University in United Kingdom
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
University profile
University College Birmingham is a vocational, career-focused university in the centre of Birmingham with over 10,000 students. It teaches across both higher and further education, from BTECs, diplomas, A-levels and apprenticeships to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Higher Technical Qualifications and short courses, and it is known in particular for culinary arts, hospitality, tourism and food-related study. Its stated mission is to enable learners to be empowered, enriched and employed in high quality jobs.
The university works from seven campus buildings within walking distance of one another in Birmingham city centre: Summer Row, McIntyre House, Moss House, The Link, Camden House East, Baskerville House and the James Cond Centre for Sustainable Construction in the Jewellery Quarter. Since 2014 it has invested £300 million in its campuses and facilities, including the £44 million Moss House.
Teaching is organised into three schools: the Business School (Departments of Business and Enterprise, Hospitality and Tourism, Creative Industries, and Birmingham College of Food); the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment (Departments of Computing, and Engineering and Built Environment); and the School of Health, Life Sciences and Education (Departments of Education, Health and Nutrition, Sport, Psychology, and Social Work). Specialist facilities include a training restaurant and industry-standard kitchens, a Food Science and Innovation Suite, a mock plane cabin, a Financial Trading Suite, a prosthetics suite and health simulation suites.
Students live at The Maltings, a canalside hall of residence on Granville Street with 827 study bedrooms, and first-year students are guaranteed a place there. The Guild of Students, an independent charity led by elected officers, is the students' union for both university and college students, and runs clubs and societies; university teams compete in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) leagues in football, basketball, volleyball, netball, cricket and jiu-jitsu. The university works with over 1,000 employers on placements and careers support through its HIRED service.
The international community numbers more than 1,400 students, supported by a dedicated International Office, country representatives and a Centre for Academic Skills and English (CASE).
University College Birmingham is an independent higher education corporation and exempt charity regulated by the Office for Students. It received taught degree awarding powers from the Privy Council in 2007 and full university status in 2012. Selected business and finance degrees for September 2026 entry are accredited and awarded by the University of Warwick, and the university has previously offered degrees accredited by the University of Birmingham. It is a member of Student Minds' University Mental Health Charter.
For 2026/27, home undergraduate fees are £9,790 full-time (BA, BSc, BEng, HNC, HND and foundation year) and £4,895 part-time, rising to £10,050 and £5,025 in 2027/28 (subject to parliamentary procedure); accelerated degrees cost £11,750 a year. Home postgraduate fees for 2026/27 range by band from £9,500 to £12,000 for an MA/MSc. International undergraduate fees for 2026/27 are £16,500 (Band 1) or £19,750 (Band 3) a year, the International Foundation Diploma is £11,000, and international postgraduate fees are £17,500 (Band 1) or £20,750 (Band 3), with the MBA at £17,000. International fees set for the first year are held for later years of the course. See home undergraduate fees, home postgraduate fees and international fees.
Full-time UK undergraduates with home fee status who pay their fees with a student loan receive £6,000 that does not have to be repaid: £3,000 in year one, £2,000 in year two and £1,000 in year three, paid in instalments. HNC and CertHE students receive £3,000. It is paid automatically and is available for courses starting up to February 2028; online and part-time courses are excluded. Cost of Living Allowance
New full-time undergraduates from the UK receive up to £800 a year of Kick-Start credit for course materials and items within the university, and selected groups of students receive a £280 Digital Award towards a laptop or tablet.
27 fully funded scholarships for BA, BEng and BSc courses starting in September 2027 (3 national, 24 for specific Birmingham postcodes) cover a full tuition fee waiver worth £30,150 over three years, a £1,600 annual living bursary, funded accommodation at The Maltings worth £5,628 a year, the £6,000 Cost of Living Allowance and the Kick-Start bursary, plus employer mentoring and work experience. Applicants must be in the final year of post-16 education with home fee status, have at least five GCSEs at grades 9-6, and meet at least two widening participation criteria such as free school meals, first generation at university or household income of £35,000 or below; care-experienced applicants are prioritised. Employers' Scholarships
Up to six scholarships a year for athletes from any country, with Elite Performer funding of up to £3,000 and Talented Performer funding of up to £1,500 over three years, plus BUCS fees, kit, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sport psychology, sport therapy and gym membership. Sporting Excellence Scholarship
Students who pay their full tuition fee before the deadline (25 September 2026 for September 2026 starters; 12 February 2027 for February 2027 starters) receive a £500 Early Payment Discount. UCB graduates progressing to postgraduate study receive 25% off fees with a first-class degree, or 20% otherwise, applied automatically at enrolment.
More than 100 merit scholarships are offered each year to new full-time international students with overseas fee status, each requiring an offer, a personal statement of up to 500 words and a deposit of at least £1,000 within 14 days of the scholarship offer:
Application deadlines for these awards are 31 October 2026 for February 2027 entry, 31 May 2027 for September 2027 entry and 30 October 2027 for February 2028 entry. The university also offers GREAT Scholarships worth £10,000, with the British Council, for postgraduate students from Nigeria and Pakistan starting in September 2027 (applications open October 2026, deadline 31 May 2027).
The Early Action Scholarship gives up to £3,500 (Band 1) or £4,500 (Band 3), or £2,000 for the International Foundation Diploma, to new international students who meet deposit and payment deadlines. Returning international undergraduates receive a £2,000 Continuation Scholarship in their second and third years, and graduates of a UCB programme who progress to a new degree receive a 20% or 25% Alumni Scholarship. Enquiries: [email protected]. International scholarships
Eligible home students from England can take out a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,790 for 2026/27 and an income-assessed Maintenance Loan; students from Wales can access a Tuition Fee Loan plus a Maintenance Grant and Loan. Students not using a loan can pay in four instalments, starting on 31 October 2026.
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View scholarships for University College Birmingham →Home applicants can apply either directly to University College Birmingham through its free online application form or through UCAS (institution name BUCB, institution code B35); course codes appear on each course page. The UCAS application fee for 2026 entry is £28.95 for up to five choices. For September 2026 entry the UCAS equal-consideration deadline was 14 January 2026; later applications are still considered, and UK applicants for September 2026 apply through Clearing. Selected undergraduate courses also have a February intake, and applications for September 2027 are open. Deferred entry for a gap year is considered, with offer conditions to be met by 31 August of the application year.
Entry requirements are set per course and expressed as A-level, T-level, BTEC, UCAS Tariff and Access to HE profiles; for example, Sports Therapy BSc (Hons) asks for BBC at A-level, a T-level at Merit, BTEC DMM or 112 UCAS Tariff points. Tariff requirements are used as guidance, and applicants slightly below them are encouraged to apply. Some health and practice-based courses require a DBS check.
The Contextual Offer Scheme can make offers below the usual requirements to applicants who live in areas of low progression to higher education, attended a school or college with below-average performance, are the first in their family to attend university, are care experienced or estranged, have caring responsibilities, have refugee or asylum seeker status, or have a household income below a defined threshold. No separate application is needed: applicants apply through UCAS or directly and are contacted by the university.
One-year foundation years (Level 3) lead into three-year degrees in subjects including Health and Social Care, Physiotherapy and Psychology. Holders of a foundation degree, HND, Level 5 NVQ or equivalent can top up to a full BA or BSc (Hons) in one year, and some HNC courses offer Advanced Entry to Level 5. Transfers from other universities are considered.
International applicants apply directly through the online application form or, for undergraduate courses, through UCAS. Country-specific entry and English requirements are set out for each country, and regional representatives and agents can support applications. The International Foundation Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism offers a preparatory route. University of Warwick-awarded top-ups are open only to students who completed their Level 5 qualification in the UK; ineligible applicants are offered the equivalent UCB-awarded programme.
Applicants whose first language is not English typically need IELTS (Academic or UKVI) 6.0 with no band below 5.5, depending on course, or TOEFL iBT 72 (not Home Edition) with at least Reading 18, Writing 17, Listening 17 and Speaking 20 for undergraduate and most postgraduate degrees. LanguageCert (not online) at B2 pass and IELTS Indicator are also accepted. The International Foundation Diploma requires UKVI IELTS 5.0 with no band below 4.5. IELTS results must be within two years of the course start date. Pre-sessional English courses of 6, 8 and 15 weeks are available.
Postgraduate applicants apply through the university's online application form. Programmes have September and, in many cases, February intakes. Home and EU applicants, and non-EU applicants based in the UK, must apply at least 10 working days before enrolment; non-EU international applicants are advised to apply two to three months before the enrolment deadline. Each application is assessed on the personal statement, work experience, letter of support and qualifications.
For September 2026 entry, applicants outside the UK must apply by 31 August 2026 (inside the UK, 21 September 2026), with CAS issuance deadlines of 7, 21 or 28 September 2026 depending on standard, priority or super priority visa service. For February 2027 entry, the application deadline is 18 January 2027 from outside the UK and 8 February 2027 from inside the UK. September 2027 deadlines are 30 August 2027 (outside the UK) and 20 September 2027 (inside the UK). Allied health programmes have earlier deadlines. New students can request a CAS up to six months before the course starts when applying from outside the UK, or three months before when applying from inside the UK. EU/EEA applicants also need a Student visa for courses longer than six months.
The library offers access to more than 150 million digital resources and, in term time, opens until midnight on weekdays and at weekends. A free, confidential Health and Wellbeing Service includes mental health support and a Student Health Practitioner.
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