Excellence Scholarship provides six awards of up to £1,000 off the cost of tuition fees for one year. Both UK/EU and international students can apply. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in academic achievement.
The Sporting Excellence Scholarship is offered for up to six students who can demonstrate excellence in sporting achievement. There are two financial packages on offer and students from all countries can apply for either. The ‘Elite Performer’ package is £3,000 and is available to applicants who are competing at the national or international level, whereas the ‘Talented Performer’ package is £1,500 and is available to applicants competing at the county/regional level. The package is to fund training and competition costs. In addition to the money, successful applicants will also benefit from gym membership, weekly sports massage, and other perks.
More details on scholarships and fee waiver programmes, including eligibility criteria and details on how to apply, can be found on the university’s website.
UK Students
Fees for UK/EU students enrolling on a full-time undergraduate degree (BA/BSc or FdA/FdSc) or a full-time accelerated degree in 2023 will be £9,250.
Feed for UK/EU students enrolling on a part-time undergraduate degree (BA/BSc or FdA/FdSc) in 2023 will be £4,625.
Note: The fees above are yearly fees and may rise in future years, in line with inflation and at the government’s permission. There are no fees charged for UK students for completing a 24 or 48-week work placement.
International students
Fees for international students enrolling on a full-time undergraduate degree (BA/BSc or FdA/FdSc) in 2023 will be £13,500 per year for the duration of their course.
Fees for international students enrolling on a full-time accelerated undergraduate degree (BA/BSc or FdA/FdSc) in 2023 will be £15,000 per year for the duration of their course.
Fees for international students enrolling on an online undergraduate degree (BA/BSc or FdA/FdSc) in 2023 will be £5,800 per year for the duration of their course.
To support students who need help with paying for the costs of studying, the university offers a number of financial support packages. This includes the Kick-Start Scheme, through which eligible students can get £300 per year (or in some cases up to £800 per year) towards additional costs such as uniforms, kits and practical resources – and students won’t have to pay anything back. Find out more by visiting the Kick-Start FAQs.
Send a message directly to the uni to learn more about their scholarships and bursaries.
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University College Birmingham
As well as a wide range of courses, studying at University College Birmingham offers you loads of opportunities to boost your CV thanks to the careers department. You might even have the chance to do a work placement or sandwich year during your degree.
As well as providing you with opportunities to develop academically and professionally, you'll have a wide range of clubs and societies to join. You'll be able to pick up a new hobby and make loads of new friends by joining some of the clubs and societies on offer at University College Birmingham.
The world is your oyster! Of course, the exact options open to you will depend on which subject you choose to study. Employers often look to hire graduates, so you can be sure that your degree will give you a wider range of employment opportunities.
No matter what degree you choose, however, you'll have option of going on to further study. If you want to keep studying, your undergraduate degree will enable you to go on to a master's degree or even a PhD.
If you opt to live in uni halls, you'll benefit from free WiFi and all-inclusive rent. Rent for uni halls also includes security and maintenance, so you can be sure you'll be well-looked after. There are several accessible rooms available, which are adapted for disabled students.
Halls also have communal areas such as kitchen facilities where you can meet your flatmates over a cup of tea. You'll also have access to dining facilities where you can share a meal with other students in your accommodation.
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