Birmingham City University

About Birmingham City University (BCU)

BCU is a large, practice-focused public university based in Birmingham, UK. It teaches around 31,000 students from 100+ countries and emphasises industry-connected, hands-on learning across arts, health, business, engineering, computing and more.

Why choose BCU?

• Industry-strength, practical training — BCU stresses employability and work-based learning (placements, live briefs and industry partnerships).

• Value for money — study in the UK’s second city where living costs are generally lower than London, plus strong scholarship offers for international students (details below).

• Major campus investment & facilities — the university is investing heavily in new and upgraded facilities (a multi-year campus investment programme).

• Diverse student community & support — dedicated international pages, pre-arrival help, visas and arrival support.

University ranking & reputation (snapshot)

• BCU appears in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and publishes subject strengths — it’s particularly noted for practice-based teaching and some subject areas where it places well in national guides. Check subject-level rankings for the programme you care about.

Campus locations

BCU has a multi-site city presence; key campuses include:

• City Centre Campus (the main hub near the city heart) — many creative, business, computing and engineering facilities.

• City South Campus (Edgbaston) — home to Health Professions, Nursing & Life Sciences with simulated clinical facilities.

• Royal Birmingham Conservatoire & School of Art / Jewellery — specialist campuses for music, art and jewellery making.
  Each course page states exactly which campus delivers the programme — always check before applying.

Types of courses (study levels)

• Undergraduate: BA, BSc, BEng, foundation years and sandwich (placement) options.

• Postgraduate taught: MSc, MA, MBA and PG diplomas.

• Research degrees: MPhil / PhD.

• Apprenticeships, short courses, CPD and 100% online degrees for global learners and working professionals. BCU publishes an A–Z course listing across all levels.

Mode of learning

• Primarily on-campus (face-to-face) for most undergraduate and practical subjects.

• Blended and fully online options are available for selected programmes (BCU Online and distance learning routes are expanding). Always confirm delivery mode on the course page.

Number of programmes offered

BCU offers hundreds of courses across undergraduate, postgraduate, foundation and apprenticeship routes — the A–Z listing shows a very wide portfolio spanning arts, design, business, computing, health, engineering, education and more. Use the course finder to explore subject-by-subject.

Highlights & strengths

• Strong employability focus — high placement/work-experience engagement and industry links (BCU is ranked highly for regional work experience).

• Major capital investment (~£500m) into facilities including STEAMhouse and City Centre Campus expansion — great for students wanting modern labs, studios and maker spaces.

• Specialist conservatoire & craft heritage — Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the historic School of Jewellery are notable highlights.

• Social impact & access — BCU ranks highly for social mobility and community engagement in regional measures.

Practical advice for international applicants

1. Pick the correct campus — many specialist courses (e.g., conservatoire, jewellery, nursing simulations) are delivered at specific sites. Confirm campus on the course page.

2. Check entry & English requirements on the exact course page (some professional programmes have higher or portfolio/audition requirements).

3. Scholarships — BCU’s automatic fee discounts mean you don’t always need a separate application; apply early and check deadlines (UCAS/timetable windows).

4. Visa & arrival — use BCU’s International pages and pre-arrival guides; the university offers international arrival support and accommodation services.

5. Budget realistically — Birmingham is cheaper than London but factor in rent, food, travel, course materials (creative or lab-based courses often have extra costs).

6. Open days & virtual tours — highly recommended before you apply; BCU runs regular open days and virtual campus tours.

Scholarship

Undergraduate (Bachelor’s) Scholarships

• For full-time international fee-paying undergraduate students enrolling at BCU in January OR September 2026, BCU is offering a guaranteed scholarship of £5,000. This is applied as a tuition fee discount: £3,000 off in year one, and £2,000 off in year two.

  • Eligibility:

    1. Self-funding international fee payer.

    2. Secure a place on a full-time undergraduate degree course commencing January or September 2026.

    3. Enrol at BCU and begin your studies in Jan or Sept 2026.

• There is also a merit-based scholarship scheme for international undergraduate entrants for September 2025: up to £2,000 deducted from first year tuition fees, based on your academic background.

  • Exclusions apply: e.g., students progressing from a Foundation or International Year One at BCUIC, Nursing & Midwifery courses, some part-time/short courses etc.

Postgraduate (Master’s) Scholarships

• For international students enrolling in September 2024 (and likely similar schemes for 2025) BCU offers a merit-based scholarship up to £2,000 off tuition fees:

  • £2,000 for those holding a First Class degree (or international equivalent)

  • £1,500 for Second Class Upper / 2:1 equivalent

  • £1,000 for Second Class Lower / 2:2 equivalent

  • Exclusions: courses such as PhD, MRes, PGCE, some health CPD, part-time/distance learning, pre-sessional English, etc.

• For postgraduate taught Master’s students joining in January 2026, BCU offers a scholarship of £3,000 off tuition fees for eligible self-funding international fee-paying students.

General Fees / Costs & Eligibility Info

• On their Fees, costs and scholarships page BCU states: when you are offered a place as an overseas (non-UK/EU) student, you will pay the overseas tuition fee. They provide guidance for checking your fee status.

• Important: Some scholarships/discounts are automatic as long as you meet criteria; others are merit-based requiring certain grades.

• Some scholarships cannot be combined with other offers — so you’ll want to check the terms for each. (E.g., the “Guaranteed £5,000” for UG 2026 says “there are no extra forms to fill in – just apply to study at BCU and leave the rest to us.”)

Eligibility & important conditions (for you as international student)

Here are the conditions you should check carefully:

• Fee-payer status: You must be classified as a self-funding international (overseas) fee-payer. If you have other sponsorship or your fee status changes you may lose eligibility.

• Study mode & duration: The scholarships apply to full-time, on-campus courses, typically at least one academic year. Part-time, distance, short-courses are excluded in many schemes.

• Eligible course/intake:

  • For the £5,000 UG 2026 scholarship: full-time undergraduate degree course, January or September 2026 start.

  • For the PG £3,000 scholarship: full?time taught Master’s programme, January 2026 start.

  • For merit-based PG up to £2,000: full?time postgraduate entering Sept 2024 (or similar for 2025) based on your previous degree classification.

• Academic background: For the merit-based PG scholarships you must hold a degree with certain classification equivalent to UK system.

• Application / Enrolment: For the “automatic” discounts you often just need to apply for the course and fulfil enrolment/deposit by deadline; you must secure and accept your place, enrol and begin studies. E.g., for the UG £5,000 scholarship there are “no extra forms to fill in”.

• Exclusions: Always check whether your specific course is excluded (foundation years, part-time, HND, certain subjects). E.g., the undergraduate merit-based award excludes Nursing & Midwifery, HND, etc.

Key things to watch out / tips

• Deadlines matter: While some discounts are automatic, the earlier you apply & accept you are, the better. Scholarships amounts are often tied to specific intakes (e.g., Jan/Sept 2026) or offers.

• Cost of living & visa: Scholarships often reduce tuition fees, but you will still need to budget for living costs, accommodation, travel, visa, etc. BCU’s fee page reminds you to check living costs.

• Course eligibility: Some subjects (e.g., Nursing & Midwifery, HNDs, part-time) are excluded from certain scholarships — confirm for your exact programme.

• Cannot stack (sometimes): Some scholarships/discounts may not be combined with others — check whether you can combine with any other offer or if taking one means foregoing another. For the £5k UG scheme the statement “there are no extra forms to fill in” suggests it is standalone.

• Refund/change conditions: If you defer your entry or your fee-status changes (e.g., become home fee status), scholarship eligibility may change — always check the T&Cs.

• International vs home/EU: Make sure your fee status is correctly determined. Many scholarships are for overseas (non-UK/EU) fee-payers. If you become or are assessed as a home or EU fee-payer you may not qualify for a given “international” offer.

• Contact admissions for clarity: If you are from India or another non-UK/EU country, you are likely to be classed as overseas, but you should confirm with BCU’s international admissions whether you’re eligible for the specific scholarship.