University College Birmingham

University College Birmingham (UCB) is in the heart of Birmingham, the UK's second city. It has its origins as a technical college in the early 20th century and was granted full degree-awarding powers in 2007. Today, UCB is Europe’s leading specialist in management courses for the culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, our students also go on to forge global careers in sport, the creative services, business, finance, education, healthcare and community. International students come to UCB because of its reputation for excellent degrees and state-of-the-art facilities. There are over 7,500 students enrolled, including 1,400 international students from 65 countries.  

UCB offers a range of undergraduate degrees and postgraduate degrees. The vast majority of the courses are accredited by the University of Birmingham which means that students on those courses graduate with degrees from one of the world's leading universities. University College Birmingham comprises of two schools (School of Business, Tourism and Creative Industries and School of Health, Sport and Food), which are responsible for delivering courses to students at all levels of study.

The quality of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UCB, is further underlined by the accreditation from the University of Birmingham.

Supported by a £130 million investment in new campuses, equipment and resources, University College Birmingham's facilities are nothing short of world class. From training restaurants and aesthetics clinic, to state-of-the-art mock plane cabin, cutting-edge sports facilities and financial trading suite – University College Birmingham provides real-life, industry gold standard working environments, giving students a significant advantage for when they finish their studies.

There are country-specific requirements. Please check them here. 

To apply for all undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, you will need to sit an approved test in English if it is not your first language. This might include achieving IELTS (Academic or UKVI) of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band, depending on your course requirements.  

In addition, we accept Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 72 with minimum band scores of Reading 18, Writing 17, Listening 17, Speaking 20 for Undergraduate (BA, BSc) and most postgraduate degrees.  

If you are applying for the International Foundation Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism, you will need UKVI IELTS of 5.0 with no less than 4.5 in any band.  

IELTS can be taken from the British Council. Please note that the date of your IELTS award must be within two years of your degree/master’s degree start date.  

We recognise that English language testing centres are closed in many countries due to the Covid-19 situation. We, therefore, now accept the following online tests for entry onto degree level courses this September:

• TOEFL (iBT) Home – minimum scores as above
• Language Cert - a minimum of 'pass' at B2 level
• IELTS Indicator - minimum scores as above

If you are not able to take one of the above tests, please see here for a list of accepted alternative English language tests.

• The Kick-Start Scheme: For new students starting a full-time undergraduate or PGCE course, University College Birmingham will provide financial support in the form of the ‘The Kick-Start Scheme’. Eligible UK students will receive credit of up to £800, which can be used on a dedicated website to purchase course-related materials or on certain items within UCB. The great news is these funds don't need to be paid back!  
• Electronic tablets: Selected students will be entitled to an electronic tablet, pre-loaded with relevant Apps, to assist you in your studies.

Other scholarships:

• Academic Excellence Scholarship: 6 Academic Excellence awards - Up to £1000 off the cost of tuition fees, for one year only. These scholarships are open to applicants from any country. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in academic achievement.
• Sporting Excellence Scholarship: 1. An ‘Elite performer’ financial support package would be available to students competing at National, junior international or international representation to be awarded up to £3000 funding towards competitions, training costs and equipment over 3 years. Additional grant awards available for international representation subject to panel approval. Students would be required to evidence costs and claim these back from the scholarship fund. 2.  A ‘Talented performer’ financial support package would be available to students competing at county level or above with the potential to progress to be awarded up to £1500 over 3 years. 
• Masters Intern Bursary: The masters intern bursaries therefore both pay the full cost of full-time Masters Tuition fees and provide an opportunity to list on your CV that you have worked for University College Birmingham. 
• UCB EU Transition Award: At University College Birmingham, we would like to support our EU applicants through this transition, therefore, we are offering an automatic EU Transition Award to all eligible EU students who start their studies at UCB in September 2021 or January 2022.